E3 2018 Horror Games List
Note: This piece was written on spec for GamersDecide.com in 2018.
Calling all horror fans.
If 2018's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is any indication, you’re about to cop a haul of groundbreaking games.
Some are sequels to classics. Some have trailers so unnerving, YouTube demands age confirmation to view. (Sorry, kids.)
But most of the games featured below contain brand-new narratives and, in some cases, envelop-pushing tech that will make you question your own sanity.
No joke. But you be the judge.
Let’s get into it. Up first . . .
The Sinking City
The Sinking City, an upcoming adventure-horror game inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, features one of the creepier trailers out of E3, a trade event for the video game industry.
Set in 1920s America, this detective story thrusts you into an open world terrorized by floods of supernatural origin.
Dropped into Oakmont, Massachusetts, it’s up to you to uncover the mysterious source that’s taken ahold of the city — and its residents.
But you’ll have to wait until March 21, 2019. An eternity!
GTFO
An upcoming first-person action-survival-horror game, GTFO is set to be released at an undisclosed time in 2018.
Form teams of scavengers and gather weapons, tools, and survival resources while you battle hideous monsters in a vast underground complex filled with valuable artifacts.
Then, stay alive as you search for an escape.
Call of Cthulhu
Investigate the death of an entire family on Darkwater Island near Boston and unearth secrets about the impending revival of Cthulhu, a cosmic entity created by writer H.P. Lovecraft.
Balance the line between sanity and madness as you navigate this world of creeping shadows and celestial horrors. And trust no one.
Call of Cthulhu drops later this year. Stay tuned for an exact date.
Lorn
Currently in development by TeamKill Studio, Lorn is described as a “dark-fantasy, first-person survival horror game set in a desolate world, engulfed by darkness bestowed upon it by the rule of a tyrannical king” on the game’s official site.
Sounds about right.
As revealed at E3, the trailer features a demonic narrator who, right away, sets the mood for this world of embers and dragons and running skeletons with glowing eyes and really creepy two-legged creatures with giraffe-like necks.
There’s plenty you’ll have to overcome to survive this game, which is due out later this year.
DARQ
Bend the laws of physics and navigate a nightmarish dream world by walking on walls and ceilings, rotating rooms, and levitating.
Collect and use found objects to your advantage as you solve gravity-defying puzzles.
Most importantly, use stealth around enemies to continue your journey of the subconscious.
Reminiscent of a game like Limbo, DARQ features a young protagonist who must solve mind-bending puzzles to survive, move forward.
Surrender yourself to this psychological horror, where the dream world is intensified by the game’s bone-chilling music.
TBA 2018.
Resident Evil 2 Remake
A remake of the horror-survival classic Resident Evil 2, this game promises to be both nostalgic — with its familiar characters and locations — and fresh, as certain events are reinterpreted and fixed camera angles are replaced with a more engaging over-the-shoulder gameplay.
As a result, the remake is darker, grittier, and gorier.
Can you survive updated zombies?
Find out on January 25, 2019.
Transference
Escape a corrupted mind in Transference, a mind-bending psychological thriller from Ubisoft.
Combining live-action footage with haunting graphics, you’ll feel as though you’ve been dropped into a movie/video game hybrid.
Plunged into the experiment of a troubled scientist, you’ll shift between three separate perspectives as you unravel a mystery in a chilling new dimension.
Available Fall 2018.
Metro Exodus
Discover the bleak, deadly winter of post-apocalyptic Moscow in Metro Exodus.
Blending combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror, this story-driven first-person shooter pits you against human foes and grotesque, mutated creates in a world of post-nuclear fallout.
Recruit new allies to your cause, collect from a wide array of hand-crafted weapons, and overcome sinister forces in a desolate, frigid wasteland.
Coming February 22, 2019.
DOOM Eternal
The teaser for DOOM Eternal is batshit. Earth now overrun by hell, you have to contend with the likes of demons, writhing tentacles, and—wait. Was that a human brain walking on crab legs?
Expect total chaos as you prep to engage in first-person combat with demonic forces.
Expect to use that double-barreled shotgun.
And you know what, just expect a bloodbath.
Release date TBA.
Secret Neighbor
Set in the Hello Neighbor universe, Secret Neighbor is a multiplayer “social horror” that follows a group of kids who try to sneak into their eerie neighbor’s basement to rescue their missing friend.
The catch: one of the players is a traitor in disguise.
Play as a kid and collect keys, save your friends from the neighbor, and collaborate while trusting no one.
Or play as the neighbor and protect your turf, scaring and confusing intruders with all your home’s gadgets.
Sign up for the alpha at secretneighbor.com.
The Last of Us Part II
Currently still in development by Naughty Dog, this upcoming action-adventure survival horror will serve as the sequel to 2013’s mega hit, The Last of Us.
Catch up with familiar characters in a post-apocalyptic United States, where you’ll be forced to use stealth and combat to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures that have been infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus.
If you haven’t played The Last of Us, you’ve got time before The Last of Us Part II sees the light of day.
Oh, this one’s exclusive to the PS4.
Days Gone
Another PlayStation exclusive, Days Gone is set in the Pacific Northwest, where you’ll play as bounty hunter Deacon St. John.
Struggle to survive and progress as you come across a variety of unique enemies.
Aside from human drifters and marauders, Deacon must confront “Freakers,” or mindless, feral creatures that are “more animal than human but very much alive and quickly evolving.”
On top of that, you’ll have to prevail against hazardous environments such as desert lava fields in between some of the game’s more pristine landscapes.
Coming February 22, 2019.
Overkill’s The Walking Dead
Overkill’s The Walking Dead is an upcoming first-person shooter developed by Overkill Software.
The title, based on Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comics, places a strong emphasis on cooperative gameplay, where you and your friends fight the dead and the living.
Band together in a post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C., and try to survive this action-packed, adrenaline-pumping adventure.
TBA 2018.
Dying Light 2
Navigate bad and worse in Dying Light 2, set 15 years after its predecessor.
Use your parkour capabilities to move around a decaying metropolis. Engage in melee combat when the infected emerge at night to feed.
You’ll have to make pivotal choices throughout the game, and every action has its consequence.
You decide your path.
TBA 2019.
Enjoy This Collection of Upcoming Games?
Check out the following articles for additional recommendations on horror gaming!
And drop a comment below! Which game from E3 are you anticipating the most?
