Here are the five best horror games from E3 2018:
5 Call of Cthulhu
Over the years, there have been many horror games based on HP Lovecraft’s work, but the upcoming Call of Cthulhu is looking to stand out as one of the better ones. Based on the 1981 tabletop RPG of the same name, Call of Cthulhu from developer Cyanide will blend RPG elements with first-person survival-horror gameplay, allowing players to explore a semi-open world as private investigator Edward Pierce. Utilizing stylized visuals, players will encounter all matters of Lovecraftian horror when the game finally releases later this year.
Call of Cthulhu will launch in 2018 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
4 Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus was one of the most impressive games from Microsoft’s E3 press conference last year, so it was nice to see it make a comeback at this year’s event. Like last year, Metro Exodus had a strong showing at Microsoft’s press conference, with a gameplay demo revealing a number of horrifying creatures players will encounter as they explore the game’s various sandbox areas. Boasting a script larger than past games combined, Metro Exodus is set to be the most ambitious game in the series to date, and hopefully it will live up to the hype.
Metro Exodus will launch on February 22, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
3 Resident Evil 2
First announced in 2015, horror fans have been waiting years to see the Resident Evil 2 remake in action. At E3 2018, Capcom finally gave fans their first look at the game, offering two separate trailers and various gameplay demos at the show. These presentations revealed that the Resident Evil 2 remake will be faithful to the pure horror atmosphere of the original game, and looks to retell the story of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield attempting to survive in the zombie-infested Raccoon City.
The Resident Evil 2 remake is also making some big changes, however, as it’s removing the zapping system and switching from fixed camera angles to an over-the-shoulder view. While these changes may prove controversial for the more diehard fans of the franchise, it seems as though reception to the game has been mostly positive since its E3 2018 reveal, and it will be exciting to see if it can live up to the legacy of the original when it releases early next year.
Resident Evil 2 will launch on January 25, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
2 The Last of Us: Part 2
Inspired by the success of several franchises, the gaming industry seemed to focus almost entirely on action-oriented experiences last generation, to the point that even Resident Evil became more of an action game than a horror one. However, Naughty Dog pushed against this trend with The Last of Us, a stealth-focused survival-horror game that felt like one of the few proper entries the genre had seen in years. Now Naughty Dog is looking to continue that legacy with The Last of Us Part 2, which was a major focus of Sony’s E3 2018 press conference.
The Last of Us Part 2 stars an older version of Ellie as she continues to try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. As revealed by the E3 2018 gameplay demo, Ellie will be especially brutal this time around, taking down enemy survivors with gut-wrenching melee attacks. The level of violence on display in The Last of Us Part 2 may be disturbing to some, but the game’s intensity mixed with its top tier storytelling should make for yet another unforgettable experience when the game finally releases.
The Last of Us Part 2 is in development for PlayStation 4.
1 World War Z
Fans have been waiting for Left 4 Dead 3 for years, and while Valve is getting back into game development, it shouldn’t be expected any time soon. However, other games are stepping in to fill the void, with one of the more promising titles being the upcoming World War Z video game. In the World War Z game, players will sometimes have to fight off up to 500 zombies at a time, and will have the opportunity to build defensive barriers to help keep the undead hordes at bay. Its third-person perspective should help it feel different enough from Left 4 Dead, but the core gameplay looks like it should please fans of the series regardless.
World War Z is due for release in 2018 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
While the horror games mentioned here may be the most impressive from E3 2018, there were other horror titles from the show that caught our eye as well. For example, an indie game called DARQ, which features a Tim Burton-esque lead character and some mind-bending puzzle solving, looks like it could be a sleeper hit for fans of the genre. There’s also the Transference game in development by Ubisoft that even features the involvement of Elijah Wood, but with VR horror being so hit and miss, it’s hard to tell if it’s something to get excited about just yet.
Which horror game from E3 2018 were you impressed with the most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
