The 2000s, especially the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox generation, was no doubt the golden age of horror games. Many of thegreatest horror games of all timereleased during this period, with the big three horror franchises at the time, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Fatal Frame, peaking in quality.
Even the early seventh generation was hitting hard with classic horror games that started their own franchises. In order for a game to count, it has to be a general horror game or horror-adjacent. Games like Castlevania would count, for example.
Unlike 1999 and 2001, 2000 was barren for horror game releases. The biggest and best out of the small handful of titles was Resident Evil - Code: Veronica. A big Dreamcast exclusive then, Code Veronica was the first mainline RE game to use real-time 3D environments instead of pre-rendered backgrounds. It’s the only tank-controlled mainline RE title to do this, making it stand out even more.
Code Veronica’s quite a bit longer and a little tougher than the usual classic RE fair, and while it’s one of the weaker mainline RE titles, thecharacters remain entertaining as all hell. Alyson Court once again kills it as Claire and Code Veronica mark the return of Albert Wesker. The series' most famous villain is a complete joy whenever he’s on-screen and has the best cutscenes in the game.
Is there any doubt that Silent Hill 2 wouldn’t be the best horror game of the year? Its campaign is nearly flawless in its storytelling, pacing, foreshadowing, and, of course, the scare factor. Thesound design is so goodthat you’re constantly on edge, and the title has great replayability.
Not only are there multiple endings and unlockables, but you can spot all the foreshadowing and hidden details you neglected before, and it gives you more appreciation for this game. The combat doesn’t hold up well, but all the other elements more than makeup for it.
Video game remakes were much different back in the day than they are now. Back then, improvements and total overhauls were seen a lot compared to being completely faithful, and this can be seen in the 2002Resident Evil Remake. The Spencer Mansion is a different beast in this remake, with a different layout, more rooms, more strategy required in terms of routing, and new enemies.
Once you kill a zombie, they’re only mostly dead. They’ll come back as a Crimson Head after some time to ruin your day. The return of the pre-rendered backgrounds was a risky move, but it paid off because they still look good to this day. You’ll be hard-pressed to find any diehard RE fan who doesn’t put the 2002 RE Remake intheir top three of the franchise.
2003 had two real contenders for best horror game of the year. Silent Hill 3, arguably the best game in the series, orFatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly. The top pick goes to Fatal Frame 2 because of how much better it was than the original in every regard.
Taking place in a village instead of a house was a great way to make this game stand out compared to most survival horror fairs at the time, and the atmosphere is still chilling today. The scares are better, the pacing’s better, the camera combat’s better, and even the story is a lot more effective due to the twin sisters' dynamic. Unfortunately,physical copies are getting up there in price, but this game is frankly worth the money.
Like with 2000, 2004 didn’t have much to offer, but the clear victor for the best horror game has to be Silent Hill 4: The Room. For the longest time, this game was considered the black sheep of the franchise due to the various gameplay changes it offered. Nowadays, the title’s gotten more appreciation because, on its own, it’s incredible.
Keep in mind, that’s the gameplay on its own, as SH4 still feels like Silent Hill, especially in regards to lore. The story, like all past SH games, is amazing, with maybe the best villain yet, Walter Sullivan. The title remains scary, but there are a few flaws, like bad pacing at points and rather mediocre sound design. Regardless, Silent Hill 4 is another must-play SH game like all the prior ones.
There were a lot of great horror games in 2005, like Fear, Fatal Frame 3, and Haunting Ground, but unfortunately, Resident Evil 4 was also released. The Michael Jordan of horror games that you just can’t compete with it.
It’s one of the most important games ever created, evolving the third-person shooter as you know it today, with a campaign that’s still just as great, well-paced, and genius as it was in 2005. The combat still bangs to this day, popping off heads and roundhouse kicking your foes. Besides on-the-fly weapon switching, it’s about as perfect of a game as you can get.
One of the biggest early Xbox 360 exclusives had to beDead Rising. It’s another Capcom masterpiece that blends horror and immersive sim elements. In the normal 72-hour campaign, you have about six hours in real-time to do whatever you want in the mall. You can do the main story, side quests, or just kill zombies and have fun until the helicopter arrives to pick you up.
This freedom is what made Dead Rising so special. Not to mention, the graphics were cutting-edge for 2006, and the story’s surprisingly good as well. Even the characters are highly memorable, especially the boss fights. The game’s been ported and remastered countless times, so there’s no excuse not to play it.
BioShock 1covers several genres, including FPS and adventure games, but it’s horror-adjacent, with many horror elements present throughout. After all, BioShock is the spiritual successor to the sci-fi horror series System Shock. The story of BioShock is iconic and incredibly influential. The actual plot on paper isn’t anything to ride home about, but it’s the way the story is told that makes it good.
With audio logs, minimal usage of cutscenes, and organic seamless worldbuilding, all that nailed the story and universe of BioShock that much greater. Gunplay feels great as well, but there are a few flaws, like some pacing issues and a half-baked karma system. However, for the most part, BioShock remains a certified classic from this era.
WhenDead Spacewas released in 2008, you knew this IP would be the next big thing in the horror genre, right alongside Resident Evil. The title had a clear creative spark, taking the look and atmosphere of classic sci-fi horror movies like Alien, Event Horizon, and John Carpenter’s The Thing, along with putting in an improved combat system similar to Resident Evil 4 to create something truly special.
Yes, there were earlier sci-fi space horror games, like System Shock 2, but nothing had this level of high-end visuals and 80s horror art design. The combat’s also a lot of fun with great weapons, and the game remains scary as all hell. Dead Space 1 is an absolute classic and, frankly, an all-time great horror game.
Many zombie games today just come and go without a real impact, but Left 4 Dead 2 is still going strong despite releasing in 2009. Akin to Doom, there’s plenty of stellar mods and community-created campaigns that keep the game fresh. It’s not hard to see why the support is still strong all these years later, as the base game is a masterpiece, plain and simple.
Valve perfected the cooperative gameplay here with the perfect mixture of special infected types, a diverse arsenal of weapons, dynamic item usage, and, of course, the randomization of it all. Like Doom 2, the framework here is ripe for mods and replayability, and that’s why Left 4 Dead 2 is an all-time great horror game.
