The gaming realm has begun to surge with various gems over the years. So many new genres have surfaced. While some remained mere fads, some didn’t. There’s one genre the gamer community won’t ever be easily tired of – the horror genre.
The category has gone through varied transitions. You rewind back to the 90s, you start reminiscing the olden days with pixelated blobs for games like House of the Dead, DOOM 2, and Duke Nukem.
DOOM got a recent makeover and didn’t falter to win the hearts of its long-lost fanbase once again. However, House of the Dead and Duke Nukem remained nameless and couldn’t stay up to par with the advancements hurling in the gaming industry.
But there is one horror game franchise that has aged like a fine wine – Resident Evil.
The Resident Evil Franchise
The Resident Evil franchise is a prodigy for the horror genre. From the release of Resident Evil in 1996, the series has been getting sequel over sequel with the two most recent RE games being the reboots of the classics RE 2 and 3.
On the other hand, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was a fresh take on the next generation of the franchise’s games. It was fairly a first-person shooter game in contrast to Resident Evil’s signature third-person shooter view and had less action-filled bits yet evoked more horrors than the former RE games.
On the contrary, the Resident Evil series deserves all the attention it gets but there are still many hidden gems belonging to the same genre that we cannot close our eyes on.
Here are some titles worth trying:
The Evil Within
While the story might not resonate with the Resident Evil series, the gameplay and mechanics do ring a bell. Well, it’s because Shinji Mikami, the Resident Evil series creator, directed the first sequel of The Evil Within.
That’s why some in-game elements such as the primary focus on the third-person view, crafting weapons, health potions, and a limited inventory spark hints of similarity with Resident Evil.
As for the story, it’s terrifying, enigmatic, and has eerie visuals that transform into a nightmarish world of blood and terror they more you advance in the game.
Alien Isolation
Alien Isolation isn’t about the survival of the fittest. Based on the original Alien franchise, the game revolves around Amanda Ripley, the sole survivor on a space station and a lurking alien in the dark.
You play as Amanda who has been sent to her mother’s space station to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the entire crew. Little does she know that the whole crew was obliterated by a Xenomorph.
No one likes those creepy crawlers, eh? We bet you don’t either but if you have signed up for a 1v1 showdown with the Xenomorph, you better make every move stealthily or else you will end up as Xenomorph dinner.
The Last of Us
If there is one video game that deviated from the traditional zombie shooter-game route then it’s The Last of Us.
While the game might not hold any similarities with the entire Resident Evil franchise yet it’s still a lot like Resident Evil 4 but only with less action. As for the gameplay, the story doesn’t start at random.
You are stuck in a stranded city where a virus has uncontrollably spread and it consumes everything it sees in its way. But you mustn’t give up just yet. Where there is despair, there’s also hope.
The heart-wrenching story of the two protagonists and the unfolding reality in front of them is determined by every single step you take.
The game also comes with a multiplayer mode. You can connect your system to Mediacom internet, lobby up your friends, and finish in-game missions via the multiplayer mode.
Left 4 Dead
Zombie games are aplenty but we cannot throw in every other title we find. Left 4 Dead, however, isn’t similar to Resident Evil in many aspects, with the storyline being the primary feature, the gameplay still reminds us of the franchise.
Mindless zombie shooting isn’t how we would define the game either. You get to play with a team of four. So those who enjoy reloading their shotguns to the only aim for headshots will enjoy the survival zombie game through and through.
And yes, the cherry on top is that the game is owned by Valve the originators of Half-Life, Counter-Strike, and many other great titles you would find on the Steam repository.
Let the Showdown Begin
Being an avid gamer, you do realize the options you have for gaming are endless, and sticking to a single franchise never cuts. Surely, it’s impossible for a new Resident Evil sequel to bud overnight but if you’re a fan of the series, you now know you have a plethora of options to try out.
