Tormented Souls is an indie project that is essentially Resident Evil in everything but name. The game takes place in a dilapidated castle/museum/sanitarium, full of claustrophobic corridors and terrifying creatures. More importantly, Torment Souls nails that classic Resident Evil feel thanks to its tank controls, puzzles, resource management, and backtracking. The game is basically what would happen if someone remade the original Resident Evil with a new engine but kept all the mechanics and design philosophies intact. I mean that as a compliment.
Signalis
In horror games, the more information a title keeps from the player, the better. Usually, that philosophy applies to visuals and audio, but Signalis also obscures its storytelling to great effect.
Signalis is, in essence, an isometric sci-fi Resident Evil where every enemy and character, including the protagonist, is an android. The story is intentionally vague and symbolic, and the monsters are scary despite often being covered in shadow. However, the most terrifying aspect of Signalis is its extremely restrictive inventory system. Enemies don’t die unless you use highly limited special ammo, so players are always left wondering if they have enough to get by and if they have enough space to pick up crucial items. Anything short of the perfect balance wastes resources, which is a horrifying fate in any survival horror game.
Lost In Vivo
Lost In Vivo is a first-person game where players delve into sewers, subways, and underground laboratories to save their dog. A relatable motivation to be sure, but the game also adds a healthy dose of psychological horror and an unreliable narrator.
At first, Lost In Vivo seems linear, but it quickly opens up into areas that force players to manage resources while solving puzzles and fending off twisted monstrosities. The locations and enemies are scary on their own, but Lost In Vivo’s ace in the hole is its refusal to play fair. The game constantly lies to players, resulting in scares and tense moments you can’t get anywhere else, not even in Resident Evil.
System Shock and System Shock 2
While many video games come and go, others are so important that their influence is still being felt today. If anything, they’re more influential now than ever before. The System Shock titles are two such examples of that rare status.
