Best Horror Game Franchises That Made A Comeback

Summary

• Unexpected sequels like Deadly Premonition 2 keep quirky horror game fans engaged and excited.
• Indie magic brought Pathologic back with tough gameplay and surreal horror environments for players to immerse in.
• STALKER 2’s Heart of Chornobyl reintroduced players to survival horror with its evolution of gameplay after a delayed release.

Horror gaming can strike a chord with those who enjoy getting immersed in chilling tales and environments. The atmosphere and tension present in these games make them quite engrossing, but it also becomes a hard sell for those who have second thoughts about playing a game that stresses them out.

This is why many promising horror franchises become fragments of the past. Thankfully, there are some times when the gaming world is kind to certain parties, allowing new horror games from promising franchises to grace players with their presence after a lengthy and agonizing wait.

6

Deadly Premonition

The Cult Classic Following Of The First Game Eventually Led To A Sequel That Was Released A Decade Later

• Best Games: Deadly Premonition, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise

Most gamers know Deadly Premonition because of the wide gulf between its critic and user scores. The mind-bending mystery features SWERY’s iconic brand of quirkiness, although some technical issues and an awkward presentation turned people off from this title at first.

However, fans eventually grew attached to this game’s lovable brand of quirkiness, eventually garnering enough interest for a sequel to grace players. It’s one of the most unexpected sequels to a horror game to ever exist, proving that lots of people would love more weird games to play instead of cookie-cutter experiences.

5

Pathologic

The Weirdness Of The Original Appealed To Many And Helped The Series Gain Steam

• Best Games: Pathologic, Pathologic 2

Players who want to immerse themselves in a surreal horror environment with tough gameplay and a plague that is ravaging the town will love what Pathologic brings to the table. Every protagonist brings a unique experience to the table, allowing players to witness numerous conclusions for this lovably weird title.

The magic of indie gaming then allowed Pathologic 2 to become a reality, making more fans aware of this quirky horror game series. The games aren’t easy in the slightest, but players who accept their helplessness will get drawn into a fever dream of a story that goes in wild directions.

4

STALKER

Heart Of Chornobyl Was A Long Time In The Making And Reintroduced Players To The Survival Horror Franchise

• Best Games: STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, STALKER: Call of Pripyat, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl

With the original trilogy wrapped up, fans wondered if STALKER would ever come back to grace their Steam libraries with another entry. Real-world events put the future of this game in doubt, but the developers made a valiant effort to ensure that the STALKER name would live on.

This led to the first numbered sequel in the series, with Heart of Chornobyl featuring an evolution of STALKER‘s patented survival horror gameplay. The title was ravaged by bugs during its release, and fans can only hope that the studio patches this game just enough for fans frustrated by their first playthrough to give this game a shot again.

3

System Shock

The System Shock Remake Paved The Way For This Franchise To Become Relevant Again

• Best Games: System Shock, System Shock 2

Any franchise that serves as inspiration for a series as legendary as BioShock deserves due praise, and System Shock is more than worthy of this. Ken Levine’s work on this claustrophobic sci-fi masterpiece is just one of the reasons why the first two System Shock games are legendary, although most players were mainly familiar with the second title, since the first game feels like a relic from a bygone era.

This lack of accessibility was finally fixed with Nightdive Studios stepping in to develop the System Shock remake. After a long and troubled development, System Shock was released to rave reviews, and on June 26, fans will also get the opportunity to enjoy a remastered version of System Shock 2 that hammers in this franchise’s unexpected revival.

2

Resident Evil

After Losing Its Way, Biohazard Brought Back The Series’ Horror Roots To Great Effect

• Best Games: Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

After shifting to an action focus over horror, the Resident Evil franchise lost its way and started floundering for a long time. Thankfully, P.T.‘s immense viral success and subsequent deletion from digital stores gave Capcom the perfect opportunity to capitalize on this title’s hype.

Resident Evil 7 was a much-needed return to form for the series and one of the scariest horror games ever made. Its sequel went for an action-heavy focus, Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 received lauded modern remakes, and the upcoming Requiem is likely to leave fans excited for yet another mainline entry.

1

Silent Hill

Bloober Team’s Excellent Work On The Remake Has Brought A Fresh Wave Of Interest Toward The Franchise

• Best Games: Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 4: The Room, P.T.

Bloober Team was a decent studio, but fans still doubted their ability to do justice to Silent Hill 2. Not only were they more than capable, but the developer managed to reinvigorate the series with a modern reimagining of one of the greatest psychological horror games ever made.

With the hype surrounding Silent Hill f, it’s easy to see why attempting to revive this franchise was a smart move. It almost felt like an impossibility after P.T.‘s collapse, but fans are glad that Konami didn’t let the Silent Hill IP rot for too long.