Seriously Scary Video GamesGrab your flashlight, dim the lights, and twiddle your thumbs in terror as we rank the scariest video games and series in history. Wait...did you hear that?
Over 300 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Scariest Games on the PS4
Latest additions: Saint Kotar, Silt, Dreadout 2
Most divisive: The Last Of Us Part II (2020)
With all the groundbreaking exclusives and series over the years, it's no surprise there are so many legit scary PS4 games. Horror is easily one of the most popular gaming genres, and that's likely because gamers (usually) love immersing themselves in a game that jumps out at them, tears them to pieces, and scares the crap out of them. As gaming has developed into better graphics and sound, these games have only gotten more horrifying, and the trend doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.
The PS4 is known for featuring some of the best and scariest horror games around. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down the games players should check out if they truly want a scare. These 27 titles are the most frightening, pulse-racing, and blood-pumping horror video games the PlayStation 4 has ever seen. Some games, like Observer and Detention, rely more on tension and psychological scares, while PS4 horror games like P.T. are straight-up fright fests.
Take a look at the scariest games ever released on the PlayStation 4, and if you see one that had you lying awake at night, framing out at the slightest sound while sleep seemed impossible, make sure to vote it up so readers can see which of these epic PS4 horror games are considered the most frightening of all.
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Before the remakes were getting their treatment on the new console generation, the Resident Evil franchise released the seventh game in the series, and it delivered exactly what the fans wanted. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard managed to serve up a traditional horror experience, and it took full advantage of the graphics and sound capabilities the new system had to offer.
Unlike some of its predecessors, Biohazard managed a return to what made the franchise great in the first place: horror and unending tension and suspense. As the franchise aged over previous consoles, it started to step away from traditional horror in favor of more action-adventure gameplay elements, but not Biohazard. This game is all about scaring the player as much as possible, and being the first game in the franchise to be made for Sony's PSVR, it adds a level of immersion previously unseen in the franchise. It's also incredibly horrifying.
Often referred to as one of the "purest" psychological horror games ever made, P.T. (short for Playable Teaser) was released for free on the PlayStation Network. Originally intended to act as a sort of teaser for an upcoming Silent Hill sequel (if only...), the game was removed shortly after the sequel was officially canned. As a puzzle game, it features all the standard run-of-the-mill elements, but as a horror game, well, a quick Google search will tell you just how terrifying it is.
So what makes this game so scary? For starters, it was developed by Kojima Productions, so you know the atmosphere, details, and mood are all top-notch. As a straight-forward walking simulator, players are immersed in a horrifying mansion where, instead of cheap jump scares, the ambiance is what really gives gamers the jitters. While it's no longer available to download (at least not officially), Visage, a "spiritual successor," was announced a few years ago.
It's no surprise that the RE remakes are some of the scariest PS4 games. The original Resident Evil 2 was released in 1998, and the game was a classic of the genre, so it's no surprise Capcom opted to reboot it for modern consoles following the success of Resident Evil 7. The game offers players nostalgia and horror in the same package, and seeing as this was a game that originally had far less detailed graphics when it was originally released, the horror skyrocketed with a modern treatment.
The game does differ in more ways than graphics and sound, so it's not simply a modern upgrade. The camera was shifted to a behind the shoulder position, which differed from the original fixed camera of the original game. While some might think that would take away from the overall tension the game builds upon, it doesn't, and fans of the original managed to be terrified all over again by playing Resident Evil 2 on the PS4.
The first game in the series, Outlast still remains one of the best survival horror PS4 games. As players take control of an investigative journalist, they're tasked with investigating a run down and macabre psychiatric hospital in small-town Colorado. Naturally, the hospital is overrun by monsters, and what seemed like another day on the job quickly turns into a fight to survive.
Unlike traditional horror games, Outlast doesn't feature a standard health bar; in fact, it the game doesn't really focus all that much on combat. Instead of just blasting your way out, you need to hide and sleuth your way to safety, which makes for a more tense gameplay experience. The sequel is also great, but most gamers agree that the first game is still the scariest.
If you watched the original Alien movie and thought to yourself, "You know, I would probably be able to survive that," then Alien: Isolationis the game for you. The game is set in the same universe as the first movie, so it looks much like what we thought sci-fi needed to look like in 1979. Clunky monitors, large cables, giant space stations, and more are represented to make the atmosphere as engrossing as it was in the original film.
The game features Amanda, Ellen Ripley's daughter, who boards the Sevastopol space station only to find that a Xenomorph has decided to make it its home. Once you meet the beast, you spend the rest of the game avoiding it, which may seem like it's not scary, but it's just as frightening as Sigourney Weaver made it look.
You are literally being hunted throughout the entire game, and that means you will constantly be on the move, your awareness of your surroundings will be heightened to insane levels of fear, and once this beast finds you, prepare to meet your doom in a horrific way. This game works so well at inducing fear; it should come with a warning label.
Layers of Fear is fairly unique in the horror genre, as it aims to freak out the player psychologically, rather than simply hurling one monster or another at them over and over again. Instead, players find themselves questioning everything they see in this nightmare set in a dilapidated mansion owned by a mentally ill painter. Whenever you turn your head to look at something, turning back will often reveal a small change in the environment, and this kind of alteration of the environment can keep you guessing at your own sanity.
The best part about this game is that it doesn't fall back on the tried and true methods of scaring the crap out of gamers. Instead, the game offers a psychological horror that bridges on insanity, and it leaves players constantly feeling unease and nervous. Everything in Layers of Fear is nuanced, and that only serves to make it creepier than your typical horror game on the PS4.
