Best Horror Games For Challenging Combat, Ranked

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Summary

  • Outlast has impossibly difficult combat focused on fleeing from horrors, creating terror every time.
  • Alien: Isolation emphasizes stealth and conserving ammunition to survive the relentless Xenomorph.
  • Bloodborne, a gothic horror game, demands aggressive playstyle and mastery of complex combat mechanics.

The category of horror video games is incredibly diverse, encompassing visual novels, fast-paced action games, cooperative games with humorous elements, and many more varieties. Regardless of whether a player prefers a relaxed horror experience or not, it’s safe to say that intense action sequences and combat have become common features in top-tier (triple-A) horror games.

This list showcases eight horror games featuring the toughest battles, which could be due to limited resources, stringent time constraints, or an inability to resist the terrifying forces attacking the player. Each game presents unique combat challenges that will likely give numerous gamers trouble at least once during their playthrough.

8. Outlast

Run And Hide

Including Outlast on the list might seem like a bit of a shortcut due to the limited options in combat, which are essentially running or hiding. However, it’s challenging to dispute that this mechanic results in incredibly tough combat scenarios. In this game, players must outrun, hide, and endure the horrors pursuing them, creating an intensely scary experience each time they encounter these situations.

Just as the following entry suggests, stealth is the optimal strategy for this game, aiming to bypass conflicts entirely. Yet, certain parts of the game don’t allow for this strategy, and there’s a sense of being pursued while you do your best to dart, dodge, swerve, and flee.

7. Alien: Isolation

Stealth Is Everything

Much like how I was drawn into the heart-pounding horror of Outlast, Alien: Isolation gripped me in a similar fashion but with its unique twist. Throughout the game, an unstoppable Xenomorph stalks me relentlessly, creating an atmosphere where stealth becomes a matter of survival. Yet, contrary to what one might expect from a game titled Alien, it also features combat elements that are more common in traditional games. As the main character, I acquired weapons to engage in fierce battles against humans and androids lurking within the space station.

In Alien: Isolation, engaging in combat is a challenging choice due to several reasons. Firstly, the scarcity of ammunition makes conserving it crucial, since running out could leave you vulnerable. Secondly, each gunshot may attract the Xenomorph, increasing the risk of encountering this fearsome predator.

6. Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Resource Management Is Key

In terms of challenge level, Resident Evil 4 might not hold the top spots within the franchise (these are usually occupied by some less mainstream spin-offs), but it serves exceptionally well as an introduction for numerous gamers. For many newcomers to the series, it will be their inaugural taste of the fresh combat style in Resident Evil. The game adopts a third-person perspective, similar to the previous two remakes, and blends puzzle-solving elements with formidable boss fights, creating an experience that is both captivating and frequently challenging.

In the game Resident Evil 4, much like other titles within the series, the main challenge lies in the tight control of resources, which becomes stricter as the game’s difficulty ramps up. As you progress, some sections might lean towards overly cinematic action sequences, but the boss fights can be grueling if ammo management isn’t carefully considered.

5. Alan Wake / Alan Wake 2

Don’t Let The Light Go Out

Most players might not associate the “Alan Wake” series with tough battles, but mastering the combat mechanics can be challenging due to their demanding nature. As typical in survival horror games, successful play relies on resource management, ensuring you conserve both ammunition and flashlight batteries, since without these essential tools, battle sequences become unplayable.

In the game “Alan Wake,” players must illuminate enemies with light before they can be fired upon, a task that becomes particularly demanding when one is swarmed by ominous creatures haunting Alan Wake. The challenge intensifies even further as you struggle to save power to ultimately defeat the horde.

4. The Evil Within

Resident Evil’s Mean Younger Cousin

The Evil Within is a challenging game in its standard setting, demanding the same resource management and accurate shooting as Resident Evil, but with ammunition even more sparse. Given this difficulty, stealth kills prove to be a valuable ally for the player, offering swift and economical eliminations that spare ammo and help avoid unnecessary melee encounters (which are primarily used to create distance between the player and their adversaries).

In The Evil Within, the true challenge lies within AKUMU mode, a level of difficulty that becomes accessible once the game has been completed on Survival mode. AKUMU introduces a unique feature to the game, ramping up the difficulty of all battles dramatically: each enemy can instantly kill the player with just one attack. It’s merciless and emphasizes the importance of combat precision even more.

3. Dead Space (2023)

Precision Is The Only Way

While not all the games here are third-person survival horror, it’s essential to have the iconic sci-fi horror game, Dead Space, on this list. With a stunning remake launched in 2023, gamers were once again confronted with the challenging gameplay and intense gore of Dead Space, along with its chilling atmosphere of dread.

As a gamer, I find myself in a grim battle against the relentless Necromorphs infesting the Ishimura. To emerge victorious, precision is key when wielding my plasma cutter, dismembering these monsters with ruthless efficiency. Unlike other horror games where a headshot might do the trick, this game demands strategic thinking to take down each creature. The process isn’t always straightforward, and I can guarantee I’ll meet my untimely end numerous times, in a myriad of gruesome manners. Yet, these repeated demises are merely hurdles to overcome the standard enemies. The boss fights, however, represent an entirely different challenge.

2. Darkwood

Top-Down Terror

Darkwood stands out on the list as a unique base defense game that plays from a top-down perspective. During the day, players gather supplies and purchase items to fortify and trap their base in preparation for nightfall, when they must use whatever they’ve found to defend themselves. The goal is simply to survive each night, with success leading to more challenges and new areas to explore for resources. As players progress, they also earn the favor of vendors who offer increasingly expensive defense options.

On increased levels of difficulty, the game transforms into a roguelike experience, changing from “Death merely means no resources for tomorrow” to “Death results in having to restart the entire game”, which can be quite harsh. Darkwood, surprisingly, is a challenging game, offering an engaging narrative that demands perseverance and experimentation to ultimately conquer.

1. Bloodborne

Dark Souls But Edgier

Any collection of challenging combat games would be incomplete without a game developed by FromSoftware, and Bloodborne is the one I’d choose for this list. As an adventure influenced by gothic horror, Bloodborne delivers on the Souls-like genre’s reputation of demanding skill or death. Unlike the Dark Souls series, however, Bloodborne eliminates shields and armor, encouraging players to adopt a quicker and more aggressive playstyle by regenerating health through attacking enemies.

In this scenario, opponents move quicker, pack a stronger punch, and provide minimal space for maneuvering. The player needs to master the intricate combat system, combining light and heavy strikes, evasive rolls, weapon transformations, and parries to conquer the terrifying creatures that infest Yharnam city.

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2025-01-10 04:35