With the most recent Resident Evil game and a bunch of indie horror titles receiving PlayStation 5 ports, Sony’s newest generation console has horror fans covered. As well as all-out horror titles, there are tons of alternative games that mix horror with a good deal of action and exploration for those that like to mix things up.
With a wide variety of games now available on the platform, it is up to review aggregator Metacritic to sort out the best from the worst of the horror genre. When it comes to critical acclaim, these are the horror titles that define the PS5 experience.
10 Dying Light 2 Stay Human – 76
An open-world survival horror with plenty of action, Dying Light 2 Stay Human is the perfect sequel to 2015’s Dying Light. Released earlier this year, the game is set in a post-apocalyptic world in the wake of a zombie outbreak and it does a great job of making it fun as well as scary to explore.
Whilst it’s not as revolutionary as the first title, Dying Light 2 is better in plenty of small ways with a better movement system and of course, great visuals. The story also isn’t anything special but for fans of the first game and survival horror fans in general, there is plenty to enjoy about this sequel.
9 Back 4 Blood – 77
Although the Left 4 Dead games are more remembered for their impact on the cooperative shooter genre than anything related to horror, there’s no denying the zombie-based scares that the series manages to deliver throughout. Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to those games and when it comes to slick combat, zombie thrills, and plenty of co-op FPS fun, it delivers as expected.
Some technical issues as well as a new card system that takes some getting used to meant the game received a mixed response from fans though the general critic response was favorable. Ultimately, there is still the same zombie-massacring joy to Back 4 Blood that made the first two titles so popular and, with cross-platform play, there’s no reason not to get it for the PS5.
8 Observer: System Redux – 77
A futuristic psychological horror from the developer behind Layers of Fear, Observer impressed critics and fans with its amazing world design and concept when it was first released in 2017. System Redux is the enhanced version with even more impressive visuals, better gameplay, and more story content.
In a unique cyberpunk world set in the city of Krakow in 2084 where technology has advanced to the point that human brain implants are the norm, a story of mindbending paranoia unfolds. There are some poor entries in the cyberpunk genre but this stylish title definitely isn’t one of them.
7 Alan Wake Remastered – 79
With the recent announcement that an Alan Wake television series is on the way, there’s no better time to get invested in the psychological thriller that was already perfectly structured for a TV show. Presented in an episodic format with cliffhangers to boot, Alan Wake brought the fascinating story of its fictional eponymous crime author to life.
Despite this focus on the story, the gameplay didn’t let Alan Wake down either whilst the remaster brings a new visual appeal to a game that already didn’t look bad at all. With both additional DLCs and a commentary track from writer Sam Lake, there’s enough extra in Alan Wake Remastered to make it worth playing.
6 Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! – 80
A high school literature club is the perfect place to share poetry and for romance to blossom in Doki Doki Literature Club. Unfortunately for the main character, it’s also the setting for one of the biggest psychological horror hits of the 2010s. Presented in a visual novel format with some clever twists, the original was a masterclass in foreshadowing and subverting the player’s expectations.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! brings tons of new content and bonus features to the experience for players to relive the intensity of the original or experience the engrossing story for the first time. The new version also comes with improved visuals, making it better for the latest generation of platforms like the PS5.
5 Visage: Enhanced Edition – 81
A very well-executed horror title set in a strange and everchanging suburban house, Visage manages to be one of the best horror games on the PS5 without doing anything too innovative. Instead, the game does a great imitation of its psychological horror influences, especially the critically acclaimed P.T. of which it is a spiritual successor.
With an interesting plot and some genuine scares, horror fans won’t be disappointed by Visage even if it all feels quite familiar. The enhanced edition brings better visuals and improved performance to the experience, with 4K resolution and 60FPS which only adds to the impressive sense of atmosphere the game creates.
4 A Plague Tale: Innocence – 82
With the sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, due to be released this year, there hasn’t been a better time to play the haunting action-adventure title. A Plague Tale mixes stealth gameplay with puzzle-solving to tell the fascinating story of Amicia de Rune and her sickly brother in 14th century France.
This bleak setting is made strikingly beautiful but for much of the time, the player is forced to focus on avoiding hordes of rats that threaten the siblings. In this way, the game can feel much like survival horror, with the player forced to rely on stealth and inventiveness to ensure their survival.
3 Little Nightmares II: Complete Edition – 83
Tense, atmospheric, and an accomplishment of world-building and game design, Little Nightmares II is the perfect follow-up to the first Little Nightmares game. A prequel that introduces a new protagonist to accompany Six, the last game’s central character, Little Nightmares II tasks the player with uncovering the secrets of Pale City whilst avoiding dangerous enemies.
Although the game is relatively short, the gameplay experience is memorable enough to put it amongst the best stealth horror games. The story is engrossing and taking the time to collect all the glitching remains available will net the player a bonus scene that only adds to the lore.
2 Metro Exodus: Complete Edition – 83
Although primarily an open-world FPS title, Metro Exodus utilizes survival horror elements to great effect in the post-apocalyptic wasteland that forms its setting. Despite that, the gunplay is tight and the exploration is rewarding, so action fans won’t be disappointed by the third installment of the Metro series.
Metro Exodus was one of the best FPS games of the previous console generation but the Complete Edition makes it seem made for the PS5 with graphical enhancements to bring it in line with the new generation. It also includes the two DLCs, making this the ultimate way to play an action game that can be genuinely terrifying at times.
1 Resident Evil Village – 84
The biggest horror franchises deserve to be enjoyed on the PS5 and Resident Evil Village made this possible when it was released last year. The eighth major installment of Capcom’s flagship series, Resident Evil Village presents a new world of horrors in a village full of twisted monsters and death traps that Ethan Winters must navigate.
Of course, following in the footsteps of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, there’s plenty of action for the player to sink their teeth as well as some light puzzles. Overall, the game is consistently thrilling, does a great job of continuing the giant franchise, and looks fantastic enough to be the perfect horror game to play on the PS5.
