The year is coming to a close and officially I have no more video games to review for the year! 2019 was a roller coaster of hits and misses when it came to gaming. There have been exciting announcements that are making gamers excited for the new year like the new Half-Life VR (my prediction is next there will be a Half-Life Mobile THEN we may see Half-Life 3), there’s been hyped up games like Death Stranding that disappointed and confused many and divided Kojima fans. Then there’s our little corner here in the world.
I was fortunate enough to review quite a few games this year but it’s that time I have to look back at the ones that matter, the horror ones, and see which titles I’ve reviewed that after completion I would still keep their ratings the same, and which I would probably banish to the shadow realm!
Here’s some behind the scenes info for you guys, when it comes to reviewing games you have to look at a lot of factors; performance, controls, sound, playability, story, art/graphics, and entertainment. Sometimes after you give a positive review; you regret the score you gave after playing the rest of the game. So now on to what you came here for, here are my 6 of the best and worst horror games I’ve reviewed in 2019, starting from the worst and working my way to the best!
6 – Generation Zero
This FPS taking place in Sweden in the 1980s pits players against killer robots that are terrorizing the countryside. You either play it alone OR you play online co-op with friends. In the beginning, I enjoyed the game, now it’s been uninstalled with no real intention of ever being brought back!
The main reason this game is the worse of 2019, it’s got more bugs in it than a meadow in the summer. The bug reporting page on the game’s official forum is the largest and most active page in the forum with the latest glitch report (at the time of writing this) being 3 hours old! The game is constantly being patched but when it is patched it causes new glitches or re-bugs patched glitches from before.
The last time I’ve played this game it was unplayable as health items, weapons, and armor were nerfed (gaming term that when something strong has been made weak or removed). Then they made the robots stronger to the point that they’re too strong for one player to face which brought a lot of criticism in the forums by many saying that it’s unfair to those who do not want to play online co-op to feel that they’re forced to do so to take down enemies.
The final nail in this game’s coffin for me was when the devs put a cap on the character’s level. Every time you leveled up you can buy a perk to help you get the edge on the robots as they start to become stronger, so if you put all your skill points in one category before the cap is reached you’re screwed.
Final thought; the game was released when it was not done and the devs working on new content to release for the game before properly fixing it shows a disregard to those who once enjoyed playing the game. This game gets a hard pass from me now.
5 – The Sinking City
This third-person RPG takes players to the flooded streets of Oakmont, an island besieged by floodwaters and creatures. The heavy Lovecraftian theme of the game could not save it from its unoriginal story, poor sound, complex navigation, and combat mechanics, and it’s poorly executed finale made me give it a low score.
Final thought; the reasons I gave the game a low score and the score itself remains the same for the most part, but it was at least fun to explore.
4 – Blair Witch
This first-person exploration into maddening terror based on the 1999 found footage film. Players take on the role of Ellis, a former cop, who is looking for a missing child in the forest where the legendary Blair Witch is said to haunt.
Blair Witch was made by the same folks who made the “Layers of Fear” games which means it delves deeply into psychological trauma that manifests in horrific ways because of supernatural elements that play tricks with your character and the player as well.
Final thought; the game was well done and the score I gave it might have been a little high but I’ll stick by it, the only downside is that there’s an opportunity to unlock different endings but the thing is do I/you want to go through the torment all over again?
3 – Layers of Fear 2
A first-person psychological horror takes place on a cruise ship as an actor is being instructed by a mysterious director (voiced by Tony Todd). Choices you make as you uncover parts of your past will determine the outcome.
The scares were good when they happen, it was not constant but when they did hit they were enough to make you stop in your tracks and check your pulse. All the Easter eggs involving famous films seen throughout the game made the playthrough interesting and fun even though the potential to crapping your pants was just around a corner.
Final thought; It’s really hard to find any fault with the game as the story kept you going, Todd’s presence in the game made it more exciting if you’re a fan, I don’t know why I did not give it a solid 5, I think it was the same reason as I would not replay Blair Witch again, I don’t want to go through the mental baggage of a character again while being startled.
A remake of the 1998 third-person shooter that introduced one of the series most popular characters, Leon. The game was perfect for both new and old fans to the game series with the over-the-shoulder camera angle that was introduced in Resident Evil 4 and new elements added to the original story that brought it to modern audiences.
Final thought; the only real downside of the game is the length; it felt short once you played it. Other than that the game added a whole new level of terror to the original and brought it out of the comic book looking 90’s and to how it would look if it was real. I stand by my five-star vote!
The best horror game of 2019 that I’ve reviewed…
This third-person dramatic horror takes players to medieval France in the middle of the plague outbreak where supernatural rats burst from the ground and devour those who don’t stay in the light.
The greatest achievement this game has made to gaming was figuring out how to have thousands of animated rats on screen at one time without hindering the game’s performance.
The story itself is mixed with horror, intrigue, and heartache. You get to know the characters and you start to feel sorry that the characters are so young and have to witness such horrors unfolding around them while at the same time trying to keep their humanity. The scenery, art, and music help tell the story and reflect on either good times or sinister ones and on some levels they start bright and then get really dark.
Final thought; A Plague Tale: Innocence is an intense story told through stealth, puzzle-solving, and character development. Some have not liked the game because playability is low but many people sing their praises to films they saw only once and never watched again because they want to keep that magic they felt the first time alive, the same can be said about this game but I’ll admit… I have played it more than once.
Some further breakdowns for these titles:
Most Fun To Play:
Except for Generation Zero, pretty much all the other titles on this list are fun to play overall.
Scariest:
Honestly, it’s a tossup between Blair Witch and Resident Evil 2.
Best Story:
Hands down, A Plague Tale: Innocence.
Best Atmosphere:
Resident Evil 2
Best Graphics:
Blair Witch and Layers of Fear 2
Worst Graphics:
The Sinking City
Best Soundtrack:
A Plague Tale: Innocence
Best Sound Effects:
Resident Evil 2
Best Voice Acting:
This was tough but I have to give it to both Resident Evil 2 and A Plague Tale: Innocence with an honorable mention of Tony Todd’s performance in Layers of Fear 2
Best Non-Horror Game Reviewed:
Worst Non-Horror Game Reviewed:
Mutant Year Zero Seed of Evil, and Tetsumo Party
Games That I’m Looking Forward To In 2020
Resident Evil 3, Cyberpunk2077, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Remothered: Broken Porcelain, and Song of Horror
