7 Horror Games to Play Alone This Valentine’s Day
Justin Wood
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There are a lot of horror games out there, and today, I wanted to put some focus on the ones that single in on love. Not only just love but protecting or finding love in the horrific situations these games usually put us in. So, without further ado, here are the top 7 games to play on Valentine’s Day, either solo or with your loved one. Nothing says love like slaughtering video game enemies.
*Editors note: Spoilers ahead for the following: The Quarry, Shadows of the Damned, Resident Evil 7, Dead Space, Hellblade, Prey (2006), and Silent Hill 2*
The Quarry
The Quarry sees nine teenage counselors trying to survive at Hackett’s Quarry summer camp. Having seen the kids off and trying to enjoy their last night. After a game of truth or dare goes wary, and they must all fend for their lives.
Developed by Supermassive Games, the folks behind Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures Anthology, the game focuses on player-driven narrative. People can live or die based on their choices. This means you can also find love if you play your cards right. Or kill it; really, the choice is up to you.
As you play through the night, fending off vicious locals and supernatural beings, don’t forget to look out for the ones you care about the most- even if they themselves turn out to be the biggest threat.
Shadows of the Damned
Shadows of the Damned follows Garcia Hotspur (what a name), a demon hunter who travels to the City of the Damned to save his girlfriend Paula after the Lord of the Demons kidnaps her.
Suda51 (Killer7, No More Heroes) and Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil, The Evil Within) teamed up to create this absolute trip of a game. The main thrust is Garcia killing every demon in sight to save the love of his life. It has a great ending that you should seek out. Having your girlfriend turn into the mistress of the Lord of Demons and you having to battle for her soul is precisely the kind of thing you would expect Suda51 to come up with.
Unfortunately, even though Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill, Killer Is Dead) has hinted at a sequel for years, it doesn’t seem like it will happen.
Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil 7 sees Ethan Winters drawn to a Louisiana plantation in the search for his wife, Mia, who has been missing for the past three years. Finding each other is only the beginning of their plight to save each other and escape this nightmare.
Resident Evil 7 was a tremendous cultural reset for the series, now refocused with its first-person perspective and less action-focused gameplay. Don’t let anyone tell you this isn’t a love story, even if, for the first hour or so, Ethan and Mia do horrible bodily torture to each other.
Dead Space
Dead Space is a game about a space engineer, Issac Clarke, who one day gets a message from his girlfriend, Nicole Brennan, that the space station she is working on is under duress.
Upon arriving at the Ishimura space drilling station, they are immediately attacked, and Issac must fend for his life, the life of his crewmates, and his girlfriend, who mages to always be one step ahead of him. Whatever you do, don’t look at the first letter of each chapter.
With lots of dismemberments abound, Dead Space is the goriest entry on our list, but love can also be gory….can’t it?
Prey
Prey 2006 (the distinction is needed) focuses on Cherokee Domasi “Tommy” Tawodi after the bar he, his grandfather, and his girlfriend Jen frequent is attacked by aliens. After his girlfriend and grandfather are abducted, Tommy must tap into his Cherokee heritage to defeat the aliens and save his love and family.
While the storytelling in Prey is okay, we are all here to see the outcome of his relationship. Let’s just say Tommy is deciding between saving the world and Jen.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice follows Senua, a Pict warrior, on her way to Helheim to save the soul of her dead lover, Dillion, and bring him back to life.
On her journey, Senua carries Dillon’s severed head with her at all times. She must overcome trials by defeating both the fire giant Surt and the god of illusions, Valravn. But Senua also suffers from a curse that causes her to hear voices in her head that constantly fight against her.
The overall conclusion sees Senua learning to deal with loss, coming to terms with the voices in her head, and asking the player to join her on another adventure. It’s a great game with a fantastic story about the loss of love.
Silent Hill 2
What is there to say about Silent Hill 2 that hasn’t already been said? Silent Hill 2 sees James Sutherland journeying to Silent Hill after he gets a letter from his dead wife, Mary, saying she is waiting for him. Wanting to find his wife, James goes through the wringer that is Silent Hill 2, all in the name of love.
Clearly, there is lots of love in Silent Hill 2, as we learn that James killed his wife by suffocating her with a pillow, and his journey to Silent Hill has multiple outcomes that decide James’ fate.
James either forgives himself (even though he is a murderer?) and moves on with life, drives himself into the lake, commits suicide, or moves on with the other woman, Maria not learning anything. Or he brings Mary’s body to a church in Silent Hill in hopes of resurrecting her. My favorite is the ending where a dog controls it all. Or maybe it’s when the aliens abduct James.
So, there you have it. Clearly, horror games have a penchant for love, and saving the ones you love is a big theme in the genre. Enjoy your day, and if this list taught me anything, if your significant other kills you, bring them to Silent Hill.
Categorized:Editorials Horror Gaming News
