There’s not a single fan of horror games who hasn’t played one and thought: “This game feels so real… Thank God it’s just a game!” We feel for you! The same thoughts crossed our minds more times than we’d like to admit. Luckily, if things get too scary, we can simply look away from the monitor!
But what happens if you take that option out of the equation? What if the already incredibly realistic games could feel even more real? Would you dare play them? Would you have the guts to step into the shoes of a horror game protagonist? That is precisely what you can do with VR!
The stunning technology that is virtual reality feels like it was specifically made to saturate horror fans’ need for getting scared out of their wits. Just imagine your blood pumping as the sense of dread is slowly climbing up your spine while playing a horror game in virtual reality! Doesn’t it sound horrendously terrifying? We bet it does! And you’d love it, wouldn’t you? There’s no shame in admitting it.
If you are a fan of horror, getting your hands on a VR set like Oculus Rift and having a taste of some of the best horror experiences VR has to offer should definitely be on your bucket list. And if you are lucky enough to have already gotten your hands on a VR set, there are dozens of horror titles you mustn’t miss out on. However, here are some of our personal favorites you should try out immediately!
8 Best VR Horror Games All Fans of the Genre Must Try
Trust us when we say — all the titles we have prepared for you are must-plays! Whether they were adapted to VR or are VR-exclusives is irrelevant. You are guaranteed to get dozens of hours of an entirely fresh horror experience playing them. Here are some of the best VR horror games on the market currently in no particular order:
1. The Exorcist: Legion
If you’re a fan of the iconic Exorcist movies and story-driven horror games, The Exorcist: Legion is perfect for you! This game offers the ideal introduction to the world of VR horror. It is a five-part psychological-horror drama bound to cause flashbacks from the original Exorcist movie!
This Oculus Quest game received stellar reviews and is guaranteed to make even the most hardcore horror fans scream like helpless children!
2. Face Your Fears
This Oculus Rift game is suitable even for VR horror newbies! This title doesn’t focus on complicated game mechanics but puts emphasis on the immersion that virtual reality enables. All the players need to do is select between various scenarios they wish to play out and press start!
The best part of this game is that it preys on common fears (e.g., of the dark, clowns, aliens, etc.). If you feel like this game’s too much for you, you’re unlikely to find a more beginner-friendly one out there. So brave it out and push on! We are confident you’ll be able to overcome your fears!
3. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted
If you thought the original Five Night’s at Freddy’s was too much for you, wait ‘till you see it in VR! We have to warn you — this game is not for the faint of heart, as it takes all the horror elements of the iconic Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise and turns them up to eleven!
If you thought that getting torn to shreds by one of the animatronics was scary, you’d better pray they don’t catch you in VR. So keep your eyes on the cameras at all times, mind your power management, and don’t blink. Good luck… You’ll need it!
4. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
You’ve heard that right — one of the best titles of one of horror’s most iconic franchises is playable in VR on PS4! If you thought that Ethan’s horror journey through the Baker house was terrifying, wait ‘till you find yourself in his shoes.
This game must be one of the best horror VR experiences to date as it’s the first AAA horror franchise to feature this compatibility. Trust us when we say — even if you’ve already finished the game, playing through it in virtual reality is an entirely new experience you mustn’t miss! No fan of horror will regret this experience!
5. Affected: The Manor
If you enjoy taking an occasional trip to a haunted house or two, Affected: The Manor is the right game for you! This game offers an atmospheric horror experience all gamers know and love and gives it an entirely new dimension.
Players will be thrown into a haunted mansion from the get-go and left to wander around the labyrinth of corridors ridden with various obstacles while trying to preserve their sanity. With nothing but flickering candlelight to guide you, this game is sure to make question your choice to play a VR horror game in one of the most extraordinary nail-biting horror experience to date.
6. Phasmophobia
Phasmophobia is a co-op ghost hunting indie horror game that took the world by storm! And guess what? Players can enjoy it in VR! Be careful, though — all scares are on a whole new level in VR!
If you are a fan of co-op horror games, you will have a blast playing Phasmophobia with your friends in VR! The game has seven different maps as of the moment of writing and 12 different ghosts to hunt. That means that every ghost-hunting session will be unique! Oh, and the best part is that you can still play it with your friends even if they don’t have a VR set. That’s right — the game’s cross-compatible!
7. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
Hardcore fans of zombie horror games, rejoice — The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is here, and it’s in VR! This game is no ordinary zombie game, though, despite it being the first of its kind in virtual reality. This game hits the sweet spot between being absolutely terrifying and offering enough action to satisfy all your zombie-slaying needs.
We wholeheartedly recommend this unique VR horror experience if you’re looking for an action-packed horror game to try out on your new VR set! Fight your way through hordes of mindless zombies and warring survivors of post-apocalyptic New Orleans, and good luck surviving!
8. Layers of Fear
All fans of this 2016 atmospheric horror game will be thrilled to hear that the game also has a VR port! Layers of Fear is one of the finest story-driven horror games of the last decade. Players are put in the shoes of a troubled artist on the edge of madness, trying to finish his latest painting.
The protagonist’s hallucinations haunt the player and manifest in all sorts of sick and twisted ways on your journey toward the final piece of the painting. When you add the troubling, shifting environment to all of that, you will find your every step all the more unsettling. If you are longing for a terrifying but emotional horror game, Layers of Fear will strike all the right chords.
Did you already try any of these games? Which one is your favorite? Did you enjoy this list? Tell us in the comments. We’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!