Horror remains a popular genre in gaming — and for good reason. They can be particularly intense experiences. This is because players actually participate in these spooky scenes, often while engrossed in eerie environments. Many embrace the fun and thrills that come from getting scared through an entertaining framework.

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But while it's often a sense of vulnerability that yields this heart-pounding fun, many find it more exhilarating to wield the power themselves. Sometimes, they'll even yearn to take on the role of the super-charged monster or antagonist. There are several games that bring just such a thrill.

6 Resident Evil 4

Potent Weapons And Greater Mobility

Fans of Capcom's famed survival-horrorResident Evil generally count the well-crafted entry among the tougher thrillers; which the even more finely-tuned Re-make recently reestablished.

Yet, compared to most other entries in the series, which have players more bogged down and lacking weapons and resources, RE4 brings more offensive potential — as well as room for growth. The remake tips the scales in favor of the player, with more mobile mechanics, a versatile Combat Knife, stealth kills, and additional slots for more powerful weapons.

There are also a number of useful charms that provide various boosts and perks. And while weapons early-on can bring minimal impact in a heated fight, later pickups and upgrades (as well as post-game extras) such as the Rocket Launcher, Chicago Sweeper, and Riot Gun can make quick work of enemies.

5 Eternal Darkness

Weak, Sluggish Foes And Magick

This oft-overlooked horror game for GameCube makes it fairly easy to hack one's way through frail, staggering zombies. Still, this underrated thriller from Silicon Knights is no less enjoyable and imaginative. With a satisfying mechanic of targeting limbs — allowing players to swiftly render foes incapacitated by hacking off heads and limbs — combat is usually a simple endeavor.

This doesn't even factor in the unique system of mixing and matching Runes, which is used to wipe out baddies with various potent spells. To its credit, the crux of Eternal Darkness' scare factor and innovation comes from its Sanity Effects features. This is a chilling mechanic that messes with the player's mind by warping certain visuals, sounds, or control inputs.

These off-kilter alterations bring the impression that the senses and sanity of the protagonist are slowly deteriorating as they venture through various snapshots of world history. But as long as the player remains unencumbered by these effects, dealing with the dull, sluggish creatures is usually not a tough feat.

4 Maneater

A Super-Powered Shark Attack

The so-called "Reverse Horror" subgenre has become increasingly popular of late — and for good reason. It's tough to deny the satisfaction of assuming the role of an overpowered beast, monster, or weapon-wielding slayer. It's typically a fun role-reversal, to say the least. Such is the case with this action-thriller by Tripwire Interactive.

The game essentially lets players experience what it's like to be an even quicker, stronger version of Jaws. Players glide through the vast seas while exploring deep underwater caves, nabbing collectibles, and of course, making mincemeat of sea creatures as well as humans. Players will find little resistance as their deep-sea predator flops about and shreds the usually helpless, unsuspecting human prey on land or ships.

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Sea creature adversaries do tend to bring more of a fight, yet so does the water-bound shark, who can use its large, razor-sharp teeth to tear through flesh and trap targets in a death grip. This swimming powerhouse is made even more deadly upon equipping various upgrades that Maneater offers in its eight-hour campaign.

3 Left 4 Dead 2

Co-Op Chaos Brings Ample Firepower

It can be frightening dealing with swift hordes of Infected running full-speed at players in the multiplayer favoriteLeft 4 Dead 2 — particularly "special" versions like the massive Tank. And of course, the game's Expert and Realism modes hold some truly grueling trials.

Still, with the arsenal of strong weaponry, and the squad of backup shooters mowing down scores of undead foes, the experience proves simple compared to many zombie games. This is especially the case when players can hole up in one of the indoor or bottlenecked areas in groups, focusing all fire towards a few narrow openings.

In fairness, this robust sequel is meant to be an over-the-top action game more than a gritty survival-horror, and it mostly excels on this front. Yet, given how many zombies get torn apart by the slew of guns and melee weapons provided, one would expect the undead to be far more spooked than the four trigger-happy protagonists.

2 Doom Eternal

Powerful Demon-Slaying Weaponry

This iconic demon-slaying romp has always made for an intense, frantic FPS experience. But with this epic 2020 installment, players are given ample room to customize and upgrade their Doom Slayer to the point of melting foes without breaking a sweat. With the added chaos of this sequel comes increased mobility through dashing, which can be beefed up throughout the campaign. Players can take advantage of the frequently-visited Fortress of Doom, which yields various handy upgrades and new gear.

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Of course, the game still brings some challenges, especially when facing some menacing bosses. But when looking back at past entries in the series, which were often darker, more unpredictable, and stripped back players' abilities, Doom Eternal may be the closest thing to an overpowered romp in the franchise. One need only power through foes with the BFG 9000, Sentinel Hammer, or the ever-resourceful Chainsaw to get a sense of this.

1 Carrion

An Unstoppable Monster Mash

Carrion is an over-the-top action-horror from indie developer Phobia Game Studio, which has players storming through foes and wreaking havoc as a massive monster. The mutated blob creature that players control is so unapologetically overpowered and indestructible that one can't help but be amused during this five-hour slaughter-fest.

Even from the start, the (relatively) small and humble creature can tear through obstacles, tossing them with extendable tentacles around and consuming them without giving much heed to the few dangers ahead. And this power is only amplified as players progress, since the creature continues growing, often taking up large portions of the narrow industrial corridors it glides through.

Any lack of adrenaline-fueled danger is made up for through the satisfying slew of kills, as well as clever puzzles and added abilities that force the monster to slow things down for a bit. For instance, players may need to control a human target or three, using them as meat puppets to open the next area.

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