Compared to past years, 2018 was a bit of a letdown for horror game fans. While there were certainly some great horror games in 2018, some of the most anticipated titles flopped with critics and fans alike. Horror game fans shouldn't be discouraged, though, because 2019 looks like it may be one of the best years for the genre yet.
Here are the 10 most anticipated horror games of 2019.
10 Days Gone
A promising PlayStation 4 exclusive from the Syphon Filter studio, Days Gone has left horror fans impressed since its initial reveal at E3 2016. Set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by zombies, players take control of bounty hunter Deacon St. John as he deals with both the undead threats and a variety of human enemies throughout the game. While thousands of zombies can crowd the screen at a time and are constantly trying to rip the player to shreds, Deacon can actually use them to his advantage by sending them into enemy encampments and the like. It will be interesting to see what other creative ways players think of to utilize the zombie hordes when Days Gone launches next year.
Days Gone will launch on April 26, 2019, exclusively for PS4.
9 Hunt: Showdown
Multiplayer horror is hard to pull off, but when done right it can offer a truly unique experience in the genre. Hunt: Showdown is a multiplayer horror game from Crytek, pitting teams of players against each other while they simultaneously have to deal with the looming threat of various monsters. Hunt: Showdown is currently in early access on Steam, and will also be making its way to the Xbox Game Preview program at some point as well. If its early access period helps it iron out any issues, Hunt: Showdown looks like it could be one of the more successful multiplayer horror projects.
Hunt: Showdown is slated for release in 2019 for PC and Xbox One.
8 Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus continues the story of young Artyom, a 23-year-old living in post-apocalyptic Russia. Whereas the first two Metro games mostly kept players confined in the Moscow's Metro underground, Metro Exodus will see Artyom set out to explore a Russia ravaged by nuclear winter, dealing with a variety of environmental threats and horrific, mutated monsters. Metro Exodus will combine open world elements with the franchise's typical blend of stealth and horror, and fans will be able to find out if it lives up to the hype in just a couple of months.
Metro Exodus launches on February 15, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
7 Resident Evil 2
For years, Resident Evil fans have been clamoring for a Resident Evil 2 remake, and in 2019, Capcom is finally delivering. The Resident Evil 2 remake updates the survival-horror classic for modern audiences, featuring cutting edge graphics, a Resident Evil 4-style over-the-shoulder camera, and a streamlined story. Impressions of the game from shows like E3 have been overwhelmingly positive, and it's safe to say that Resident Evil 2 isn't just one of 2019's most anticipated horror games, but one of 2019's most anticipated games period.
Resident Evil 2 will launch on January 25, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
6 Someday You'll Return
There isn't a lot we know about Someday You'll Return at this point, but with its developers taking inspiration from critically-acclaimed games like Resident Evil 7 and Silent Hill, it's hard for horror fans not to get excited. Someday You'll Return sees protagonist Daniel track his missing daughter's location to a mysterious place where traumatic events happened to him in his childhood, and as can be expected, some fresh horrors await him. Someday You'll Return is a smaller scale game compared to many others on this list, but it may also end up being one of the scariest.
Someday You'll Return is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
5 The Blackout Club
Inspired by teen horror movies and shows like Stranger Things, The Blackout Club is a 4-player co-op horror game where players take control of customizable teens trying to unravel a mystery in their town. The main characters start blacking out and waking up in strange locations, and then to make matters worse one of their friends goes missing. The teens begin investigating, and discover that the adults in their town are part of a secret organization that's up to no good, and it's up to the kids to stop them.
The Blackout Club is set to release in early 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
4 The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan
Supermassive Games has established itself as a studio to watch for horror fans after the release of Until Dawn, which played like a larger scale Telltale game mixed with 80s slasher movie tropes. The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan seems to be similar to Until Dawn, complete with a cast that includes some Hollywood actors like Shawn Ashmore, but it differs in some key ways. Firstly, it's the first in a planned anthology of horror games set in the South Pacific, and secondly, it's not a PlayStation exclusive, meaning gamers on other platforms will get to experience Supermassive's quality horror storytelling.
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is aiming for a 2019 release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
3 The Last of Us: Part 2
The Last of Us stands as one of the most critically-acclaimed video games of all time, successfully combining action-adventure sensibilities seen in titles like Uncharted with classic survival-horror elements. The Last of Us: Part 2 looks like it will lean heavier into the horror side of things, with trailers showing people being tortured, and the central theme of the game being "hate." Considering the widespread popularity of the original game, there's no doubt that The Last of Us: Part 2 tops the "most anticipated" lists for many gamers, though it's still without a release window. It's not technically confirmed for a 2019 release, but it would be surprising to see the game slip to 2020, especially since it was announced all the way back in 2016.
The Last of Us: Part 2 is in development for PS4.
2 The Sinking City
After horror fans were burned by the disappointing Call of Cthulhu, it's easy to forgive them for being reserved when it comes to horror games based on HP Lovecraft's work. However, The Sinking City looks like it may succeed where Call of Cthulhu failed. An adventure game from the studio behind many Sherlock Holmes titles, The Sinking City stars private investigator Charles W. Reed as he investigates the mysterious goings-on in a New England town ravaged by unexplained mass hysteria.
The Sinking City will launch on March 21, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
1 World War Z
A globe-trotting, 4-player co-op zombie shooter game, World War Z hopes to fill the gap left by Left 4 Dead. World War Z hopes to stand out by using a third-person perspective and by having a focus on placing defensive traps. A number of zombie-themed shooters have come and gone in the wake of Left 4 Dead, and many have failed to live up to the hype, but based on what we've seen of the game so far, World War Z stands a good chance at delivering some adrenaline-fueled thrills.
World War Z is set for release in 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Besides the games listed here, there are a number of other promising horror titles coming in 2019, as well as titles that have yet to be confirmed for release next year, like Dying Light 2. And while it may be a stretch to consider it an actual "horror" game, we also need to give a nod to Luigi's Mansion 3 for the Nintendo Switch. The Luigi's Mansion games come across as more like parodies of survival-horror games, but they've consistently delivered quality gameplay and occasionally even some scares.
Regardless, horror game fans of all kinds have plenty to look forward to in the new year.