Get ready to dive into the golden era of horror gaming! We're counting down the most spine-chilling, atmospheric, and groundbreaking horror games that defined the 1990s. From invisible enemies to haunting narratives, these titles revolutionized the genre and continue to inspire game developers today.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and thanks to everyone who commented about liking this new voice
00:13over guy, you're helping me keep my job.
00:16Today we are turning back the clock to look at arguably one of the best eras for horror
00:20in gaming, these are the 10 best horror games of the 90s.
00:24This ranking is taken from reviews, public opinion and a dash of that sweet sweet mojo
00:28meeting arguing.
00:29Let's do it!
00:30The House of the Dead.
00:35We're starting our list with a very important entry because even though it saw home releases,
00:48this game is arguably one of the most popular arcade shooters of all time, drilled into
00:53the brains of every 90s kid who walked by it hearing its menacing sounds and seeing
00:57it's scary black curtain.
00:59The House of the Dead defined an era of horror rail shooters and created an environment in
01:04an arcade, a place infamously difficult for finding true world immersion, that was really
01:09truly scary.
01:23Castlevania Symphony of the Night Though not a traditional horror game, Castlevania
01:37Symphony of the Night drips with gothic horror atmosphere and is inarguably fucking fantastic,
01:43sorry for swearing but I'm trying to make a point.
01:45It may not deliver outright scares, but it stands as one of the most iconic metroidvania
01:49games ever made, filled with gothic horror inspired settings and enemies all while emphasising
01:55refined gameplay.
01:56Konami's classic remains stunning, endlessly replayable and incredibly influential and
02:01that influence is why it's worth acknowledging.
02:14Alone in the Dark Survival horror may be a hugely popular
02:22gaming genre today, but many modern titles trace their roots back to Alone in the Dark,
02:28which is often credited as the first 3D survival horror game.
02:31Now I know there's a small sub-community pushing their glasses off their nose and typing a
02:35comment right now about how that's not technically true, but get out of here with your facts,
02:40just because you're technically right doesn't mean you're not technically boring.
02:44Released in 1992 for PC, the game follows a straightforward goal, escape a haunted mansion.
02:50Yet this task is far from easy, with puzzles to solve and undead enemies to face along
02:54the way.
02:55Much like Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark emphasises resource management, requiring
02:59players to carefully monitor their inventory as they progress.
03:02I replay this game yearly and still get stuck at least 10 times.
03:19Enemy Zero
03:35Enemy Zero is one of the most memorable horror exclusives on the Sega Saturn.
03:39Though the story is highly engaging, the gameplay can be divisive.
03:42All enemies are invisible and to defeat them, players must rely on an audio cue, a chime
03:47that grows louder as they approach.
03:49Players need to charge their weapon and fire at the loudest point to ensure a hit.
03:53This mechanic can feel either incredibly tense or somewhat frustrating, depending on your
03:58preference.
03:59Thankfully, Enemy Zero includes two easier difficulty options, making it more accessible
04:02if the core challenge feels overwhelming.
04:05Even so, the game is worth playing for this captivating story, which remains impressive
04:10for its time.
04:21Sanitarium
04:30Dreamforger's Sanitarium is a cult classic point and click adventure, still readily available
04:35on platforms like Steam.
04:36Players take on the role of an amnesiac who awakens in a disturbing asylum surrounded
04:41by unsettling imagery.
04:42Known as Max, the protagonist embarks on a surreal, unpredictable journey through strange
04:47and terrifying places as he tries to piece together his identity and understand his circumstances.
04:51Does any of this sound familiar?
04:54Yeah, because like every game on this list, it was influential.
04:58More than two decades after its release, Sanitarium remains a compelling psychological horror
05:03game with a nine chapter story that steadily ramps up the tension.
05:15Clock Tower
05:26Released for the SNES in 1995, Clock Tower is a point and click adventure that is both
05:30terrifying and masterfully crafted.
05:33Nobody expected the SNES to have a genuinely terrifying experience that holds up today,
05:36but with the limited resources available to them, they managed to perfectly use what they
05:41had to make our spines straighten up.
05:43The game excels at setting a haunting atmosphere through its visual and sound design, blending
05:48gloomy, claustrophobic visuals with an anxiety-inducing soundtrack.
05:52Clock Tower also stands out for its multiple endings, determined by the player's choices
05:56and performance throughout the game.
05:58Alongside its tense ambience, the game offers thoughtfully designed puzzles that players
06:02must solve to survive.
06:04Influential, replayable and atmospheric, the three pieces for the recipe that makes the
06:10perfect horror experience pie.
06:19Parasite Eve
06:26Released by Square in 1998, Parasite Eve combines RPG elements with real-time action gameplay,
06:32creating an intensely atmospheric experience.
06:35Playing as Arya Brea, players must track down and stop Eve, a woman intent on wiping out
06:39humanity.
06:40While the action combat is strong, much of the game's appeal comes from exploring its
06:44haunting environments and unravelling its story.
06:47Parasite Eve did not blow up in the same way as series like Silent Hill, Resident Evil
06:51and other PS1 survival horror games did, but with its re-release for Sony players in the
06:55classic section of the PlayStation Store, it is getting a serious renaissance that is
07:00making players rethink where it ranks in their brain.
07:08Dino Crisis
07:30Just… remake Dino Crisis already.
07:46Directed by Shinji Mikami, co-creator of Resident Evil, Dino Crisis could be summed up as RE
07:52with dinosaurs, but the game offers its own distinct experience.
07:56It introduces several mechanical differences, giving players more strategies to handle dinosaurs
08:00beyond simply killing or evading them.
08:03The game also places a stronger emphasis on puzzles, often involving various tools that
08:08make for engaging challenges.
08:09The difficulty increases by a whole bunch in the latter half, but it's a welcome change
08:14as you'll likely be feeling confident by that point.
08:16Boom replay value, boom influence, boom atmosphere.
08:21Great stuff.
08:36Resident Evil 2
08:46We decided to pick just one Resident Evil entry for this list, and while Resident Evil
08:501 may have laid the groundwork for Capcom's series, it was Resident Evil 2 released in
08:551998 that defined the franchise.
08:59The game established many of the hallmarks fans expected today, improving on nearly every
09:03gameplay element from the original.
09:05Resident Evil 2 deepens the horror atmosphere with a constant looming threat that relentlessly
09:10pursues the player, a design choice that resonates even in modern titles like Resident Evil Village.
09:16The third entry was also fantastic, offering some really interesting story connections
09:20to the second game, but the second game just did everything right.
09:24With a phenomenal remake available, there's just no better time to try Resident Evil 2.
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09:55Silent Hill
09:56At the young age of five, Silent Hill was the first game I experienced that taught me
10:18that video games could also be scary.
10:19Up until this point, it was all Mario's and Crash Bandicoots for this kid.
10:24Released in 1999, few games have influenced the horror genre as deeply as the original
10:29Silent Hill, and no game has left scars on the psyche of 90s babies like Silent Hill.
10:35Known for its immersive, atmosphere-driven experience, Silent Hill preys on players'
10:39uncertainty, often veiling their surroundings in a dense fog.
10:42With the straightforward premise of searching for a lost daughter in the eerie town of Silent
10:46Hill, the game offers five different possible endings based on the player's actions throughout
10:50the story, adding layers of mystery and, you guessed it, replayability.
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