Once September hits, there are two things on people’s minds. This first is the idea that summer is over for many, meaning that it’s time to go back to school; the second is Halloween. That means decorating the house, drinking pumpkin lattes, and watching scary movies.
For a particular group of Halloween fans, they will also pop out their favorite horror games. In recent years, there have been several decentgame adaptations of classic horror filmslikeFriday the 13thand most recentlyThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Those two films feature classic slasher villains who can also be witnessed in video games. That said, not all video game slashers need to hail from a movie;some are created solely to exist in a game, and their lack of cinema fame does not hinder their role.
6Naughty Bear (Naughty Bear)
TheNaughty Bearseries comprises two games, and neither of them reviewed well. Despite the execution, the idea was funny, and the series’ star, the titular Naughty Bear, definitely deserves to be highlighted. Naughty Bear is disliked by his fellow bears inthis utopian society.
After hearing voices, Naughty Bear decides to start killing his friends. All of these bears are stuffed, so stabbing one will not createKill Billlevels of blood spurts. Still, it can be quite unsettling to stalk prey and kill them, even if everything is stuffed. Naughty Bear is resilient with a knife, can create traps, and is also impressive in a bare-knuckle brawl.
5Manhunt (James Earl Cash)
Naughty Bearfeels like it was inspired byManhunt, which does indeed have blood. The game follows James Earl Cash, a convicted criminal who gets rescued while on Death Row. James wakes up on an island filled with other prisoners and is instructed by a mysterious voice known as The Director to take them all out.
It’s never said what James was convicted for, but if he was on Death Row, it was probably something heinous.Manhuntwasmade by Rockstar, and like many of their games, it received a lot of backlash. Again, likeNaughty Bear, it was creepy to play as a criminal, even though James was executing convicts.
4Silent Hill 2 (Pyramid Head)
Silent Hill 2is the top pick for most fans of this series. This one follows James Sunderland through the foggy town of Silent Hill as he tries to track down his wife. Along the way, he encounters Pyramid Head, who looks like a butcher with a giant blade and a literal pyramid on his head.
The sword is so big that evenCloud fromFinal Fantasy 7would blush. Pyramid Head has all the makings of a great slasher icon for a video game, but it ranks lower because not a lot of his victims are shown onscreen. Players have to assume a lot of slashing is happening behind the scenes.
3Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Jack Baker)
Resident Evil 7: Biohazardwas a huge shift for the series for many reasons. It was the first new character not associated with Raccoon City in quite some time.Ethan Winters wentdown to the south to find his wife Mia, who had gone missing. What he finds instead is a horror show that feels inspired byThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
InResident Evil 7: Biohazard, Ethan winds up in a mansion with the Baker family, who have been possessed by a bio ooze that makes them do wild things. The head of the family, Jack Baker, wields a chainsaw and bursts through walls like the Kool-Aid Man. For the most part, he looks like a regular guy, which is the most unsettling thing about him. It’s unclear how many victims Jack claimed while under the influence of this ooze, but it’s enough to leave a lasting impression.
2Clock Tower (Scissorman)
Clock Toweris an underrated series from Capcom that was abandoned long ago. There are only four games, and it all ended during the PS2 generation. It’s easy to see why they never became a hit, unlike theResident Evilseries, as the protagonists are always powerless. This first game follows Jennifer Simpson, who is trapped in a mansion. She is being hounded by Scissorman, who looks like a little boy with comically large sheers.
InClock Tower, players can search the mansion for clues, run, and hide. Passive gameplay is not for everyone ina horror game, but there has been a resurgence, thanks to the indie scene. Maybe that’s why the original game is getting remastered for modern consoles. Scissorman is the mainstay villain of the series, and even though the identity changes, the villain is terrifying every time.
1Deadly Premonition (Raincoat Killer)
Deadly Premonitionis one of thebest/worst games ever made. Fans can agree that the gameplay feels dated along with the graphics. The driving feels like controlling a tank, the shooting is loose, the quick time events are wildly fast and unpredictable, and the list goes on. However,Deadly Premonitionis brimming with charm thanks to the lead, Agent Francis York Morgan.
He’s come to the sleepy town of Greenvale to capture The Raincoat Killer. This killer is known for his axe, red coat, and habit of jamming seeds into the mutilated corpses of their victims. Who is The Raincoat Killer? It’s a twist no one will see coming because it honestly doesn’t make a lot of sense. Still, they are menacing in the heat of battle while trying to take our Agent Morgan. The Raincoat Killer is a dark horse and deserves to be recognized as one of the best original slashers in gaming.
