16 Games Like 'Resident Evil'

Capcom graced the world with Resident Evil as the king of its signature sub-genre. Obviously taking note of that series’ success. Konami sought a piece of the survival horror pie by introducing the Silent Hill franchise. And ever since the first series entry arrived in 1999, survival horror fans have thrown plenty of praise upon the majority of its mind-bending adventures. The first four series entries are worth returning to if you can find them, plus you should give the remake of the first game (Silent Hill: Shattered Memories) a good look as well. If you have the mettle needed to navigate a small town full of nightmare fuel and a mysterious mist, then the Silent Hill series should definitely appeal to you.

Does the thought of fending off multi-limbed Necromorphs and other types of hideous creatures within the lonely confines of spaces freak you out? Then be prepared to confront those fears when you step into the Dead Space series. You’ll step into the space boots of Issak Clarke, who’s forced to shoot down and dismember monstrous beings known as Necromorps. And while you’re doing so, you’ll be treated to Issac’s morbid visions and do everything in your power to survive in the darkest corners of space.

Capcom realized it had a goldmine on its hands when it mastered the survival horror genre. That’s probably why it chose to switch out its zombie menace for reptilian baddies when it brought Dino Crisis into the fold. The first two games in the beloved series follow Regina as she dodges some daunting dinos. It’s hard enough shooting down some of the game’s faster reptiles, but it’s even tougher when you learn that they can knock your weapons loose. Be sure to check out the first two Dino Crisis games and do yourself a favor by avoiding the third one altogether.

Imagine how much scarier one’s inner demons can be when you’re forced to confront them head-on. The Evil Within series presents that harrowing prospect as you run through a distorted world and come up against the physical embodiments of psychological horrors. Both games adopt the revolutionary third-person gunplay introduced by Resident Evil 4 and add a collection of outlandish beasts to strengthen its winning formula. The Evil Within games will stick with you long after you’ve beaten them.

If you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, then you might want to go on ahead and give this super slept-on third-person shooter a try. Shadows of the Damned is a hilariously raunchy game that looks and sounds like the exploitation films of old. As demon hunter Garcia Hotspur (WHAT A NAME!), you’ll put your transforming (and talking) gun to good use against the Lord of Demon’s loyal servants. If you loved Resident Evil 4, then the gameplay feel of Shadows of the Damned will take hold of you and never let go.

Daymare: 1998 certainly wears its inspirations on its sleeve. As a clear nod to the survival horror games of the late 90s, this game pits you against an army of nasty creatures as you explore a small town stricken by a horrifying incident. There’s tons of blood and gore on deck in this one - blasting apart your mutated foes with a wide assortment of firearms means a whole lot of red plasma will regularly splash across your screen. Just know that the limited availability of everything you need to survive lies at the heart of this modern throwback.

Shout out to the old creatives at Squaresoft that birthed this fun amalgamation of survival horror elements and RPG-inspired combat mechanics. As a New York City police officer named Aya Brea, you’ll need to brave the horrors concocted by a being that’s looking to destroy humanity through spontaneous combustion. The games that follow Aya’s initial adventure stick close to the theme of contending with hideous mutants via a mix of active movement and turn-based battles. Parasite Eve is pretty much Resident Evil meets Final Fantasy, which is a marriage that should excite you.

If you can get your hands on a Sega Saturn that’s compatible with Japanese exclusives, then you need to go out of your way to spend a few hours with Deep Fear. This survival horror escalade is all about taking control of an ex-Navy SEAL named John Mayor, who must endure all sorts of human and mutated dangers within an underwater research facility. Deep Fear features some innovative features that place it above older survival horror games, such as the ability to aim while moving and using items without having to select them from a menu.

Never mind the Dead Island franchise - the Techland developed zombie-filled adventure you’ll want to busy yourself with is this one. Dying Light takes place entirely from a first-person perspective and incorporates parkour exploration as you swiftly move across a Middle Eastern quarantine zone. In the daytime, your usual array of the undead menace shambles toward you. But once evening falls, far more formidable versions of those same zombies make their presence felt. You’ll need to jump, dive, and assault the zombies that come your way if you choose to spend some time with Dying Light.

Once you’ve come to know what The Last of Us’ Joel and Ellie are all about, you’ll most likely add the game to your list of the greatest of all time. The first game offers the most rewarding and highly emotional escort mission of all time as you protect your young cargo from merciless humans and rabid creatures that have been stricken by a mutated fungus epidemic. Once you’ve completed the first game in the series, head into the second one and prepare for the gut punches it will inevitably deliver.

If you enjoyed the overwhelming zombie hordes that ran you down in the fourth, fifth, and sixth Resident Evil games, then you’ll most definitely enjoy what Days Gone has to offer. This PlayStation exclusive puts you in the role of Deacon St. John, who hops on his trusty motorbike in an effort to find his missing wife. While venturing through a post-apocalyptic version of Oregon, you’ll run into cannibalistic creatures known as Freakers. And once they gather in droves, look out! Things definitely get a whole lot dicier from that point forward.

Having to constantly hide and keep your distance from a super-intelligent Xenomorph is the epitome of terrifying. As Ellen Ripley (daughter of the Alien film’s leading heroine, Amanda Ripley), you’ll set out across a myriad of space stations in an effort to find out what happened to her mother. Unfortunately, that also means you’ll have to contend with killer Working Joes and an enormous alien that definitely has it out for you. Alien Isolation brings the horror of having to deal with an extraterrestrial threat right to your face in first-person.

There’s a good reason why a lot of fans are clamoring for a sequel to this memorable supernatural romp. Alan Wake follows a novelist who’s trying to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding his wife’s disappearance. This caper transports him to a small town that throws him headfirst into a series of events that are lifted directly from his latest novel. Taking down a slew of shadowy baddies known as “Taken” and exploring some creepy whereabouts are what you should expect from your time spent with Alan Wake.

The Condemned games still hold a special place in retro gamers’ hearts due to how slept on they still are to this day. With a smart mix of first-person exploration, crime scene investigations, and weighty hand-to-hand combat, this underrated series offers a satisfyingly creepy expedition through fittingly dark locations. There may not be any undead horrors to contend with in these games, but you’ll still get treated to some of the best (worst?) jump scares you’ll ever come across in a survival horror game.

Based on Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novel, the Metro series follows a man named Artyom, who ventures into a world that’s been devastated by nuclear war. All three games in the highly-rated FPS series set you on a journey through the Metro tunnels and outdoors locales - you’ll need to put all your survival skills to good use as you encounter dangerous regimes and vicious creatures known as the Dark Ones. The latest series entry (Metro Exodus) takes players on an even grander journey across a wide expanse that’s filled with even more hostile humans and bloodthirsty monsters.

The Obscure franchise certainly lives up to its name since they’re not the most well-known survival horror experiences out there. Both titles are worth spending some time with, especially if you have a friend in tow since they enable co-op playthroughs. You and a friend will have to band together and endure all sorts of infected horrors within the confines of a tortured school setting. If you decide to play either game on your own, you can switch between each of the playable characters and get familiar with all of their signature skills.