Blood, gore and filth - while this could describe a murder scene, it also matches the aesthetic of early 2000s horror games. The PS2 era of gaming is well known to be the golden age of video games. Where modern games prioritize realism, these classics captivate with timeless appeal and atmospheric storytelling, proving that great horror transcends graphics. Their legacy continues to leave a haunting impression on players, even decades later.

As the nostalgic resurgence of Playstation 2 games is at its peak, this sabukaru guide explores the gory, the uncanny, the horrifying side of a glorious bygone era. Be it the big names of the genre or its secret gems, this curation will have you shuddering while reminiscing about the old days.

Silent Hill 2, 3, 4

While the first Silent Hill on the PS1 was initially developed to rival the critically acclaimed Resident Evil, it was the following installments that would redefine the horror genre forever. Team Silent was at the peak of their game, crafting a unique aesthetic reminiscent of a rusted, grimy hell. The inclusion of psychological horror took the series to the next level: Silent Hill 2 revolves around the trauma of dealing with the loss of a loved one, Silent Hill 3 deals with uncovering the protagonists dark past and the fourth installment, Silent Hill 4: The Room even delves deep into topics such as social anxiety and depression. Plus, claustrophobic hallways and psychological trauma have never mixed this well.

Kuon

Before creating the Souls phenomena with games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, FromSoftware tried their craft on various genres including horror in Kuon. Being set in feudal Japan, you navigate through haunted mansions filled with terrifying creatures and paranormal occurrences. With its eerie atmosphere, strategic combat, and engaging storyline inspired by Japanese folklore, Kuon delivers a spine-tingling experience that is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Prepare to uncover dark secrets and face the unimaginable as you unravel the mysteries lurking within Kuon's haunted halls.

Silent Hill Origins & Shattered Memories

Although not mainline entries these two titles still stand as pillars of horror on the PS2. Developed by Climax Entertainment, both games delve deep into the psychological terror the series is best known for. While Origins unravels the dark origins of how the mysterious town came to be haunted, Shattered Memories offers a chilling reimagining of the original with a strong focus on paranoia. Both titles deliver immersive experiences, showcasing the versatility of the Silent Hill universe beyond its core installments.

Manhunt

Developed by the legendary Rockstar Games, the creators of the GTA series, Manhunt plunges you into the streets of Carcer City (which is the neighboring city of GTA’s Liberty City), where survival becomes a brutal game of cat and mouse. As James Earl Cash, a death row inmate coerced into participating in a series of snuff films, you'll stalk your prey through the filthy neighborhoods and abandoned buildings while also evading like minded sadistic hunters. With its unfiltered depiction of violence and morally ambiguous storyline, Manhunt pushed many boundaries and therefore got banned in many countries. A sequel also released in 2008 (this time revolving around a schizophrenic murderer) which is also a wild ride, however the original surpasses it being an all-time classic.

Resident Evil 4 & Code: Veronica

This series needs no introduction. Being there from the very start even nowadays it remains one of the biggest staples of horror gaming even after nearly 30 years since its first installment. In Resident Evil 4, players delve into rural Europe as Leon S. Kennedy, confronting a sinister cult and its grotesque creations. Meanwhile, in Code: Veronica (originally developed for the Sega Dreamcast), Claire Redfield unravels the mysteries of the Umbrella Corporation on a remote island overrun by the ever classic bio-organic mutants. Both games redefined the genre with their dynamic gameplay, intricate puzzles, and atmospheric storytelling, cementing their status as some of the best games in the Resident Evil franchise.

Project Zero / Fatal Frame

An absolute one of a kind experience of a video game. Step into the shoes of a vulnerable protagonist armed with only a camera to capture spirits in the hauntingly atmospheric world of Project Zero/Fatal Frame. Through unique gameplay mechanics that blend horror and photography, you're tasked with confronting vengeful spirits while uncovering a chilling narrative that is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. Prepare to navigate eerie environments and confront your actual fears in a game that redefines the very essence of terror and dread. Due to its unique approach the franchise managed to separate itself from the classic gameplay loop of survival horror and saw many more releases.

Rule Of Rose

playstation 2 horror game sabukaru guide

A truly hidden gem in the PS2 catalog - the developer, Punchline, only ever released one other game before Rule of Rose, and this one would be their last.

Being set in a creepy orphanage that houses cruel minded children, reminiscent of a classic Grimm tale, the game's storytelling plays with topics like childhood trauma, bullying and of course elements of psychological horror. It striked many controversies with its release outside of Japan and even got declined a European and American release by Sony themselves, even though originally being funded by Sony Japan, therefore being published under third party companies. Due to its controversies and hence scarcity of copies it counts as one of the most expensive PS2 games ever, rarely selling for less than 500$.

The Suffering

Imagine hell breaking loose on a remote prison island housing the worst of the worst criminals. Sounds like fun? Then you’re gonna love The Suffering.

You play death row inmate Torque, caught in the middle of a nightmarish breakout on Carnate Island, however the island is overrun by monsters - not prisoners.

The game’s enemy design is one of its greatest aspects as it directly reflects the world of crime & punishment with most of the monsters being grotesque embodiments of death penalties such as lethal injection or even decapitation.

This psychological extension to worldbuilding in The Suffering is almost on par with the likes of Silent Hill 2 and hence makes up for a great experience.

Obscure

Obscure took the classic horror movie trope of angsty high school students being thrown into horror scenarios and turned it into quite a fun video game.

The first few minutes of the game even feel like an American Pie movie at first: A classic Sum 41 song is blasting as we get our first view over the soon to be haunted high school, yet the horror quickly materializes as one of the characters discovers some sort of hellish experiments happening in the basement before going missing. You take on different characters with the ability to have a second one as your personal sidekick, aiding in puzzles or combat. Both Obscure & Obscure 2 are 100% guaranteed to get you feeling nostalgic for the early 2000s in every way possible. Of course, the plot is not the greatest and the characters might not have the deepest stories, however it’s still a great experience you can finish in a couple of hours.

Clock Tower 3

Coming from a background of old school point and click games, Clock Tower 3 was the first in the series to go for more of a modern style focussing on survival horror with evasion elements similar to Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. After receiving a weird letter warning her to go into hiding, protagonist Alyssa (funnily enough,there is no connection to the previous game’s protagonist also named Alyssa) returns to her parents’ home just to find it left empty. What’s about to unfold is a haunting tale of a family curse that takes you through different time eras. While being a relatively modern PS2 title, the game still used old school techniques like fixed camera angles often found on PS1 era games, yet this turned out to be one of the games strengths. The claustrophobic atmosphere and limited viewing angles make you paranoid about what’s hiding around the next corner. Weird cutscenes, great Japanese synchronization and an eerie atmosphere make this game a great recommendation for horror fans.

Siren

Siren (or Forbidden Siren in Japanese) is definitely one of the scariest and creepiest games of all time, no matter what platform. The game is set in the remote mountain village of Hanuda, with its villagers transformed into zombie-like shibito. Strangely, all water sources including the village's lake also shifted into a red liquid reminiscent of blood with no hint on what supernatural event might have taken place. You take on the roles of ten different survivors all coming from different backgrounds, yet all with a connection to Hanuda.

The unique and innovative gameplay mostly revolved around so-called sightjacking, where you are able to see through the eyes of your enemies to predict their next move.

One of the creepiest parts about the game are the character models: Even though the PS2 only had limited graphical performance, the team behind Siren decided to use real actors and scan their faces onto the models, giving off hard uncanny valley vibes. This is probably a huge element of why the game still stands as so scary, also being supported by its non-chronological story.

Haunting Ground

This is one of those games that will make you think, “how did games back then look this good already?”. Haunting Ground is kind of the spiritual successor of the Clock Tower series, as many of the developers from the old game worked on this under Capcom. Taking place in a gothic castle filled with many different forms of terror, you guide the young protagonist Fiona Belli and her dog companion Hewie through the many haunting halls after she awakens in a basement prison without memory. The overall plot revolves around many philosophical and alchemistic themes, but also delves into very dark corners: many of the enemies and the main antagonist literally want to kill and/or rape the protagonist due to her carrying the essence of life in her womb. Haunting Ground is definitely one of the harsher games when it comes to the story.

Cold Fear

There’s lots of great zombie virus stories set in many different scenarios: big cities, secret laboratories and so on. A very underrated setting however was used in the 2005 game Cold Fear, where a US coast guard ventures out to investigate a giant russian ship stuck in the middle of the ocean after a Navy SEAL team went missing. To his surprise, he finds the whole russian crew turned into mutated zombies due to a virus breaking out on the ship.

Since the Resident Evil series dominated the market back then, the game took on a very similar gameplay loop whilst going for a faster pace and sometimes even trashy approach. Of course, the game is sometimes very rough. The graphics aren't the best, the story is mediocre at best, still it shines as one of the best horror titles of the era simply due to its unique and convincingly scary atmosphere.