Editorials
31 Upcoming Horror Video Games We Cannot Wait to Play in 2021
I think we can all be thankful that 2020 has come and gone, and while the difficulties still remain in the new year, there’s plenty to look forward to in a lot of areas. One area of course is horror-based video games. Since we’re all sticking to the idea of staying apart, it’s nice to have these things to keep us busy.
Now admittedly, a good chunk of these games were delayed (for obvious reasons) from last year. But, seeing as we want them so darn much, it stands to reason that we should still keep an eye out for them this year, whenever they drop.
Here are 31 of our most anticipated video games of 2021.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood (Cyanide Studios, February 4 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, and Xbox One)
Starting things off with one of the many delayed titles from 2020 is Earthblood. The title is one of the first video game adaptations in the Werewolf: The Apocalypse line of tabletop RPGs. Though details are still light, from what we’ve seen, the game looks to be a blast to play as a lycanthrope roaming the American Northwest.
Paranoid (Madmind Studios, TBC on PC)
Madmind has had a habit of not revealing more info on their games, and Paranoid is no exception. The game takes place in the 80s, and puts you in the shoes of Patrick, a recluse suffering from deepening paranoid schizophrenia, who after many years is leaving his apartment to reunite with his sister. Of course, the question is, is this is real, or something more sinister? According to Madmind, the only clue they’re giving us for a release date is that it’ll be after Succubus.
GhostWire: Tokyo (Tango Gameworks, TBC on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC)
While there’s still the lingering question of what Bethesda’s plans are for Sony’s console (seeing as Microsoft owns them now), the developer did confirm that they’re going to honor their commitment to bringing this action-adventure title to the PS5. The story concerns much of Tokyo’s population vanishing, followed by the arrival of the Visitors – hostile spirits based on Japanese folklore. At the same time, a group wearing Hannya masks has appeared, who may hold the answers to just what’s been happening.
Scorn (Ebb Software, TBC on PC, Xbox Series)
Ebb Software says that the wait is almost over for their H.R. Giger-inspired title, which last showed off a rather lengthy gameplay trailer back in October. There’s still nothing yet in terms of a story, but that’s probably deliberate. After all, you’re in a biomechanical world that looks like something straight out of Alien. And where’s the fun in revealing the story for something as cool-looking as that?
Succubus (Madmind Studios, July 22 on PC)
Madmind’s keeping up with the NSFW nature of Agony in Succubus, though they’ve hopefully learned from the pitfalls they experienced with the former. The prologue demo for the title has had a positive response, and the intro cinematic for the title establishes the gory action you’d expect from a demonic priestess looking to take revenge, and take back her kingdom.
Sons of the Forest (Endnight Games, Release Date, and Platforms TBC)
Announced ever so briefly during The Game Awards 2019, we still don’t have much more to go on with this follow-up to The Forest. The sequel will reportedly expand upon the base-building mechanic found in the previous game, along with a host of new monsters and cannibals.
Little Nightmares 2 (Tarsier Studios, February 10 on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC)
You guessed it. The pandemic. Originally slated for last year, at least February will bring us some excitement for this follow-up to the 2017 gem. Little Nightmares 2 picks up after the events of that game, with previous protagonist Six accompanying a new playable character as they work together to escape from the menacing and monstrous adults who roam the world.
System Shock (Nightdive Studios, TBC for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC)
Oh, System Shock. Nightdive’s first baby. It’s been years since the Kickstarter, and the move to a new engine. But with the alpha demo last year, we finally got glimpses at the nightmarish world we can’t wait to revisit on Citadel Station.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (Hardsuit Labs, 2021 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One)
What was originally delayed in order to prevent a repeat with the previous Bloodlines has turned into a bit of a show in and of itself, with Hardsuit Labs’ narrative team unexpectedly receiving the axe last year. Paradox Interactive CEO Ebba Ljungerud assured that the game will be coming this year, but happenings like this are eyebrow-raisers, for sure.
Dying Light 2 (Techland, 2021 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series)
While Techland has been doing a bang-up job of keeping things going with more content for Dying Light long after its 2015 release, we’re all still waiting on Dying Light 2, which is another title that has seen a delay from its original 2020 launch. Not only that, but Techland has been fairly quiet on just when we’d see the game, which was said to be in “the final stretch” of development back in May 2020.
Mundaun (Hidden Fields, Spring 2021 for PC)
Another title that was a victim of the pandemic last year. If the time needed to work on this title inspired by Swiss mythical folklore results in more gorgeous stylized art, then we’re all for it.
Resident Evil 8: Village (Capcom, TBC for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series)
Come on, you knew this was coming. Despite the leaks aplenty, Capcom has managed to keep the details of the game largely under wraps. That being said, RE7‘s Mia and Ethan return in Village, alongside Chris Redfield, in a game that looks to focus more on paranoia and fear of the unknown than in previous titles.
The Outlast Trials (Red Barrels, TBC for PC)
Red Barrels are trying something new this time with a multiplayer spinoff of the Outlast series, which puts you in the shoes of a human guinea pig as part of an experiment during The Cold War. You can expect a world of distrust, fear, and violence with this one. So in other words, fun!
In Sound Mind (We Create Stuff, TBC for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC)
Developer We Create Stuff gave us a Halloween treat last year in the form of a demo for In Sound Mind, which looks to be a surreal psychological trip for those who want to delve into the minds of deceased mental patients on your quest to unravel the mysterious events that are occurring in your once-quiet town.
Unholy (Duality Games, TBC for PC)
Duality Games still haven’t mentioned much about their stealth horror game, which was initially announced back in October 2018. What we’ve seen from Unholy does look good, so here’s hoping that it’s not all smoke and mirrors.
State of Decay 3 (Undead Labs, TBC for Xbox One and Xbox Series)
Fresh off of 2018’s State of Decay 2, Undead Labs didn’t give us much to chew on when they revealed the third entry this past summer. But that’s if you ignore the possibility of facing off against zombies, both human and animal, in a winter landscape. That alone makes it worth your attention.
The Medium (Bloober Team, January 28 for Xbox Series and PC)
Originally intended for release last month, Bloober Team has taken the time to polish the game (and hopefully deal with the Australian certification issue). As well, Xbox players will finally get an exclusive first-party title that they never received when the console launched back in November.
Rainbow Six Quarantine (Ubisoft Montreal, 2021 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series)
Another victim of the pandemic, Ubisoft Montreal’s next entry in the Rainbow Six series sees it jump on the Outbreak event from Rainbow Six Siege. Returning with the 3-player tactical co-op gameplay as in previous titles, players now have to deal with an alien parasite that has infected its hosts, turning them into hordes of fast-moving zombies.
Martha is Dead (LKA, TBC for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC)
Originally an Xbox and PC exclusive, LKA made the choice back in November to bring the game to Sony’s consoles. As a result, we now have a 2021 release. If it gives more people a chance to experience a game centered on the horrors of WWII, then why not?
Once Upon A Time In Roswell (Quarter Circle Games, Late 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One)
Quarter Circle Games’ Once Upon A Time In Roswell (formerly known as The Peterson Case) has been kicking around since 2018, and has had several delays in the process. Will we finally get a chance this year to experience down-to-earth sci-fi horror inspired by the events of The Roswell Incident? We’ll see.
Atomic Heart (Mundfish, TBC on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC)
Part BioShock, part just plain strange. Atomic Heart hasn’t had too much revealed about the title, other than it having robots run amuck in a Dystopian Soviet amusement park. At least, that’s what it looks like. Also, shades of The Abyss with all of the water (including tentacles). Whatever it is, just let us play it.
Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock Studios, June 22 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4)
Back 4 Blood‘s reveal at The Game Awards 2020 got us jonesing for a return to the classic Left 4 Dead co-op shooter formula, and who better to do it than the guys who made the thing? Turtle Rock has obviously added more to the gameplay, but the idea of going up against waves of zombies with your friends never gets old.
Quantum Error (TeamKill Media, TBC for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series)
You could draw comparisons to BioShock with this one, but we’re not sure that BioShock was as scary as what Quantum Error appears to hold. Then again, BioShock didn’t have firefighters facing off against cosmic horror elements, either. Don’t let that premise fool you, though, as TeamKill are definitely on to something with what they’ve revealed so far.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (Supermassive Games, TBC on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series)
While Little Hope wasn’t quite the hit many fans were hoping for, this next entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology will hopefully remedy that. After all, how can you go wrong with an elite military unit trapped in the ruins of a buried Sumerian temple and demons? While we’re probably not going to get any Exorcist references, the idea of facing off against Pazuzu and company should pique everyone’s interest.
Borneo: A Jungle Nightmare (Fantastico Studio, TBC Summer for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Switch)
Another title that came out of nowhere, Borneo is a sequel to Ruggero Deodato‘s 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust. Featuring art by Solo Macello, the game sees you controlling several characters as you travel to the jungles of Borneo. You can guess what you’ll find there. And despite what you think, we’re not involved with this one (but we appreciate the thought).
Evil Dead: The Game (Saber Interactive, TBC for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch)
Hands up: How many of you didn’t see this coming at The Game Awards last month? We certainly didn’t, and we collectively lost our minds as a result. From the minds behind the superb World War Z game, Bruce Campbell returns as the iconic Ash with his boomstick in tow in this co-op shooter. Not only are we getting more Bruce, but we’re getting representation from almost all of the Evil Dead franchise (we’re still holding out on the 2013 remake) through characters from the films and even “Ash vs. Evil Dead.” Just give us a demo, please!
Deathground (Jaw Drop Games, Q3 2021 for PC)
With Dino Crisis becoming an increasingly distant memory for Capcom, it took some former developers of Alien: Isolation to get to work remedying our lack of dinosaurs in Survival Horror. Having crushed its Kickstarter for the game, Jaw Drop Games are keeping things close to the chest, though the promise of co-op dinosaur mayhem is definitely something to pique many a fan’s interests.
Dryad (Ultranite, April 22 for PC)
This point-and-click free-roaming adventure game draws inspiration from Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man and the classic Bride of Frankenstein. Although we’re not sure how that translates into a giant forest spirit hunting you in an abandoned campground as you search for clues regarding a series of brutal murders that occurred there years ago. But that’s part of the fun.
Returnal (Housemarque, March 19 for PlayStation 5)
Finnish developer Housemarque has made gameplay a big focus for their past titles, so it’ll be interesting to see how they focus on the story aspect of this sci-fi shooter. Returnal still promises to have fast-paced gameplay as you struggle to survive the alien planet that has you locked in an endless loop of death.
Lust From Beyond (Movie Games Lunarium, February 11 for PC)
Lovecraftian horror games are nothing new, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one that veers into the erotic side of things. That’s exactly what Lust From Beyond is doing, incorporating a horror adventure into cult happenings that involve some, uh, things you probably shouldn’t be showing kids. Or some adults, for that matter.
Saturnalia (Santa Ragione, TBC for PC)
Taking a cue from the one that started it all in Sweet Home, this stylized Survival Horror title has the permadeath mechanic for members of your group, so you’d better work to keep them alive as you navigate the maze of this seemingly abandoned village off the coast of Italy. Well, it’s home to shadow monsters, so it’s not quite abandoned.
Here’s what we know about Longlegs so far. It’s coming in July of 2024, it’s directed by Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter), and it features Maika Monroe (It Follows) as an FBI agent who discovers a personal connection between her and a serial killer who has ties to the occult. We know that the serial killer is going to be played by none other than Nicolas Cage and that the marketing has been nothing short of cryptic excellence up to this point.
At the very least, we can assume NEON’s upcoming film is going to be a dark, horror-fueled hunt for a serial killer. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five disturbing serial killers-versus-law-enforcement stories to get us even more jacked up for Longlegs.
MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003)
This South Korean film directed by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) is a wild ride. The film features a handful of cops who seem like total goofs investigating a serial killer who brutally murders women who are out and wearing red on rainy evenings. The cops are tired, unorganized, and border on stoner comedy levels of idiocy. The movie at first seems to have a strange level of forgiveness for these characters as they try to pin the murders on a mentally handicapped person at one point, beating him and trying to coerce him into a confession for crimes he didn’t commit. A serious cop from the big city comes down to help with the case and is able to instill order.
But still, the killer evades and provokes not only the police but an entire country as everyone becomes more unstable and paranoid with each grizzly murder and sex crime.
I’ve never seen a film with a stranger tone than Memories of Murder. A movie that deals with such serious issues but has such fallible, seemingly nonserious people at its core. As the film rolls on and more women are murdered, you realize that a lot of these faults come from men who are hopeless and desperate to catch a killer in a country that – much like in another great serial killer story, Citizen X – is doing more harm to their plight than good.
Major spoiler warning: What makes Memories of Murder somehow more haunting is that it’s loosely based on a true story. It is a story where the real-life killer hadn’t been caught at the time of the film’s release. It ends with our main character Detective Park (Song Kang-ho), now a salesman, looking hopelessly at the audience (or judgingly) as the credits roll. Over sixteen years later the killer, Lee Choon Jae, was found using DNA evidence. He was already serving a life sentence for another murder. Choon Jae even admitted to watching the film during his court case saying, “I just watched it as a movie, I had no feeling or emotion towards the movie.”
In the end, Memories of Murder is a must-see for fans of the subgenre. The film juggles an almost slapstick tone with that of a dark murder mystery and yet, in the end, works like a charm.
CURE (1997)
If you watched 2023’s Hypnotic and thought to yourself, “A killer who hypnotizes his victims to get them to do his bidding is a pretty cool idea. I only wish it were a better movie!” Boy, do I have great news for you.
In Cure (spoilers ahead), a detective (Koji Yakusho) and forensic psychologist (Tsuyoshi Ujiki) team up to find a serial killer who’s brutally marking their victims by cutting a large “X” into their throats and chests. Not just a little “X” mind you but a big, gross, flappy one.
At each crime scene, the murderer is there and is coherent and willing to cooperate. They can remember committing the crimes but can’t remember why. Each of these murders is creepy on a cellular level because we watch the killers act out these crimes with zero emotion. They feel different than your average movie murder. Colder….meaner.
What’s going on here is that a man named Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara) is walking around and somehow manipulating people’s minds using the flame of a lighter and a strange conversational cadence to hypnotize them and convince them to murder. The detectives eventually catch him but are unable to understand the scope of what’s happening before it’s too late.
If you thought dealing with a psychopathic murderer was hard, imagine dealing with one who could convince you to go home and murder your wife. Not only is Cure amazingly filmed and edited but it has more horror elements than your average serial killer film.
MANHUNTER (1986)
In the first-ever Hannibal Lecter story brought in front of the cameras, Detective Will Graham (William Petersen) finds his serial killers by stepping into their headspace. This is how he caught Hannibal Lecter (played here by Brian Cox), but not without paying a price. Graham became so obsessed with his cases that he ended up having a mental breakdown.
In Manhunter, Graham not only has to deal with Lecter playing psychological games with him from behind bars but a new serial killer in Francis Dolarhyde (in a legendary performance by Tom Noonan). One who likes to wear pantyhose on his head and murder entire families so that he can feel “seen” and “accepted” in their dead eyes. At one point Lecter even finds a way to gift Graham’s home address to the new killer via personal ads in a newspaper.
Michael Mann (Heat, Thief) directed a film that was far too stylish for its time but that fans and critics both would have loved today in the same way we appreciate movies like Nightcrawler or Drive. From the soundtrack to the visuals to the in-depth psychoanalysis of an insanely disturbed protagonist and the man trying to catch him. We watch Graham completely lose his shit and unravel as he takes us through the psyche of our killer. Which is as fascinating as it is fucked.
Manhunter is a classic case of a serial killer-versus-detective story where each side of the coin is tarnished in their own way when it’s all said and done. As Detective Park put it in Memories of Murder, “What kind of detective sleeps at night?”
INSOMNIA (2002)
Maybe it’s because of the foggy atmosphere. Maybe it’s because it’s the only film in Christopher Nolan’s filmography he didn’t write as well as direct. But for some reason, Insomnia always feels forgotten about whenever we give Nolan his flowers for whatever his latest cinematic achievement is.
Whatever the case, I know it’s no fault of the quality of the film, because Insomnia is a certified serial killer classic that adds several unique layers to the detective/killer dynamic. One way to create an extreme sense of unease with a movie villain is to cast someone you’d never expect in the role, which is exactly what Nolan did by casting the hilarious and sweet Robin Williams as a manipulative child murderer. He capped that off by casting Al Pacino as the embattled detective hunting him down.
This dynamic was fascinating as Williams was creepy and clever in the role. He was subdued in a way that was never boring but believable. On the other side of it, Al Pacino felt as if he’d walked straight off the set of 1995’s Heat and onto this one. A broken and imperfect man trying to stop a far worse one.
Aside from the stellar acting, Insomnia stands out because of its unique setting and plot. Both working against the detective. The investigation is taking place in a part of Alaska where the sun never goes down. This creates a beautiful, nightmare atmosphere where by the end of it, Pacino’s character is like a Freddy Krueger victim in the leadup to their eventual, exhausted death as he runs around town trying to catch a serial killer while dealing with the debilitating effects of insomnia. Meanwhile, he’s under an internal affairs investigation for planting evidence to catch another child killer and accidentally shoots his partner who he just found out is about to testify against him. The kicker here is that the killer knows what happened that fateful day and is using it to blackmail Pacino’s character into letting him get away with his own crimes.
If this is the kind of “what would you do?” intrigue we get with the story from Longlegs? We’ll be in for a treat. Hoo-ah.
FALLEN (1998)
Fallen may not be nearly as obscure as Memories of Murder or Cure. Hell, it boasts an all-star cast of Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, and Elias Koteas. But when you bring it up around anyone who has seen it, their ears perk up, and the word “underrated” usually follows. And when it comes to the occult tie-ins that Longlegs will allegedly have? Fallen may be the most appropriate film on this entire list.
In the movie, Detective Hobbs (Washington) catches vicious serial killer Edgar Reese (Koteas) who seems to place some sort of curse on him during Hobbs’ victory lap. After Reese is put to death via electric chair, dead bodies start popping up all over town with his M.O., eventually pointing towards Hobbs as the culprit. After all, Reese is dead. As Hobbs investigates he realizes that a fallen angel named Azazel is possessing human body after human body and using them to commit occult murders. It has its eyes fixated on him, his co-workers, and family members; wrecking their lives or flat-out murdering them one by one until the whole world is damned.
Mixing a demonic entity into a detective/serial killer story is fascinating because it puts our detective in the unsettling position of being the one who is hunted. How the hell do you stop a demon who can inhabit anyone they want with a mere touch?!
Fallen is a great mix of detective story and supernatural horror tale. Not only are we treated to Denzel Washington as the lead in a grim noir (complete with narration) as he uncovers this occult storyline, but we’re left with a pretty great “what would you do?” situation in a movie that isn’t afraid to take the story to some dark places. Especially when it comes to the way the film ends. It’s a great horror thriller in the same vein as Frailty but with a little more detective work mixed in.
Look for Longlegs in theaters on July 12, 2024.
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