Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
A whole five years ago I did a ranking of horror video games I love (you can check that out HERE if you like). With the recent spate of video game adaptions (from various genres) that are up for the feature length film treatments (including number seven on my previous list Until Dawn), I thought now would be a great time to take a look at a few more great games that in the right hands would make for great movies.
So hit that power on button and boot up your system (shout out to my PlayStation family) as we look at Five More Video Games Ripe for Horror Movie Adaptations.
So, a couple caveats. One, I’ll be sticking to games that have no current connection to movies or television series already made (so there will be no A Quite Place: The Road Ahead or Alien: Isolation). Two, I’ve done my best to pick a variety of games within different sub-genres of horror.
#5 Left 4 Dead (Zombie Action Horror, Released 2008)
Oh, for the days of gaming past! For those of you too young to remember, there was a time when two to four friends would all get together in the same living room, grab a controller and team up to take on some virtual adventure. Left 4 Dead had a simple but very effective premise where four people (players) needed to work together to survive hoards of the undead as they make their way to safety. What made this game fun was its high replayability and fast-paced action that demanded you work as a team. It’s the same aspects that could make for a fun zombie movie.
Think Zombieland meets World War Z but with an amped-up pace, a slew of unique and weird zombies such as the infamous “Weeping Woman” – a character in the game you would try and avoid at all cost as she would launch at you with blinding speeds and razor sharp nails that could eviscerate you in seconds – and a group of characters who must work together at all cost and you have yourself the next zombie action movie fans of the genre would absolutely love.
#4 Bioshock (Dystopian world/science fiction horror, Released 2007)
Often imitated but never quite duplicated, Bioshock with its gorgeous visual design, settings, themes and narratives is a great example of why people love video games. This dystopian world takes place in an underwater city called Rapture. It was built by a man called Andrew Ryan who wanted to create a utopia for society’s elite where the rules of government and “morals” of civilisation need not apply. While this leads to amazing advances in science and technology the lack of morality ultimately causes an abuse of these advances, specifically that of gene tonics called ADAM that people can inject, giving themselves god-like powers.
ADAM is also quite addictive which leads to a revolt and all-out war between the haves and have-nots of Rapture. Enter our hero Jack, a passenger on a plane that crashes in the Atlantic Ocean who ends up in the city. Jack is guided by a man named Atlas who wants Jack to save them. Or does he?
Bioshock is so rich with drama, suspense, action and horror, it would be impossible to talk about it all here. But it’s the kind of story that would make a fantastic series of films, or better yet a television series. The success of the Fallout television adaptation proves there’s an audience for these types of stories, but as great as that show is, I would love to see Bioshock on the big screen with the kind of budget that would bring the world of Rapture alive like only cinema can.
#3 Outlast (Psychological Horror, Released 2013)
While I enjoy most types of horror if I had to pick one, my top choice would probably be psychological horror. Think films like Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs, stories where an investigator slowly starts losing their mind as they are forced to dive into the darkest depths of humanity to catch a killer. These always get my attention and Outlast ticks all those boxes and then some.
You take on the role of a freelance investigative journalist named Miles. He receives an email that talks about inhumane experiments at a mental asylum. After entering the scary asylum (as one is compelled to do) he discovers the staff’s mutilated corpses and deranged inmates roaming the grounds. And before he can say “exit, stage right” Miles is ambushed by a patient, trapped inside and is forced to find his way out using only his wits and playing a whole lot of hide-and-seek as homicidal patients hunt him down.
What makes Outlast stand out among similar horror-themed games is the fact that you can’t attack the enemies. You read that right; you can run, hide, climb and vault over objects in your way but Miles isn’t a gun-wielding action hero, he’s just a journalist. And like average folks he’s never held a real gun, much less fired one, and therefore his only choice is to run and sometimes hide from the homicidal maniacs chasing him. This makes things so much more intense as any gamer would tell you, and it’s also a great set up for a thrilling series or movie. There aren’t even any movies I can think of where the protagonist doesn’t have a weapon at one point or another so it would take some smart writing and skilled directing to bring this to life. But with so many talented horror directors out there (my choice for something like this would be Leigh Whannel or Lee Cronin, the latter knocking it out of the park with Evil Dead Rise) I think for those not brave enough to play, Outlast the movie could be an instant classic.
#2 Call of Cthulhu (Lovecraftian/Cosmic Horror, Released 2018)
Even if you don’t know of any other HP Lovecraft creations, I’m positive you’ve heard of Cthulhu. From South Park to the opening credits of Rick and Morty, the tentacled-face elder god has worked his way into pop culture and video games alike, with my personal favourites being Dredge and Call of Cthulhu.
Another investigator on the list but this time a private dick (heh), the story follows Edward Pierce who’s hired to investigate the suspicious death of the Hawkins family. The only clue to start with being a strange picture painted by wife Sarah Hawkins. His case takes him to a small fishing town on the island of Darkwater where the more he uncovers, the closer he’s pulled into the macabre activities of the townspeople and a secret cult whose intentions — after accidentally catching (and eating) a creature known as The Leviathan — is to bring about the end of the world by freeing the one, the only, the Great Old One Cthulhu.
While it’s not as great a game as others on this list, Call of Cthulhu is one of the more cohesive and engaging stories that incorporate Lovecraftian horror. I’m currently playing it as well and as a horror fan and a lover of a good mystery, this one has my complete attention. With the layered characters, small island location (Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass comes to mind) and deeply troubled but driven lead protagonist Edward Pierce (again, think Rust Cohle from True Detective) and you have all the right ingredients for a great Lovecraftian horror movie.
#5 Plasmaphobia (Supernatural/Found Footage Horror, Released 2020)
If you’re a fan of ghost haunting television shows or YouTube videos where people claim to have caught “something spooky” on camera, this is the game for you! Players can communicate via voice chat locally or even globally via walkie-talkies. This adds to the immersion considerably as it really feels like you are out ghost hunting with a group of friends. It’s also important to do so as everyone works together by pointing out important objects, clues and sounds they may have heard that can lead to the location of the ghost. An added layer is the sanity of the players are slowly depleted leading to said ghost becoming violent, hunting down the players and eliminating them one by one if they can’t figure out who and what is haunting the location.
Like Left 4 Dead, this game encourages players to work together to achieve a win, but that’s where the similarities end. Rather than zombies, the players are a group of ghost hunters hired to complete a contract such as identifying the type of ghost at the haunted location and also having to exorcise the entity.
Ghost hunting found footage films are a dime a dozen, but could you imagine one where audience participation is required to make it to the end? The technology exists to pull this off (remotes with microphones, Bluetooth headphones) and there have even been one-offs like Netflix’s Black Mirror Episode Bandersnatch with its “choose your own adventure” premise that had multiple endings. Now throw in a ghost hunting element and the fun of having to watch with family and friends as everyone works to survive until the end and you have yourself a whole new area of horror to tap into. I don’t know about you, but I would totally be on board for something like that!
So that’s my list. What other horror games do you think would make great films? And you can push start on more horror content below:
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More