The next generation of consoles is nearly here, and with it a number of new titles from every genre. This includes the horror genre, with games ranging from standard survival horror to more action-heavy and adrenaline-pumping thrillers. As is always the case though, some look to have more potential than others, which is why we’ve compiled a list of five next-gen horror games that you should be looking forward to.
The Medium
Next-Gen Horror Games
While the supernatural has been explored plenty of times in video games, it’s hard to say any next-gen game is trying to bring as fresh of a spin to the table as The Medium.
Placed in the role of a spirit medium capable of looking into the spiritual realm, players must uncover the truth behind a vicious murder that has left a young girl dead. They’ll need to make their way through environments while playing in both realms simultaneously to solve puzzles, gather clues and piece together who or what was responsible for the murder before they attract the attention of the culprit.
This will be easier said than done though. The spirit realm holds more than a few dangers players will need to be wary of, not least of which being The Maw – a horrifying monstrosity of hate and sorrow brought on by a sudden and tragic death.
Needless to say, its premise is ambitious and looks to push the genre forward. Past the gameplay though, it also looks to have an amazing aesthetic worked out with a mix of inventive environmental design and some hauntingly beautiful music composed by Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill Fame.
To top it all off, it’ll be one of the first next-gen horror titles players can get their hands on, with the game confirmed to be releasing on Dec. 10 on Xbox series X and PC.
Scorn
Next-Gen Horror Games
Though the specifics of Scorn‘s story and gameplay still haven’t been revealed, what is known about it is reason enough to be excited.
Set in an alien world out of a body horror nightmare, the game tasks players with uncovering the secrets behind the world they’re in and making their way toward an exit via first person shooter gameplay. Though the world holds untold horrors, they’ll be able to fight back with a number of strange and powerful weapons, from a standard pistol to a three-barreled rifle that launches organic spikes to impale foes.
It’s all portrayed in an art style inspired by the works of H.R. Giger and Zdzislaw Beksiński, giving the game the same look and feel as exploring the dark and dismal extraterrestrial locals found in the Aliens franchise.
Potential players will still have some time to wait until they can get their hands on the next-gen horror title – especially since it still only has a tentative release window of 2021 for Xbox Series X and PC – but all signs so far` point to it being well worth the wait.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Next-Gen Horror Games
Leaning more toward the adrenaline-pumping action side of the horror spectrum, Ghostwire: Tokyo offers a more high-octane spin on supernatural happenings.
Following the disappearance of 99 percent of Tokyo’s populace due to unexplainable happenings, the city’s survivors are plagued by a wide variety of ghosts, ghouls and other apparitions. They, along with whoever caused the sudden disappearances, are intent on emptying the city of the living, and will rest at nothing to eliminate anyone in their way.
It’s amid this chaos that players takes the role of one of the few survivors, who have gained supernatural abilities for unknown reasons. Intent on escaping the situation and learning what caused the mass disappearances, they’ll need to use their new abilities alongside martial arts to battle back apparitions, collect clues regarding what happened to the city and track down the ones responsible for all the chaos.
It’s a pretty wild concept and blend of gameplay elements, but from what’s been shown of the game so far, it looks to be a worthwhile combination. Plus, it has Shinji Mikami of Resident Evil and The Evil Within fame acting as an executive producer.
Needless to say, fans of the genre will want to keep an eye out for the next-gen title when it releases sometime in 2021 on PlayStation 5 and PC.
Martha Is Dead
Next-Gen Horror Games
On the more subdued and tempered side of the horror spectrum, Martha Is Dead has the makings of a truly captivating psychological horror experience.
Set in 1944 Tuscany near the back-end of World War II, the game sees a young woman left to process the loss of her sister, whose body washed up on the nearby shoreline with no indication of why she died. shortly after, supernatural events begin to occur, leading the sister to believe not all os as it seems in the death of her beloved sibling.
She then sets off to uncover the truth, coming up against the folklore of her home village and drawing closer to the true culprit behind her sister’s murder; and, as a result, becomes more embroiled in the sinister reasons behind it as well as the horrors of war that are closing in on the village.
The premise is certainly interesting, and based off of the few trailers released for the game so far, it aims to tell a very specific type of horror story through its gameplay. Fans of the genre won’t want to miss out on the experience when it launches sometime in 2021 on Xbox One and PC.
Resident Evil Village
Next-Gen Horror Games
It wouldn’t be a proper list of the best upcoming next-gen horror games without mentioning Resident Evil Village, and for good reason.
Kicking off sometime after the events of Resident Evil VII, Village sees Ethan dragged back into the grisly horror lying hidden behind normal life when his wife is murdered in front of him by Chris Redfield.
The reasons for this are unclear, but they appear to be tied to the strange happenings in a remote mountain village beset by beasts. Where the beasts came from, and what purpose they serve in hunting and harassing the village residents, is unknown, but it’ll be up to Ethan and some other scant survivors to uncover the truth before it’s too late.
Which, of course, will be easier said than done. The most recent trailers for the game have hinted at the existence of those who would see the beasts overtake the village in the hopes of achieving as as of yet unknown goal.
It’s an interesting new direction for the Resident Evil series, and fans won’t want to miss out on what the game brings to the table when it launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC sometime in 2021.
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