Summary
Bethesda is not an underground name in the gaming world by any means, up there with the likes of Ubisoft and Activision. Bethesda Game Studios is most recognized for developing theFalloutandThe Elder Scrollsfranchises - both of which are giants in the open-world RPG genre. Likewise, Bethesda Softworks has an impressive portfolio of published titles, includingDishonoredandDoom(2016).
Admittedly, when it comes to horror, other names like Konami and Capcom dominate the scene. However, despite not being their niche, some of the biggest games in the genre were actually published by Bethesda. This list ranksevery horror game published by Bethesda.
TheWolfensteingames have not been included as they are not generally considered horror titles, but deserve a mention for their exploration of war and the supernatural.
Despite some of them being over a century old,the works of H.P. Lovecraft have been a source of inspiration for a significant number of games, both horror and otherwise.Call of Cthulu: Dark Corners of the Earthtakes inspiration from one of the author’s more popular novellas,The Shadow Over Innsmouth, taking place in the titular strange town.
Players take on the role of amnesiac private investigator, Jack Walters, as he attempts to remember his past - a venture that leads him to the mysterious Innsmouth. In a combination of exploration and FPS gameplay, they must grapple with terrifying Old Gods and unrelenting cultists as they uncover the town’s dark reality. While certainly not one of the most polished games of the Lovecraftian ilk,Dark Corners of the Earthdefinitely has a lot going for it that many survival horror gamers appreciate.
While many horror game developers tend to look to the past or future for spooky settings and scenarios, those set in the present day can prove some of the most engaging for the very reason that they are familiar to the player.Ghostwire: Tokyois one such game, set in an alternate version of modern Tokyo that is plagued by disappearances and infested with malevolent spirits.
Players control the protagonist, Akito, who has been possessed incompletely by a spirit after a car crash. Granted with supernatural powers, the player must fight against the evil and stop the occultist responsible for the chaos. Despite beinga very combat-heavy game,Ghostwire: Tokyohas plenty of disturbing urban legend-inspired antagonists, such as Kuchisake-onna, that add extra tension to the action.
The extent to which theDoomgames are considered horror is widely debated across the board. However, there is one game in the franchise that definitively embraces the survival horror genre. The originalDoom 3was published by Activision, though the following versions, such as theBFG Edition(which includes theResurrection of Evilexpansion), were published by Bethesda Softworks.
Doom 3’s protagonist is an alternate version of the iconic space marine, Doomguy, who becomes involved in a mission to prevent demons from invading Earth. While the departure from the action-heavy gameplay was relatively divisive, the much more claustrophobic setting anddarker body-horror takes on the demonsmadeDoom 3a big hit among FPS horror fans.
AlthoughThe Evil Withinwas an overall success, Tango Gameworks decided to make some changes inthe sequel. Beyond the gameplay and combat edits, the plot is much easier to follow inThe Evil Within 2, responding to the gripes many players had with the first game. Players take on the role of Sebastian Castellanos as he once againfaces nightmares in order to save his daughter.
One of the biggest differences in the second game is its semi-open world, which not only adds an extra element of world-building but encourages players to explore more. However, it also means that the game feels less claustrophobic and easier to escape enemies. WhileThe Evil Within 2struggled to live up to the horror of the original, it’s still a worthwhile experience and a memorable survival horror.
The marriage of sci-fi and horror is by no means an uncommon one, with games likeDead SpaceandSystem Shockbeing significant influences on other games in the genre. The latter, in fact, was an inspiration for Arkane’s space-horror,Prey.As researcher Morgan Yu, the player must navigate the space station-slash-laboratory “Talos I”. Unfortunately, the station is overrun by hostile aliens that have escaped containment.
While it is a first-person shooter,Preyhas a lot of other unique gameplay elements; alongside the crafting system, players can upgrade Morgan to be able to hack, repair, and even acquire alien abilities like mimicking objects to hide and using telepathy. Overall,Preyisan interesting sci-fi horrorwith plenty of jumpscares and frightening alien encounters.
The Evil Withinis one of the better known Bethesda-published horror games. The player follows Sebastian Castellanos, a detective who suddenly finds himself thrown into a horrifying world of tragedy, monsters, and evil organizations while investigating a mass murder. In an equal mix of exploration and action, players gradually piece together the disturbing truth about the dangers they are encountering.
While the sequel smoothed over some of the gameplay elements,TheEvil Withinstands out for its scary atmosphere, achieved through theroster of deformed creatures and disturbing bosses, as well as the variety of nightmarish settings. While the story is not the most straightforward, it is the mystery and unpredictability that many players felt kept the game gripping.
