Summary
Horror games and combat always have gone hand in hand, giving players the means to defend themselves as they explore the world and stumble across the unfriendly inhabitants. Whether it is a steel pipe or a gun, these weapons offer little reprieve from the onslaught of terror.
Most people will think ofF.E.A.R.or evenDoomwhen it comes to FPS horror titles, but there are many more that are just as deserving of attention. Even armed with a gun, walking around every corner and entering every new room is a great test of courage.
Updated July 17, 2025, by Mara Cowley:Horror remains a prominent gaming genre, with players always seeking the adrenaline thrill that only experiencing true horror can bring. While there was a brief renaissance of walking simulators that made it seem like this was the direction all horror games were going, there is no shortage ofhorror shooter gamesthat let the player fight back against the horrors terrorizing them, but do little to alleviate the terror. This article has been updated to terrorize more players with fearful games, for those brave enough to try.
With humble beginnings as a mod forHalf-Life,Cry of Feareventually became a standalone game, bringing a new horrifying first-person game, earning itself acclaim among indie horror game enthusiasts. It follows the story of a man called Simon, who awakens in an alleyway after being hit by a car. He tries to find his way home but finds himself trapped in a nightmare world where monsters stalk the darkened halls and attack any way they see.
Though it primarily seems like a psychological horror gamealong the lines ofSilent Hill, Simon can arm himself with weapons to defend himself from the monsters he comes up against, though they also have the choice to simply kite the monsters to skirt their way past them.
Atomic Heartsis a truly unique FPS game set in a dystopianfictional past, taking place in a Soviet Union research facility, in which technology has advanced to allow the creation of robots. After a virus wipes out millions, robots make up most of the population, who may just be intent on eradicating the rest of humanity.
As far as the plot goes, it falls into the tried and true trope of AI going rogue and betraying humans, butAtomic Heartssets itself apart by allowing humans to interface with robots and encouraging players to adapt their gameplay style to face the mechanical threats.
Wandering through memories, players take control of a man called Cole Black as he exploresa desolate asylumthat is still inhabited by some inmates with varying levels of hostility, guided by a mysterious person known as Red. Under Red’s orders, Black will infiltrate and reconstruct memories, piecing together a story that will uncover the mystery shrouding the game and Red’s identity.
Armed with the equipment needed to retrace the memory steps and piece it together, players are also handed a gun, though warned that using these weapons during memory sequences can possibly disrupt its stability. But still, the option is there if players want to shoot their way through the game, even if just to see what the end result may be.
TheMetrogame series dives into the idea of the world becoming uninhabitable, and the remaining dredges of humanity flocking into underground metro tunnels to survive. It is a scarily realistic premise, but this is not the only frightening aspect of the game, as the radiation has twisted some people into mutants that are now a danger to every surviving human.
Metro 2033follows one such survivor called Artyom, the adopted son of the station commander, who is approached by an elite ranger called Hunter for help securing their home station from the Dark Ones, mysterious creatures capable of dealing psychic damage to their victims. Players will need nerves of steel to brave the dangers lurking in the tunnels, and even stronger nerves for when they reach the surface.
Arkane Studios brought players a unique horror experience with their 2018 FPS gamePrey, set in a future where humanity has achieved space exploration and created space stations where people can live and work aboard. Humanity has discovered an alien creature that has the ability to clone objects.
Players take on the role of Morgan Yu, who must take up weapons to fend off the aliens known as Typhon, and hopefully make their escape before they end up as another statistic.
Doomis one of the longest-running FPS game series that is definitely a strong contender for the greatest FPS series of all time. It features the fondly called Doom Guy as he blasts his way through hordes of demons with over-the-top splatter gore and a crazy range of very creative weapons while a heavy metal soundtrack thumps loudly in the background to make the player feel powerful.
Whether any of the content inDoomwill scare players is debatable, but the aesthetic, enemies, and plotline of putting an end to the tide of demons that threaten humanity definitely hit elements of horror, but its fun and action-packed gameplay is certainly the main draw to this blood and gore fest.
8My Friendly Neighborhood
Metacritic Score: 81
The odd yet satisfying marriage betweenBioshockandSesame Street,My Friendly Neighborhoodfeatures a cast of cutesy yet surprisingly terrifying puppets that inhabit an old closed-down TV station that has mysteriously begun broadcasting after years off the air. Handyman Gordon is sent to the station to investigate why it has started broadcasting and also to put a stop to it.
What is supposed to be a simple job turns out to be so much more when some of the puppets attack, and Gordon is forced to defend himself by arming himself with a gun that shoots letters and using tape to prevent them from becoming a nuisance. This fun and cutesy game has no right to be as scary as it is.
The fictional city of Metro is gripped by terror as the vagrants of the city are assaulting and killing the citizens, prompting the FBI to launch a full-scale investigation, with player-character Ethan Thomas at the helm. He is framed for the murders, and forced to go on the run to evade arrest while searching for the true perpetrator.
His investigation takes him to someunsettling and derelict buildingsthat aren’t as abandoned as players might think, forcing them to take up weapons to fend off attackers. The first-person perspective only serves to heighten tension and suspension whichCondemnedmasters with its smothering atmosphere and terrifying level design.
The conclusion of Ethan Winter’s story arrived inResident Evil Village, which saw Ethan enjoying a new life with his wife and infant daughter in Romania until his wife is killed before him, and his kidnapped daughter falls in the hands of Mother Miranda, the appointed leader of the rustic and dangerous village Ethan finds himself in.
Villageintroduced players to the Four Lords, each embodying a different horror subgenre and throwing a variety of horrifying creatures that the player must remain brave enough to shoot down. ThoughVillageintroduced a third-person mode, the FPS version of the game remains supreme, as the perspective makes the game that much more scary.
