Summary
When it comes to video game franchises, anything goes. Between spin-offs, prequels, sequels, and reboots, there is plenty of potential for a franchise to not just shift its narrative or gameplay, but also its genre. Titles such asDead by Daylightcontinuously boast players who strive for nerve-shredding experiences no other genre can give, and games not traditionally associated with the genre can provide unique takes on it.
With this in mind, there are a handful of video game franchises that deservethe horror treatment; Through opportunities such as world-building or simply the uniqueness of combining terror with their gameplay, certain franchises seem ripe for scary experiences.
Ubisoft’sFar Cryfranchise is no stranger to switching genres. From the retro-futurism ofBlood Dragonto the primitivity ofFar Cry Primal,the FPS franchise is inviting a horror-themed take on its formula, perhaps through alternate world events like those inRed Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmareor a mysterious adventure similar toThe Island of Dr Moreau.
The game could be a stand-alone expansion occupying the same part of the franchise as a numbered title, and retain the action-orientated nature ofFar Crywithout sacrificing spooky elements. It seems inevitable given the dynamism ofFar Cry, but Ubisoft has yet to dip its toe into anything like it.
Whether Stalked by The Parasite Unit or hiding from the ghosts of the fallen, Big Boss and Solid Snake have come across some panic-inducing encounters, which seem perfect to replicate the gameplay of powerlessness, forcing players to rely on stealth alone to survive.
It would be a true return to the roots of the franchise that made the stealth genre what it is today and could involve new characters working against familiar, supernatural foes. It is certainly unlikely, given the stagnation of the franchise following Kojima’s departure in 2015, but there is always hope that something like this could become reality.
In one of the most popular game modes in DICE’s 2017 sequel to the 2015Star Wars Battlefrontreboot, players take on the role of stormtroopers stranded at night on Endor, relentlessly hunted by other players in the role of Ewoks. It was tense, with the limited visibility and haunting sounds of the Ewoks, and could serve as the basis for ahorror spin-off in theStar Warsfranchise.
It could easily become a fun multiplayer experience similar toDead by Daylight, with unlockables available for stellar performances as either the hunter or the hunted. This gameplay could also work for other ‘stranded-trooper’ modes, such as clones under siege from Geonosians or Sandtroopers attacked by Tusken Raiders.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2has dipped its toe into tense encounters with the Survival game mode, but it has yet to craft a truly horrifying experience. Within the current two games, however, exists the perfect enemy to combat players:The Hunters.
Division agent hunting, mask-wearing, and axe-wielding, Hunters have been an intimidating presence for years, with their mysterious origins and puzzle-like summoning process crafting them into legendary figures of mystery.The Divisioncould take advantage of this to create a survival-horror game based around a powerless Division agent hunted by these predators.
A canceled spin-off ofHalf-Life 2involved the critically acclaimed apocalypse going on in Ravenholm, populated by headcrab zombies and a lone preacher. From the small segment players can experience in the critically acclaimed sequel, it is clear that there is ample room to create a nerve-shredding sci-fi experience.
Outside Ravenholm, the bitter atmosphere,post-apocalyptic world, and dystopianCombine armada are good starting points for a much larger-scale horror akin toDead Spaceor other games with scope as well as terror. Whatever the future holds forHalf-Life, Ravenholm is still a golden opportunity for some genre-bending terror.
Mass Effectstarted its first game with the surprise reveal that the impaled corpses were still alive, and then proceeded to involve horrific abominations courtesy of the ever-present big bad, The Reapers. A horror game, from the perspective of someone not as well-equipped as Shepard, could become a torturous survival horror likeOutlast.
There is the potential; an empty spaceship, seemingly uninhabited, but actually controlled by The Reapers. It’s a nice idea delicately pondered during the Reaper IFF assignment inMass Effect 2.The horrific nature of The Reapers is somewhat lost when facing a gun-toting legend such as Shepard; it could be intensified if the player controls a civilian.
Seventeen hellish deities who control their own cosmic realms sound like an idea that has been picked up before. Alas, Bethesda and Zenimax have frequently pushed the horrific nature of theDaedric Princesaside in favor of tiny loot chases that reward weapons.
Princes such as Hermaeus Mora or Sheogorath are monstrous fiends who could conjure awful environments with ease, and it would make more sense to craft stories involving their disturbing nature over loot chases for simple weapons.
The Flood is memorably terrifying in the later stages of the original 2001Halogame, parasites that infect any creature of large enough size. The Master Chief, as well as his allies, can explore ships infected with the parasite, leading to encounters with monstrous terrors that are a stark contrast with The Covenant. Sadly, the threat was seemingly concluded withHalo 3.
A game could be set on a shipprior to Flood infection; it could be a panicked, last-ditch attempt to survive, with anxiety-inducing fear and horrific creatures that can only be hidden to survive. With theHalofranchise seemingly moving away from The Flood, it is likely a shelved dream, but there’s always the potential for them to return.
Kratos has now worked his way through two pantheons with relative ease, and the obvious route, followingthe difficult battles of God of War: Ragnarokis to move onto a new pantheon. However, there is a case to be made for spin-offs, or prequels concerned with Kratos' targets; the gods themselves.
It could be a new pantheon god preparing for his arrival or a prequel where gamers play as a fallen Greek god, but either way,God of Warhas enormous potential to showcase the true powerlessness of these omnipotent beings.
