Summary
The horror genre has been a part of video games nearly since its inception, with spooky interactive adventures dating back to the 1980s. But for all of its explorations of monsters, creatures from the darkness, and even the horrors of humanity itself, one aspect of horror gaming that is rather prevalent is titles offering multiple playable characters. It’s something that classic games likeAlone in the DarkandResident Evilwere famous for, while modern titles like theDark Pictures Anthologyhave continued that tradition.
The concept of having multiple lead characters isn’t unique to horror, but it has made room forsome of the best gamesin the history of the genre. It allows for characters to shine and breathe, as putting the focus on them during tense moments can lead to a stronger connection. Horror games may benefit from multiple playable protagonists more than any other genre, as the intimate nature of horror lends itself well to crafting some truly fascinating characters.
Dead Islandwas initially teased with an emotionally charged trailer that wasn’t quite what the final game turned out to be, as the finished product leaned into a more campy tone. But despite all that, one ofDead Island’sgreatest strengths was its characters, as it presented fourplayable characters to choose from.
Whether it was Sam B., Xian Mei, Logan Carter, or Purna Jackson,Dead Islandoffered some fantastic choices for the player. And thanks to the game’s co-op nature, anybody could pick whatever character they wanted and see them interact in fun ways. The clashing personalities make for some great drama, and the way they come together in the end in the prison is excellent.
In the wake ofResident Eviland its massive success on the PS1, developers were looking for ways to capitalize on the survival horror trend. But some games were looking to do more, by taking the skeleton of whatREis and expanding on it, which is exactly what developerKronos did withFear Effect. This futuristic survival horror game featured three playable characters, putting the spotlight on Hana, Deke, and Glas.
With its striking art direction, which features flat-shaded 3D models over 2D pre-rendered backgrounds, and a slick, cyberpunk world,Fear Effectis one of the most incredible games on the PS1. All three playable characters are incredible, and it is still one of the best games one can find on the platform. Unfortunately, a remake was canceled in 2023, which leaves this unique game sadly left behind.
After working on various bits of DLC for other games, developer Supermassive was finally able to step out of the shadows and make their own game. The result wasUntil Dawn, a stunning horror title that took full advantage of the PS4, and ultimately led to the creation of theDark Pictures Anthologyseries.
Until Dawnfeatures a total of eight playable characters, as their harrowing journey to survive and escape from Blackwood Mountain, all while trying to uncover a mystery steeped in folklore and mythology. The cast ofUntil Dawnis incredible, withsome truly fantastic actorsbringing these characters to life. Swapping between them at appropriate times, and making choices that can determine their fates, it’s a spectacular game.
Horror games were off and running by the time of the sixth generation of game consoles, and it was already experimenting with new and fun ways to scare the player. And no game represented that ideal more thanFatal Frame, which saw developer Koei Tecmo create afrighteningly unique vision of horrorwith the Camera Obscura, a device that could see and defeat spirits. It was a brilliant concept, one backed by an excellent cast of playable characters.
As the series progressed, it started to expand even more as each title offered a bigger number of playable characters. It’s a wonderful and unique franchise that has thankfully been getting the remaster treatment lately, with the fourth and fifth mainline entries being released for modern platforms.
As one of the forerunners of the survival horror genre,Alone in the Darkwas one of the first games in that style to create one of the staples of that type of game by offering more than one playable character. Players can choose between Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood, while later games continued this tradition with the duo being once again front and center inAlone in the Dark 3.
Later on, the series would re-introduce this concept withAlone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, where Edward is once againplayable alongside Aline Cedrac. It’s so ingrained into the series, that the recent remake of the very first game retained this feature by having Edward and Emily playable once again.
Resident Evilcame out ofthe gate swinging in 1996, allowing players to choose between Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. This debut entry in the long-running survival horror franchise featured two playable leads, while its sequel would introduce two more in the form of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. These characters have since gone on to become some of the most iconic in the industry, as their charming personalities and ongoing development through several games were an absolute joy to experience.
Later in the series, the franchise would continue by introducing Sheeva as a companion to Chris inResident Evil 5and blow the roof off by having four campaigns and a total of six playable characters inResident Evil 6. It’s a series that has continued to impress in this regard, as even contemporary entries likeResident Evil 7andVillagehave introduced new playable characters.
