Looking to get spooky? These are the Xbox One games for you!
Games are capable of making us feel a wide range of emotions and the games on this list will make you feel panic, fear, dread, and eternal thanks that it's not really real. We've compiled a list of the most terrifying games available to play on Xbox One, from action-packed scares to the spookiest of haunted houses. Turn off your lights, crank the sound up high and bring a towel for your sweaty brow; you're in for a bumpy night.
Update 13 January 2017: Kicking off the new year, we've updated this list with our new favorites, including Microsoft's recently released Dead Rising 4!
Layers of Fear
Layers of Fear makes the case for combatless horror experiences once again, focusing heavily atmospheric tension and the world it creates. Telling the psychedelic tale of an artist descending into insanity, Layers of Fear perfectly captures the chilling aspects of its narrative.
The artist's house is a maze of corridors and doors that appear out of nowhere or vanish and turn back on themselves, giving you the impression there's more than meets the eye. Genuinely in a class of its own, Layers of Fear deserves the top spot simply for how unexpectedly thrilling it can be.
Dead Rising 4
If you feel like going to town on a zombie horde, Dead Rising 4 is an unmissable experience for the Xbox One. The game takes mass zombie slaughter to new heights, offering more weapons gadgets and zombies than ever before.
Set shortly after a zombie outbreak hits festive holiday-season Colorado, Dead Rising 4 puts players into the shoes of the series' iconic protagonist, Frank West. With a fully-realized open world spanning the game's single player campaign and cooperative multiplayer modes, the game offers hours of hectic, but equally violent chaos. With its slapstick humor, the game is a great choice for those with a faint heart when it comes to horror.
Outlast
There are things I like to be chased by, and big, naked, murderously violent men with no lips are not one of them. Outlast has you stepping into the shoes of an investigative journalist who has been tipped off to some weird goings-on at a mental asylum. Being the astute and eager young man he is, he rushes off to the asylum with nothing but his night-vision camcorder in hand. Played most often through that night-vision, Outlast is dark, stressful, atmospheric, and scary enough that the likelihood if it being played in short bursts is quite high.
The real kicker is that you have absolutely no way to protect yourself from attack. Should you alert an enemy, your only option is to run away and hide and hope they don't find you. The higher your difficulty setting, the more hiding places enemies will check, and the fewer batteries you will have at your disposal to recharge your camcorder.
Resident Evil Remastered
Hailed as the very first game of the survivor horror genre, Resident Evil recently reached its 20th birthday. 20 whole years of fright over stupid dogs jumping through windows, houses with a labyrinth of rooms and zombies, lickers, sharks, giant snakes... and that tell-tale squishy sound effect that meant you could hear zombies before you saw them.
Resident Evil tells the story of the Racoon City S.T.A.R.S team investigating the missing Bravo Team who had been last seen in the mountainous region. With a Resident Evil 2 remake also in the works, and Resident Evil 7 launching in 2017, we may be seeing S.T.A.R.S for a while yet.
Dead Space
Dead Space isn't for the faint of heart — or the faint-bladdered, for that matter. My personal experience with the Dead Space franchise compels me to add it to this list because those necromorphs will haunt you forever.. Heavily atmospheric environments will have you jumping at every little noise, and believe me, the jumps come thick and fast. Exploring the depths of space and facing off against the horrific necromorphs is enough to put me off from volunteering for any missions to Mars anytime soon.
Dead Space can be grabbed via Backwards Compatibility for Xbox One. Remember: in space, no-one can hear you soil yourself as you curl into a ball, weeping.
The Evil Within
Directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within is a 'return-to-genre' comeback. As with all survival horror games, learning when to fight, and when to run the heck away are paramount, and you'll certainly have a hard time deciding which you should do. The Evil Within boasts even mild RPG elements, as collecting vials of Green Gel allows you to upgrade protagonist Sebastian Castellanos's health, stamina and ammo capacity.
Among the Sleep
Among The Sleep is a psychological horror game where you take control of a young boy as he collects memories of his mother with the help of his teddy bear guide. With a sad twist, and plenty of diving from creepy tree monsters, Among The Sleep holds more adult themes than first meets the eye.
Metro Redux
If you prefer shooting over skulking, Metro Redux has you covered. Metro Redux contains Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light in one great package. Nuclear war and radiactive mutations are real threats in Metro. It has wonderful horror elements, detailed environments and an engaging plot, each making this a great action-packed, but equally hostile experience.
Alien: Isolation
Many people might put this in the top spot. Xenomorphs are everyone's favorite "horror movie monster", and Alien: Isolation really upped the ante. Previous 'Alien' games weren't know for being scary or even enjoyable, but Isolation is truly terrifying. Rather than getting swamped with black shiny skinned, eyeless, murderous humanoids, Isolation features a single xenomorph who antagonises you for the duration of the game.
Over to you!
Are there any other horror games you think should be on this list? What would your list look like? Make sure to let us know in the comments!