10 Great Horror Games That Are Ugly On Purpose

In the last decade, the medium of making articles, let's plays, or any review on horror games has used Outlast as its bread and butter.

You can hardly hear anyone talk about spooky games without hearing the title mentioned at least once. But the fact it's still so easy to talk about is a testament to how much good it did for the genre.

If you're not already aware (and haven't been on the internet since Margaret Thatcher died), Outlast is a first-person horror that forces you to explore the decrepit and terrifying Mount Massive Asylum. The place is full of ugliness and vulgarity, as the inmates are a host of disturbing characters, all of which want to kill you, rip your skin off, or worse.

Naturally, there's a deliberate effort to make the game as ugly as possible. The environment is full of dilapidated mise-en-scene with ugly architecture and broken equipment everywhere. Plus, the inmates themselves are a terrifying stroll down the uncanny valley, as their faces are sick and twisted.

Still, the real ugly highlight for the title is the use of your camera. You use the night-vision to see things when the lighting is too dark, making the screen awash with an uncomfortably bright and gritty green filter. Not since The Grinch has the colour green looked so damn creepy.