15 Best PS1 & PS2 Survival Horror Video Games

Don't call it a comeback, been spookin' for years.

Resident Evil 3 Nemesis
Capcom

Resident Evil 2 being remade is both a momentous occasion and a testament of the fans for their support of a game twenty one years old.

Fully remade/rebuilt from scratch, it has already surpassed the lifetime sales of Resident Evil 7 in its first few weeks of launch. Resident Evil 2's remake is a faithful homage to the original that brings modern elements like tighter shooting and a more tactile inventory system, all encompassed in the purest horror sensibilities the franchise has seen.

But what about those that came before, or in the wake of it?

Sony's first two consoles were absolute behemoths with massive back catalogues of all things action and scary, from outright horror to imitators of the Resident Evil formula, for better or worse.

Now, some of these games are neither strictly horror nor action, but often a blend between the two. Action games with horror-esque leanings, or horror games with some action in them. So don't expect hack and slash games with an obligatory sewer section to be mentioned, for example.

So, with clenched teeth and sweaty palms, let's take a look (in no particular order) at some of the best pant-wetters we had back in the day.

15. Dino Crisis

Resident Evil 3 Nemesis
Capcom

Coming hot on the heels of RE2 in 1999, Dino Crisis took the formula of the former, but replaced the undead with the recently extinct instead. Set on an island against the backdrop of meddling scientists and time travel gone awry, because why not, it was a worthy candidate to be held with its zombie outbreak cousins.

Featuring a very similar gameplay routine to the early Resident Evil's, key puzzles and backtracking et all, Dino Crisis wasn't beyond a few scares of its own. Velociraptors bursting through windows, Tyrannosaurus Rex chases (it chasing you, to clarify) and some other scares thrown in made for a cracking survival horror game.

The second one, whilst a decent game, was geared more towards arcade shooter and point scoring, and the third one...well, we don't talk about that one. Ever.

If the fan outcry for a RE3 remake is to be matched for Dino Crisis, the currently dormant series may be saved from extinction yet.

Contributor
Contributor

Player of games, watcher of films. Has a bad habit of buying remastered titles. Reviews games and delivers sub-par content in his spare time. Found at @GregatonBomb on Twitter/Instagram.