Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The survival horror genre has long been a favorite among game fans seeking suspense and adrenaline.
With a combination of gripping narratives, immersive atmospheres, and survival challenges, games in this genre often leave a lasting impression on players.
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Of the many titles available, several have captured the attention of critics and earned widespread acclaim.
This article will take you through the five best survival horror games, based on scores from Metacritic, a leading game review aggregator.
The list includes classic titles that revolutionized the genre, as well as modern masterpieces that continue to push the boundaries of storytelling and gameplay.
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Released in 2005, the original Resident Evil 4 was developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube.
The game immediately garnered attention, earning a Metacritic score of 96 out of 100, making it one of the highest-rated survival horror games.
Players control special agent Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to rescue the daughter of the United States President, Ashley Graham, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult in rural Spain.
Leon must face hordes of enemies infected with a mind-controlling parasite, while reuniting with female spy Ada Wong.
Resident Evil 4 differentiates itself from its predecessors with a dynamic camera system and more action-oriented gameplay, abandoning the game's signature fixed camera angles.
The game was praised for its story, gameplay, graphics, voice acting, and characters, and won multiple Game of the Year awards in 2005.
Resident Evil - Code: Veronica (2000)
Resident Evil – Code: Veronica, a 2000 survival horror game from Capcom for the Dreamcast, received critical acclaim and is considered one of the best Resident Evil and Dreamcast games.
The game holds a Metacritic score of 94 out of 100.
The story follows Claire Redfield and her brother Chris Redfield as they attempt to survive a viral outbreak on a remote prison island in the Southern Ocean and a research facility in Antarctica.
Code: Veronica retains the series' traditional controls and gameplay, but introduces real-time 3D environments and dynamic camera movement, a departure from the pre-rendered settings of previous games.
Critics praised the leap in presentation and storytelling, highlighting the atmospheric setting, gripping narrative, and immersive real-time 3D environments.
In 2001, Capcom released an updated version, Code: Veronica X, for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, which included additional scenes.
The Last of Us Part II (2020)
The Last of Us Part II is an action-adventure game released for the PlayStation 4 in June 2020.
The game received "universal acclaim" from critics, with a Metacritic score of 93 out of 100, despite its divisive narrative and themes.
Set four years after The Last of Us (2013), the game focuses on two playable characters in a post-apocalyptic United States: Ellie, seeking revenge for Joel's murder, and Abby, a soldier embroiled in a conflict between her militia and a religious cult.
Players must fight human enemies and zombie-like creatures using firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth.
The game was praised for its gameplay, audio design, music, visuals, characters, and visual fidelity.
A remastered version was released for PlayStation 5 in January 2024 and for Windows in April 2025.
Resident Evil 4 Remake (2023)
Resident Evil 4 Remake is a 2023 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom.
A remake of the 2005 Resident Evil 4, it was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on March 24, 2023.
The game received "universal acclaim" from critics, with a score of 93 out of 100 for PlayStation 5 on Metacritic.
The remake features an updated plot, new visuals, characters, cast, and modernized gameplay.
Players once again control US agent Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to rescue the US president's daughter, Ashley Graham, from a mysterious cult in rural Spain.
Resident Evil 4 Remake features redesigned visuals to create a more tense atmosphere, along with new character designs and backgrounds.
The game also introduces a crafting system that allows players to create items and ammunition using gathered resources.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a psychological horror action-adventure video game released for the Nintendo GameCube on June 24, 2002, in North America.
Developed by Silicon Knights and published by Nintendo, it received a Metacritic score of 92 out of 100.
The game's plot revolves around Alexandra "Alex" Roivas, who is investigating the mysterious murder of her grandfather, Edward.
While exploring her grandfather's mansion in Rhode Island, she discovers a book bound in human skin and bones.
Eternal Darkness follows several characters across two millennia and four different locations on Earth, as they confront an ancient evil seeking to enslave humanity.
The game's gameplay is distinguished by its unique "sanity effects," visual and audio effects that disorient the player and frequently break the fourth wall.
While not a commercial success, Eternal Darkness was widely praised, winning the "Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development" award at the 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.