The original PlayStation console basically birthed the survival horror genre as we know it. Capcom’s Resident Evil wasn’t the first one, but it certainly popularized the idea. What followed was a sea of copycats, and others who expanded on the ideas from this game. The PS1 became a paradise for the genre. Some of these games were good, and others were bad. Today I’m here to help you weed out the great ones. That’s why I’ve decided today to weed through the good and bad to highlight the best survival horror games on the PS1. Let’s check it out, or become zombie food in the process.
#15. – OverBlood
This was a very early survival horror game, and it shows the genres growing pains. It has fully 3D environments (which were impressive for the time but look bad now) and combat/puzzle oriented gameplay. Overblood was basically survival horror before it was a thing. It hasn’t aged particualrly well though. This is a sci-fi survival horror game that takes place entirely in a laboratory. It is here that you slowly uncover a plot involving genetic mutations and monsters. It’s pretty basic but I’ll be darned if it’s not enjoyable. If you can handle some early era 32-bit jank than Overblood has some good creepy environments and fun gameplay.
#14. – Dino Crisis 2
Given the popularity of the survival horror genre it seems like a misstep by Capcom to ditch many of the survival horror elements for this sequel. Regardless Dino Crisis 2 does still fit neatly into the genre so it isn’t a stretch to include it here. Dino Crisis 2 has the same static viewpoints but occasionally the camera moves with you. This game is much more action based than it’s predecessor. There’s a new extinction point system wherein you’re rewarded for each dinosaur you kill in succession. These are used to purchase new weapons as well as upgrades. The mechanics and action lend themselves more to an arcade type experience. With that said it still feels like Dino Crisis, and it does still have some tension to it.
#13. – Evil Dead: Hail to the King
I’ll start off right away by saying that if you’re not a fan of the Evil Dead film franchise then you probably won’t like this one. Hail to the King is clearly aimed lifelong deadite fans who still quote Ash on the regular. This Evil Dead game is a fixed perspective pre-rendered camera survival horror film that looks quite a bit like Resident Evil at first glance. It covers events from the second and even third film, and is treated like a re-telling of these stories. The problem is the gameplay is so darn repetitive and simple. It feels like half the time you’re fighting stationary enemies by mashing buttons. In these situations there’s no real way to dodge their attacks. I personally love it (but then again, I’m a lifelong Evil Dead fan) but I can see it’s clearly not for everyone.
#12. – Chaos Break
Unfortunately this is one of those games that was never released stateswide. The good news is that it came out in PAL regions and so can be enjoyed in English. Chaos Break isn’t a mere Resident Evil clone. This game is rendered in full 3D. While it does use some fixed camera perspectives in many areas the viewpoint is dynamic and follows behind your character. Combat is a bit more action based as well. You can fight using melee attacks, but primarily you’ll still be using firearms. Ammo conservation is important. You have to figure out which areas you should risk your health by fighting with punches and kicks. There’s not as much tension as in RE, but Chaos Break is still a fun but very short romp.
#11. – Parasite Eve II
Parasite Eve II is another game that’s quite different from the original release. The first one was primarily an RPG with heavy elements of survival horror. Part 2 flips this around. Parasite Eve II is more akin to a traditional survival horror title with some heavy handed role playing elements. It’s fair to say that this sequel feels more like Resident Evil than it does Parasite Eve. I’m definitely not hating on this premise. I love Resident Evil after all, and I like Parasite Eve II. It’s an above average survival horror title, but a pretty poor sequel due to the gameplay departure. I feel like Squaresoft should have completely ditched the RPG elements though because they feel a bit out of place at this point.
#10. – Clock Tower: The First Fear
The original Clock Tower came out on the Super Famicom and was never released outside of Japan. This is an enhanced version of that game. This point and click adventure has you exploring a large estate full of traps and a few creepy monsters. The catch is that you’re constantly being stalked by the antagonist known as the Scissorman. He’s a deformed man who wields a large set of shears. Unfortunately he’s not there to prune the hedges. Sometimes he shows up at random, and other times his presence is scripted. The neat thing is that there’s no combat here. Instead your character, Jennifer, has to run away and try to hide. Sometimes she can use objects in the environment to knock him down, but the effect is only temporary. This game is downright chilling and very fun.
#9. – Countdown: Vampires
Here’s another Resident Evil clone. They were truly a dime a dozen back then, weren’t they? Countdown: Vampires is a third person survival horror game with the typical pre-rendered backgrounds and polygonal characters. I know it says vampires, and yes, the game calls the creatures vampires. Unfortunately they don’t really seem like vampires. These enemies are functionally similar to Resident Evil’s zombies for the most part. This one has all of the genre institutions such as limited ammunition, light jump scares, and of course horrible voice acting. The spoken dialogue here actually makes Resident Evil seem like a big budget movie in comparison. It’s hilarious, cheesy, and clearly the actors took themselves too seriously. Countdown: Vampires feels like a budget Resident Evil title. It’s not as well designed as its source material, but it has a unique atmosphere and fun gameplay.
#8. – Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
The third Resident Evil game came out with a bang on the original PlayStation in 1999. In my opinion it’s one of the weaker installments in the franchise, but there’s still plenty to like. What’s interesting is that the game takes place canonically both before and after RE2. You play as Jill Valentine (one of the protagonists in the original Resident Evil) as she is trapped in Raccoon City during the T-virus outbreak. There is however a big problem. A super zombie called the Nemesis has been unleashed into the city, and it’s hunting Jill and her friends down. RE3 is classic Resident Evil gameplay, but the addition of the big guy really changes things up. The Nemesis shows up both randomly and at scripted events. This keeps you on your toes from start to finish. Whenever he shows up it’s downright startling. It’s a great game.
#7. – Martian Gothic: Unification
While this one looks like just a basic Resident Evil clone on the surface it’s actually fairly different. You have three different characters to play as, and must switch between them periodically to progress. Oh, and it takes place on Mars. That’s pretty cool if you ask me. It still uses the fixed camera perspective and pre-rendered backgrounds. Also, you’ll find the station on mars to be full of zombie like creatures which are taken down primarily with, you guessed it, firearms. There isn’t a lot of unique elements here but changing between the protagonists is enough to make it stand out. Oh, and if any of them run into each other it’s an instant game over. Pretty cool, right?
#6. – Parasite Eve
Based on placement it’s pretty apparent that I liked this one more than it’s sequel. The first Parasite Eve was a mix of role playing and survival horror, but first and foremost it was an RPG. You wander through pre-rendered battles but enemy encounters begin at random. You can move the main character, an NYC police officer named Aya, freely during combat. This allows you to dodge attacks, or approach enemies for a melee strike. It has the typical survival horror elements like ammunition management (your primary weapons are guns, after all) and mutated monsters serve as the enemies. It’s not particularly scary, but this story about mitochondria and the power they have can at times be pretty creepy. Parasite Eve is fun, but only fans of both survival horror and RPGs should probably check it out.
#5. – Clock Tower
Despite how the name on this one it’s actually the second Clock Tower game. The first one I covered earlier in this list. That was a point and click adventure game with heavy survival horror elements. That’s pretty much the case here, but with shnazzy new 3D graphics. Released in 1996 in North America this is a direct sequel to the original. Things kick off one year after the Scissorman stalked Jennifer through the halls of the Barrows Mansion. She now lives in Norway having been adopted by a professor of criminal psychology. Suddenly dead bodies start popping up everywhere. Giant scissors appear to be the murder weapon. The Scissorman is back, and he’s not here to cut construction paper. This one is consistently frightening. It’s one of the scariest games on PS1.
#4. – Dino Crisis
Resident Evil with dinosaurs instead of zombies? That’s just what the doctor ordered. Dino Crisis has you playing as a redheaded named Regina who is a member of a special ops team. They’re sent to an island to locate and extract a scientist. Little do they know the place has been overrun by dinosaurs. Why? Well the solution is less interesting than Jurassic Park, but at least the developers tried something new with it. The action is classic survival horror. The major difference is that the dinosaurs are smarter than your garden variety zombies, and much better at cornering the player as well. The 3D backgrounds put in a lot of work in making this one stand out from the pack. Dino Crisis is a great game that’s still well worth playing.
#3. – Resident Evil
This is where survival horror hit the big time. Capcom’s Resident Evil popularized the concept and made gamers interested in being scared. We’re going to ignore the Director’s Cut version for now because in my opinion it’s inferior. Resident Evil has you playing as one of two special forces officers sent to investigate grisley murders in the woods nearby Raccoon City. They are chased by undead dogs into a nearby mansion. They discover the estate is overrun by zombies. It’s a creepy romp through the a large and overdesigned Mansion with plenty of jump scares and creepy notes left behind by its victims. The graphics haven’t aged particularly well, and the voice acting is b-movie levels of laughable. These things only make Resident Evil better in my opinion. It’s a fantastic game, and this PS1 version is great.
#2. – Silent Hill
There’s a good reason why Silent Hill is one of the most missed video game franchises of all time. The games are amazing, and have unique horror elements unlike in anything else. Silent Hill is unlike most other survival horror games. Instead of exploring a mansion or laboratory a whole town is at your fingertips here. You have to use a map to navigate, hit points of interest, collect items, and battle against some of the most unsettling video game monsters of all time. It’s one of the eeriest locations in any video game ever. There’s less reliance on jump scares here with more emphasis put into the atmosphere. This is very effective, and helps make Silent Hill it’s own thing entirely.
#1. – Resident Evil 2
Generally this is the best survival horror game on just about every console for which it released. Yes, Resident Evil 2 really is that good. The game picks up some time after the original, and takes place in Raccoon City itself. The town has been destroyed by the T-virus and is now overrun by zombies. Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield are among the few people left alive within city limits, and must escape the horde of the undead. Really most of the game will take place within the police station. Thankfully this is just as overdesigned as the Spencer Mansion was, and in some ways, is even more scary. The real highlight of this game is the new monster designs. Things like the Licker and Mr. X are incredible. There’s also a new zapping system in place here where some of your actions carry over to the other scenario.
