1. The Last of Us Part II
After the emotional rollercoaster that was the first instalment of The Last of Us, the highly anticipated second part of the story seems to follow Ellie on a revenge-a-thon through the post-apocalyptic, shroom-ridden United States. We’re not sure yet who she’s avenging but with those graphics and those freaky mushroom people, it could be a dropped ice cream sandwich and I’d still be on the edge of my seat. You already know what to expect here from Naughty Dog; a killer narrative, gruelling choices, and rich characters. We can’t wait to lose ourselves in this world again when Part II finally releases on PlayStation 4.
2. Call of Cthulhu
Based on Chaosium’s Lovecraftian RPG, Call of Cthulhu lets you lose your sanity, develop phobias, and hallucinate grizzly, eldritch horrors all while investigating the death of an artist on Darkwater Island. The game takes a leaf out of Amnesia: The Dark Descent’s terrifying book, implementing a sanity system that not only has you seeing strange visions, but also affects the way your playthrough turns out, influencing various narrative points/options the more you lose control. With all these eerie visions and trippy hallucinations, you can’t trust everything you see and seeing certainly isn’t believing when it comes to collecting evidence. We can’t wait to get stuck into this spooky sleuthing story when it hits Xbox One, PS4 and PC later this year!
3. Agony
Up next is a game that will literally drag you through hell and back. Agony is your typical first-person survival horror but, from the snippets of gameplay we’ve already seen, they’ve really upped the ante in terms of gruesome, gory horror. It looks set to be a pretty controversial title with lots of nudity, violence, and let’s not even talk about what the inhabitants of hell use as building materials. Playing as a tortured soul with the ability to possess other demons, it’s your job to figure out a way to escape hell. All Meat Loaf puns aside, Agony seems as though it’ll be a satisfyingly sinister experience coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC later this year.
4. Hunt: Showdown
The Battle Royale genre has been increasingly popular this year. Following the success of PUBG and Fortnite, Hunt: Showdown takes the well-loved kill or be killed formula to a whole new level, adding monsters to track down with a team of hunters. Beat the boss monsters, collect the bounties, fend off other hunters and survive. Hunt: Showdown also boasts a badass vibe. Set in late 19th-century Louisiana, the distinct setting and era-accurate weaponry feels very rugged and robust. It’s currently available on Steam Early Access if you want a sneak peek of the action coming later in 2018!
5. Scorn
If being dropped into unfamiliar, seemingly alien worlds covered in War of the Worlds-esque martian red weeds is your thing, then Scorn is the game for you. Inhabited by lots of creepy little mutant creatures that all seem to want you dead, this viscera-splattered first person shooter includes some pretty cool-ass weaponry that looks as though it might be alive…? With plenty of fleshy, malformed monsters to shoot with your freaky firearms, Scorn looks to be an immersive, gruelling battle for survival heading to PC, Xbox One and PS4 this October.
6. Moons of Madness
Next on our list is Moons of Madness, a psychological horror using hard science to really throw the player in at the deep end. If getting science that your life depends upon wrong on another planet doesn’t terrify you, the spooky supernatural/alien terrors that await you definitely will. Not to mention the fact that you’re completely stranded on Mars, alone. The trailers and gameplay teasers boast some great voice acting, an enticing story and some top-tier spooks. We’ll hopefully be blasting off for Mars later this year on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
7. Allison Road
P.T.’s promised successor is finally making the leap from tantalising trailers to a genuine PC release and it looks incredible. Allison Road sees you take on the role of an unnamed protagonist trying to piece together evidence revealing the whereabouts of their missing family. Oh, and you’re also trying to survive the many supernatural horrors dwelling in your cute little townhouse. The slow-paced, silent skulking around the house builds copious amounts of tension that are sure to give you the nightmares you deserve. I mean, we’ve waited long enough, right?
8. We Happy Few
If you didn’t already have an intense fear of unnaturally wide grins and mannequin-like mask faces, then We Happy Few is the game to set you on the right path to having the correct response to nightmarish terror. Set in a fictional English city following an alternative post-WW2 timeline, this title sees you trying to survive and escape the oppressive, drug-fuelled society of Wellington Wells and its Joy-taking inhabitants. Playing as a ‘Downer’, a citizen who isn’t taking their Joy pills, you’ll have to blend in with the rest of the townsfolk, smiling and waving at everyone you meet. Break the rules or forget that you can’t just break into people’s houses and you’ll be beaten to a pulp. Watch out for We Happy Few on Xbox One, PS4 and PC!
9. Overkill’s The Walking Dead
We all love and miss Left 4 Dead right? A simple, co-op zombie shooter with ludicrously addictive gameplay. Overkill’s The Walking Dead hopes to reimagine everyone’s favourite four-player zombie killing frenzy with ridiculously realistic graphics and the gruesome Walking Dead style zombies. The trailers alone get you invested in the characters already, giving us just enough backstory and character building. Aidan seems like your typical apocalypse-beating, baseball-bat-wielding badass, who we may or may not already have a ridiculous crush on. Maya has been through some difficult stuff, having already put down a friend early on in the outbreak. And Grant? Well Grant is just your regular whisky chugging, Left 4 Dead’s ‘Bill’ type. As for the fourth character, her trailer hasn’t been released yet, so keep an eye out. If you miss blasting through hordes of the undead with your pals as much as I do, you won’t want to miss this one. Make sure you try this one out on Xbox One, PS4 or PC.
10. Death Stranding
And finally, of course, we have Death Stranding. One of the most anticipated games of 2018 full stop, regardless of genre, Death Stranding is the original phoenix to rise from the ashes of Silent Hills Playable Teaser. After Hideo Kojima’s split from Konami, rendering P.T. a tragic relic of a game never to come to fruition, the gaming community had had a taste of something wonderful and, oh boy, did we want more. The cryptic, mind-bending horror of P.T. was something so unique and original, but Kojima Production’s Death Stranding goes above and beyond. The trailers don’t give away much in terms gameplay, keeping to a very cinematic style to show off those delectable graphics and dreary atmosphere. But fret not; From the obscure trailers to Kojima’s own enigmatic tweets about the game, this is a title that promises to redefine horror the Kojima way. Not to mention he has the incredible mind behind the Oscar magnet that was The Shape of Water, Guillermo Del Toro, to work with. Plus, with the acting talents of Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen on board, Death Stranding is a game you should definitely be looking forward to when it releases on PlayStation 4.
