Finishing a good game gives you a bittersweet feeling.
You feel happy because you've surpassed all of the challenges and witnessed the resolution of the story. But on the other hand, it is saddening because you give your farewells to the characters and the universe you enjoyed so much.
Once the screen fades to black and the credits start to roll, it is natural to start wishing for a sequel -- if you enjoyed the game, that is. This is true for any genre, including horror.
With that said, here are five horror games that we hope will get a sequel one day.
Detention
Developer: Red Candle
Released on January 12, Detention is already making an impression. This point-and-click horror experience allows players to take control of a couple of Taiwanese students in 1960s Taiwan.
The player must find a way to lead the characters to safety as they need to escape from a school campus dominated by creatures from the underworld. Oh, and a typhoon is coming, too.
Detention stands out not only due to its bone-chilling ambiance but mostly due to the how it introduces players to a new culture. Through its many puzzles, its environment, and its story, Detention shows how the military once ruled the lives of Taiwanese citizens and how it forced its propaganda on millions of people, children included.
The game depicts the oppression of living in a dictatorship and does this without relying on cutscenes or extensive texts. The message is instead deftly conveyed through gameplay and environmental storytelling.
Slender: The Arrival
Developers: Blue Isle Studios and Parsec Productions
When the original Slender game was released, it became an instant Internet hit, with thousands of videos on YouTube of people being jumpscared by the faceless man.
Many believe that there is no life left in the Slenderman myth. But I beg to differ.
While Slender: The Arrival did a good job implementing a narrative, there is still an element of the Slender myth that has not been explored yet -- its origins.
It is possible to revive this character, but doing so would mean allowing players to experience something they have not yet. Unveiling the origins of the monster could be the innovation we are looking for.
The internet deserves to know how Slender was born. This is an opportunity to make a sequel to Slender: The Arrival.
Cry of Fear
Developer: Team Psykskallar
Originally developed to be a mod for Half-Life, Cry of Fear soon became a full standalone game and, as the previous title in this list, it also took YouTube by storm.
Players step into the shoes of Simon, a young man trying to fight the horrors of his own psyche as he wanders through Scandinavian streets.
The most important element of this game is how it combines psychological horror with jumpscares, creating a combination that will suit most horror enthusiasts.
Despite its success, a sequel remains unlikely. But we can hope that one day these developers will use their talents in a second entry of the series.
Layers of Fear
Developed by Bloobler Team
Layers of Fear allows players to experience the horrors of a disturbed mind as it tells the story of an artist needing to face the ghosts of a past he wishes to keep buried.
This title focuses almost exclusively on psychological horror and while it did deliver on its premise, there were certain areas that could have been improved upon.
The most important one is the diversity of maps.
The house where the game takes place has an interesting layout, but it can become repetitive quickly and considering that one of the key elements to create horror is the subversion of expectations, adding diversity to the maps is paramount, so the experience does not become predictable.
The game held much potential, but as its 72/100 score on Metacritic shows, it could have been better. This is why this game needs a sequel, so it can improve the areas that could have been better and make sure the core idea lives up to its potential.
Developers released a DLC for it, titled Inheritance, but a sequel is still necessary for this game.
Welcome to the Game
Developed by Reflect Studios
Welcome to the Game makes players explore the darkest confines of the deep web, the place where humanity hides its most obscure secrets, ranging from videos of torture to groups organizing terrorist attacks. And of course, much more.
The game asks players to browse the deep web in search of eight codes, but there is a chance that a kidnapper will track you and kidnap you. As you play, you see online pages about living sex dolls, humans slavery and other activities that represent the absolute worst humanity has to offer.
The true horror of this game lies in knowing that this is not fiction. The activities mentioned therein exist in real life. What you will see as you play will linger in your mind for a long time.
This game touches on a very serious subject, but it becomes repetitive and frustrating quickly. The core concept is solid, but it needs to be adapted in order to make this game a more engaging experience.
In horror games, developers try to create the scariest monsters, but they still cannot beat real life. This game deserves a sequel.
These are all games that deserve a sequel, but in a universe as vast as this genre, it is impossible to list every title that is worth a follow-up. However, we hope that list this has shown you some good examples.
If you haven't played one of the games on this list, you definitely should see for yourself why they are worthy of a sequel.
Published: Jan 27, 2017 10:30 am