The hardware may seem dated today, but the PlayStation 2 was enough of a leap forward from the original console to warrant the title of "next-gen gaming." Along with it came a series of horror games with spooky settings that were throwing off the shackles of those that came before on the PS1. Bad voice acting and poor production values were starting to fade away.
In their place came a series of horror titles that gave players the willies while also introducing them to the possibilities of the new console. These games were terrifying in their day, and some of them still hold up as excellent examples of how great design, art direction, and sound editing can make for a winner.
Fatal Frame
The first Fatal Frame game can best be described as Silent Hill meets Ghostbusters. It completely flipped the concept of survival horror games on its head by doing away with conventional weaponry in favor of a unique camera system. This camera is, in itself, the weapon, and it makes for interesting gameplay.
Many gamers reported being too scared to finish the first game, and it's easy to see why. Ghosts can only be tracked, seen, and defeated using the Camera Obscura system, which means players are vulnerable the rest of the time. This creates a ton of tension that makes for one riveting and terrifying PS2 horror title.
Resident Evil 4
The fourth chapter in the Resident Evil series was a marked departure from the previous games. It did away with the fixed camera points, opting instead for a dynamic free camera system that better suited the action. The gameplay had also undergone a major overhaul, designed to make the player feel claustrophobic and unsafe at all times.
It became one of the scariest games on the PS2, as well as that generation of gaming in particular. The haunting setting, monstrous enemies and a constant state of panic and dread helped make Resident Evil 4 one of the staples of the franchise, and a horror game worth the price of admission. It also influenced a ton of future horror games, including Dead Space.
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill may have started out as a surprise horror hit on the PlayStation, but it really hit its stride with the sequel. Silent Hill 2 was a horror game unlike any other, driven by macabre and terrifying visuals that came straight out of the darkest minds of the developer team.
The story of Silent Hill is one based on psychological terror and the horrors that a damaged mind can conjure up. It's bloody, atmospheric, and full of tension and dread, and it gave gamers a whole new reason to fear the darkness of the human mind.
Kuon
Kuon is one of the most atmospheric horror games on the PS2, weaving a unique setting together with an ominous story, and gameplay that feels almost dream-like. The use of ambient sound as opposed to music is a nice touch, lending Kuon an immersive air that draws players in.
The story revolves around Sakuya, a young disciple of Doman Ashiya, an exorcist who is charged with investigating a manor said to be cursed. Sakuya must face down a number of supernatural horrors using magic and melee attacks, and there are plenty of them. Kuon is an underrated PS2 horror classic.
Rule Of Rose
When it first came out, Rule of Rose was unjustly attacked by would-be censors and bad-faith actors trying to smear its content. It was banned in some European countries for supposedly showcasing child violence, as well as other accusations which proved not to be true in the slightest.
In reality, Rule of Rose was simply a psychological horror game that focused on a young girl as the protagonist. It takes its cues from morbid European fairy tales and Brothers Grimm-style storylines while introducing plenty of disturbing content that makes for one unsettling game.
The Thing
John Carpenter's The Thing is considered to be one of the scariest horror films around, thanks to its inventive and clever use of paranoia as a thematic element. That would translate perfectly into the video game adaptation, which was essentially a sequel to the 1982 film.
Trust is a scarce commodity in The Thing, and players never know which of their teammates is the monster. This forces the player to make a series of choices that can earn trust, or ruin it. All the while, the dangerous alien creature waits to strike from its perfect camouflage.
Siren
Siren may not have scored very high with critics, but praise was given to its atmosphere and unique gameplay mechanics. It focuses on the events of a supernatural catastrophe that affects the small Japanese town of Hanuda. Several characters must escape the town while uncovering the facts about what happened.
The game is characterized by its use of darkness as a gameplay element. Light is sparse, and monsters lurk within that must be dealt with accordingly. The game is a bit repetitive, but its story is an interesting one, as is the use of non-chronological time to tie the story into the gameplay.
Curse: The Eye Of Isis
Resident Evil fans should feel right at home playing Curse: The Eye of Isis. There are a ton of direct references to that game, from combat to atmosphere, camera styles, and monsters. It's a tale that blends horror elements with a sense of historical adventure, as most of the game takes place inside a giant museum.
Players must battle a series of monsters bred from a thick fog that has overtaken the museum. This ties into a larger story where players eventually make their way to an ancient pyramid in order to vanquish a malevolent force.
Haunting Ground
Fans of the Clock Tower series will feel right at home with Haunting Ground, which has been called its spiritual successor in many ways. Gameplay consists of typical survival horror exploration, though players won't have to go it alone, as they're joined by a White Shepherd named Hewie.
Together, the two must unravel the story of the game and discover the reason why main protagonist Fiona awoke in the bowels of a mysterious castle. There are plenty of spooky environments, foreboding story elements, and abstract, unsettling music to craft a well-rounded survival horror game.
Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare
Alone in the Dark helped pioneer the survival horror genre, right up to Resident Evil Village. New Nightmare sought to distance the franchise away from its poorly-aged predecessors while capitalizing on the original Resident Evil games and their popularity.
In fact, the comparisons are so close that it feels like an RE title unto itself. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially since it contains a pretty well-rounded story, a lot of tension, and a great atmosphere. As far as survival horror games go, the PS2 could do far worse.