The Japanese have always been the best at making horror games. That should probably be a highly subjective statement, but there’s a lot of evidence to back it up. This list, for example. It features ten of the best horror games from Japan, and it was really difficult to conjure.
For one thing, I didn’t want it to just be a bunch of Resident Evil games. For another thing, Japan dominates when it comes to horror games made using RPG Maker, and there’s a lot to dig through. And, for that matter, while I have played a metric tonne of horror games – especially those from Japan – I haven’t played all of them. There are even titles on my shelf that I haven’t gotten around to yet. But beyond that, there are games that have never left Japan. Some have received fan translations, but not all of them.
So, with those (perhaps obvious) disclosures out of the way, here’s a list of the best Japanese horror games that I have played. Some of them aren’t going to shock, and a few are going to be repeated from my list of best cult classic horror games, but they’re all worth diving into.
These games are in no particular order.
Yomawari: Midnight Shadows
I don’t really play horror games to be scared, because it just doesn’t happen anymore. Startled maybe, stressed sometimes, but unnerved never. However, I tend to love horror plots, whether they’re focused on the mundane or supernatural. But I especially love horror games when they dig into the human condition.
Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is a game that made me cry. While it’s a quiet flashlight exploration game at its core where you really can’t fight back against the monsters that attack you, it’s also a tragic story about holding on too firmly and being unwilling – or unable – to say good-bye.
Oh no. I’m getting misty-eyed just thinking about it.
Bloodborne
I don’t think Bloodborne is really supposed to be scary, is it? I don’t know, I just told you these games don’t scare me anymore, so how would I know? However, despite that, it’s definitely horror. You’ve got your creeping monsters, your eldritch horrors, and everything in between.
It’s technically a part of FromSoftware’s rather sprawling and extensive Souls series, having been preceded by Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. However, its change to a more horror aesthetic with its grand, ornate architecture makes it stand out from its colleagues. Now, if only we could get a remaster. Or just a better port would be nice.
Clock Tower
Released in 1995 for the Super Famicom, Clock Tower is sort of the seminal survival horror game. While it’s primarily a point-and-click adventure, it helped establish the idea that the player should be kept in a powerless state at all times.
You play as Jennifer Simpson, a young girl trapped in a mansion. She’s pursued by a diminutive man carrying a gigantic pair of scissors, and her only options for defense is to run or hide. The game featured multiple endings, including ones where Jennifer is not so successful at escaping.
While Clock Tower has been frustratingly locked in Japan for quite some time, an enhanced port is coming to the West sometime in 2024.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
The Fatal Frame games are probably the best, most accessible series of horror games outside the Silent Hill and Resident Evil titles. Picking a best title of the five mainline games is going to be largely a matter of opinion. Personally, I like Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, but the general consensus is that it’s Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly. I don’t generally like consensus, but I’ll acquiesce here.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly sees protagonists Mayu and Mio as they explore the haunted Minakami Village. As is standard for the series, their only means of protecting themselves from the town’s ghostly denizens is with the Camera Obscura, a camera with the power to capture the dead. It has, at times, been referred to as the scariest game ever made. Unfortunately, it has never been ported to modern platforms, remaining on the PS2 and OG Xbox platforms.
Silent Hill 2
Speaking of consensus, it would be really weird to have a “best Japanese horror games” list without including Silent Hill 2. I hate agreeing with people, but yeah, Silent Hill 2 is excellent. It’s not without its shortcomings, which I’m not going to get more specific on, but it’s overall an interesting horror experience set in the series’ effective setting of a town persistently immersed in fog. You probably know the rest.
Rule of Rose
Rule of Rose really got a raw deal. In an interview with Gamersinfo.net, project lead Carl Chen said that the team would have liked to polish out the game’s maligned combat system, but “budget and time restraints prevented them from doing that.” If that wasn’t enough reason for a lot of gamers to overlook the title, it was also mired in unreasonable and unfounded controversy in Europe, which led to it being banned in a few places.
However, despite these issues, and despite the fact that it’s among the PS2’s most expensive titles in the collector’s market, anyone who has the chance to play Rule of Rose would find one of the best-told stories in the medium. As I mentioned way back when talking about Yomawari: Midnight Shadows, I find the best horror plots to be the introspective ones. In this case, Rule of Rose tells a tale of trauma, bullying, and who the real monsters in life are: children.
Resident Evil Remake
It’s pretty difficult to pick the best Resident Evil title, as the series has had so many ups and downs. I’m leaning mostly toward the 2002 remake of the original title. I feel it best captures the core concepts the series is known for while updating them in a way that still feels great to play. It’s a bit slower than more recent titles, focusing more on the survival horror aspect. It also has a great atmosphere and some of the scariest moments in the series.
It’s hard to believe this wonderful-looking remake arrived just 6 years after the original version. It overhauls so much and still looks pretty good today in its HD re-release. However, I also really love Resident Evil 2, both the 2019 remake and the original version.
Sweet Home
Even today, Sweet Home is a pretty unique take on the survival horror genre. It arrived long before 1992’s Alone in the Dark started cementing some of the survival horror staples. However, it did so on the Famicom using a JRPG format.
You’re given a group of youths who become trapped in a sprawling mansion. You have to use their individual skills to try and escape, but be careful. If a character dies in combat, there’s no way to resurrect them. This can lead to a no-win situation.
Splatterhouse
The best way to describe Splatterhouse is “satisfying.” It’s not very scary by modern standards, but it is incredibly impactful. After taking refuge in a spooky mansion, Rick and his girlfriend become trapped (as is often the case). Rick is resurrected by a hockey mask and sets off to try and rescue his girlfriend.
Unlike the survival horror listed here, Splatterhouse doesn’t leave you underpowered and helpless. Rick is perfectly capable of dealing with the monsters creeping in the eponymous residence and does so with gusto. The monstrosities die with similar enthusiasm, allowing you to smack them into walls or punch their bodies in half. Really, you play as the scariest part of Splatterhouse, and the feels good.
Corpse Party
Corpse Party has the distinction of being reviewed three separate times on Destructoid. I was the most recent and most, uh, critical of it, but that was because it unsettled me for different reasons than just its horror. But even I can’t deny its staying power and influence. It originates from back in ‘96 for the Japanese home computer, the NEC PC-9801. It was built using an extremely early version of RPG Maker (RPG Tsukuru Dante 98), then ported and remade about a billion times since then.
I have my reservations about Corpse Party, but there’s a good reason why this cult classic has hung around for so long and spurred so many imitations. I’m not sure what it is, but if I ever figure it out, I’ll let you know.
