Before we talk about the games that look and feel like Resident Evil titles, let us give you an idea of what Resident Evil is.
What Is Resident Evil?
Resident Evil isn’t really what it’s called in Japan; it’s called Biohazard. The series popularized the survival horror genre. It is generally created by Capcom and was always under the creative hands of Tokuro Fujiwara and Shinji Mikami. The first game of the series details the whole start of the sheer nightmare that the series will become. It’s widely considered to be the one that defined the survival horror genre during its heyday. There’s also the fact that the game was the one that made zombies return to the mainstream, as they were pretty much thrown to the wayside as vampires and werewolves were more appealing. Ever since then, though, the franchise has expanded well beyond video games. There are currently several films, books, comics, and merchandise of the series. The animated films, in particular, are a real treat, though some say that Vendetta, the latest one, doesn’t hold up well. Compared with the live action, however, the animated films follow the game’s plot, which is something that fans enjoyed. Following a decline in the series after Resident Evil 6, Capcom surged back into the scene with Resident Evil VII. They then followed that up with remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3, two of the beloved entries in the series. After that, they made Resident Evil 8: Village. The franchise’s legacy is one of the biggest in gaming and it is no surprise that there are games that feel, play, and look like Resident Evil titles.
18 Games Like Resident Evil
Well, if you’ve finished all of the games in the series and still can’t get enough of the horror, action, and thrill—here are the games that look and feel like Resident Evil titles. These games are a treat to both console and PC gamers! Alan Wake is Resident Evil if it’s taken to a vat full of Lovecraft and dunked in. The game has you play the role of a struggling writer by the name of Alan Wake. Unfortunately for him, he has a bit of writer’s block and can’t write worth a damn. Thus, he and his wife Alice decide to take a vacation in Bright Falls. After all, some time off should be able to return his writing inspiration, right? Well, they were right in that regard, but not in the way that they would like. Immediately, things start to take a drastic turn for the suspicious and then terrifying. On their stay in Bright Falls, Alice suddenly disappears, and Alan finds a book that doesn’t have a name in it but has things that he has written. After finding said book, what’s written begin to come true, haunting his steps and trying to kill him. Some of these things are known as the “Taken,” and they’re very willing to kill Alan if they get him. Now for those not in the know, a lot of people want to get their hands on any sequel to Alan’s story. After all, the game’s incredibly memorable and has a lot of good scenes. Most of the game’s aesthetics were taken straight out of a Goosebumps or Stephen King novel. And that alone should be commended, along with some really good gameplay. Story-wise, the game does have a bit of similarity to the Resident Evil series. A bit, not that much, but it’s the atmosphere that makes people come back for more, and that’s why it’s on this list. Next up we have the F.E.A.R series, which seesaws from survival horror to action, and back to horror. That alone is enough to put this on the list, but the antagonist Alma Wade is enough to give anyone the willies. Even if there have been no recent releases, Alma’s presence is enough to give shivers to fans. It helps that a lot of the horror sequences feel horrifying. It helps that there’s a Sadako expy, yes. But the horror in this game has a tinge of realism to it. The game shows the abuse, the hatred that Alma felt, the fact that her son was taken from her and now she wants revenge, and more. Those things were enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. In addition to this, the game’s gunfights are just jaw-dropping. The guns feel great to use, and there’s no downside to picking a main gun and sticking with it. If you’re not willing to use guns, then what about literal force powers that can chuck enemies high to the air? Yes, that’s a thing too. Of course, you’re still at Alma’s mercy until the end, and for those who stuck to the series, it’s been a pretty wild ride. The F.E.A.R series of games is an absolute treat to experience and it’s still possible to experience it again. Next up on the list is the Outlast series, which was one of the more terrifying horror games like Resident Evil that came out for the PS4. The first game follows a journalist that got an anonymous tip about an asylum abusing the patients that they have. And from what we can already tell, investigating this was a really bad idea. Meanwhile, Outlast 2 has the lead player sneak their way to a cult dedicated to preventing the end of the world by straight-up doing horrible things. In addition to all this, none of these stories have anything remotely as a happy ending, with the villains getting away with it all. The games aren’t for the faint of heart and have some pretty gory scenes and terrifying happenings. Players can’t attack enemies and are instead forced to run and hide. It also doesn’t help that any contact with said enemies is enough to kill the player, which is annoying. All in all, though, the Outlast series is still a set of great suspense/horror games. Check out Outlast 2 on Steam to play it today. Next up we have Darkwood, which is an isometric horror game that uses directional lighting to show a horrifying atmosphere. The very first time you play this game, there’s not that much in terms of scares. However, the dark environments will make you fear anything moving, as there might be something hiding in the darkness. In the dark, all is shrouded in shadow, and if you’re not careful, you’re going to get screwed over by whatever it is hiding in there. The threats that lurk in this oppressive darkness vary. There are, of course, the usual aggressive animals and dangerous plants. But it’s the other things lurking that take the cake, horrifying monsters that can and will pounce at your character until they’re dead. It’s going to take all of your abilities to get out alive, and even then, you might not get out unscathed. Some would consider The Evil Within series as Resident Evil’s spiritual successor. This is because the game was directed by Shinji Mikami, who was also the director of the first Resident Evil games. There’s a lot of tells in both games that would clue players in on this fact. From the disturbing creatures, terrifying situations, and the sheer balls to the walls to psychological horror, you name it, it’s there on both series. In terms of gameplay, Resident Evil and The Evil Within have so much more in common. The game’s pretty much Resident Evil if there’s an additional stealth aspect to it. The claustrophobic areas make your hair stand on end, just like Resident Evil, from the gory aspects to the really weird plot. The Evil Within series are pretty much the biggest love letters to the Resident Evil franchise and one that’s a big hit to fans. In terms of its monsters, The Evil Within gave birth to the main character’s most inner demons and fears to torment him. This wasn’t the case on Resident Evil, but it’s still just as scary. The nightmares that players go through can be one of the most harrowing things that they’ll play if they’re not prepared. After all, who’s prepared to face their demons? Well, The Evil Within series forces players to do so as they go through an increasingly screwed up world. Think of The Evil Within series as a combo of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, and you might have an inkling of how bad it can get. Alien: Isolation is something that players should already know due to how good the movies are. In addition to the sheer “Oh hell no!” aspect of the Xenomorph, there’s also the fact that it’s set in space. In space, no one can hear you scream, there’s no one you can go to for help. This alone is enough to send you running for the hills, but the addition of the Xenomorph takes this up to eleven. Ready or not, the game puts you in the shoes of Amanda Ripley. Longtime fans of the franchise can tell that this is Ellen Ripley’s daughter from the first Alien movies. This, of course, immediately makes you feel for the girl, as now she has to deal with the same threat her mother did before. And this time, she doesn’t have anyone to help her—at least, in the first few hours of the game. Other than the story, though, the gameplay is a tense hide-and-seek enough to palpitate anyone’s heartbeat. The Xenomorph is an automatic one-hit-kill, no exceptions. And Amanda needs to make sure that she doesn’t get caught or else she’s screwed. Hiding under tables, lockers, and just straight-up running is the key here. Do note though that running is usually a bad idea unless you’re near the exit. Still, the gameplay’s nail-biting suspense makes it one of the more effective horror games out there. Konami saw the success of Resident Evil and created Silent Hill. And ever since then, the franchise is one of the most beloved horror game series in the whole world. This is because Silent Hill is eerier compared with Resident Evil. There’s an air of unreality to it that draws players in, from the series’ first entry back in 1999 all the way to the latest game in. There’s nothing like Silent Hill then, as the game gave so many mind screws to put people in a psychiatric ward. Compared with the more action-oriented Resident Evil, it’s a great contrast, and fans love it. The Silent Hill games are, of course, about the town of Silent Hill. Some people usually get trapped inside, tormented by the things they’ve done and regrets they can’t address. Pyramid Head, the game’s extremely terrifying mascot, is a clear example of this on Silent Hill 2. The bastard follows you everywhere, and if you’re not careful, you’re in for the dismemberment of a lifetime with its huge blade. And that’s just one enemy; there are also the creepy nurses, the demented beds, the complete lunatics, and the manifestations of regrets everywhere. This series is for those who want to feel the thrill of not being in control. In Resident Evil, the player always has the element of control as they can fight back effectively. On Silent Hill, that’s not the case. Unfortunately, the series hasn’t made a new release and is in limbo right now. Call of Cthulhu is a game that’s taken from Lovecraft’s book, with tabletop RPG elements. The game’s take on those two is an existential horror show that’s enough to make a man sick. It doesn’t help that the game makes it very clear that Edward Pierce, our unlucky protagonist, can’t defend himself and will die if the enemies get to him. Being a detective in this survival horror game, Edward’s job is to investigate the deaths of the Hawkins family on Darkwater Island. Things… immediately go wrong though, as Pierce discovers clues about a cult related to some nasty extra-dimensional entities. Now, it’s up to Edward to stop them from summoning Cthulhu and escape the island intact, which is an uphill battle given that you’re being targeted by cultists and horrors from the beyond. Of course, multiple endings are here, but it’s up to the player’s choices and actions to get the good ending, for a given amount of good. Vampyr is set in 20th-century England and puts you in control of Jonathan Reid. Jonathan is a doctor, who upon returning to England, was immediately attacked by a Vampire and turned into one himself. For players that want to have a more gothic horror, an action-RPG game with vampires for their fare, then Vampyr is for them. Vampyr has a really interesting system that follows how many people Jonathan fed on and killed. Depending on this, there are several endings and choices that can impact the game’s story. This isn’t new, but it’s still a good thing to see overall. In addition, depending on Jonathan’s choices, they can make the game easier, or harder, for themselves at the end. We have yet another vampire game in Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, which is based on a tabletop RPG of the same name. The premise for the game is simple enough. You become a vampire, but not just any vampire. You can choose from seven Vampire Factions. Do note that each of these factions has its unique abilities and in general, has perks of its own. In addition to this, there’s also a whole lot of secrets to discover in the world of Bloodlines, unique items, and quests to increase the your power. Overall, if you’re looking for a good horror game like Resident Evil, then Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is a solid pick. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is available on PC. A sequel, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2, is currently in development with no definite release date. If Outlast and Alien: Isolation aren’t enough for you, then what about Amnesia: The Dark Descent? This game is one that’s highly celebrated among horror enthusiasts due to its harrowing story and unique gameplay. The game starts when a man named Daniel wakes up in a creepy medieval castle with no memories. He has no idea why he’s here, he has no idea what happened to him. His only goal is to kill one man: Alexander, the castle’s baron. But the thing is, the whole castle is teeming with monsters eager to feast on his flesh and can only be repelled by light. Good luck trying to find your way around. The game is pretty Lovecraftian in scope. There’s a cool Sanity Meter in the game that fills up when Daniel sees something unsettling or stays in the dark too long. Fill up the Sanity Meter and watch as Daniel turns into a blubbering wreck who can’t run while monsters begin to tear into his intestines. There’s no way to defend yourself here; your only option is to run towards any light source that you see. Even then, though, the monsters can extinguish the lights, forcing you to hide. Either way, you will have to make your way throughout the castle and find the Baron to kill him. Check out Amnesia on Steam to play this game today! FromSoftware’s gothic/Lovecraftian action RPG, Bloodborne may not be an in-your-face example of games that feel like Resident Evil but hear us out. As per usual with FromSoftware, Bloodborne is a title where the player will most certainly die near constantly. You control a Hunter during the night of the Hunt in Yharnam, and to escape, you need to find Paleblood. But Paleblood is a very difficult thing to find, and the night and the Hunt are long. From vicious werewolves and crazed townspeople to even Eldritch gods, your Hunter will have to bathe himself in blood to escape this nightmare. That wouldn’t be enough to land it on this list, though; the game also has a ton of terrifying bosses. From the One Reborn, which looks like a writhing mass of legs and bodies, to Micolash, the Host of the Nightmare so depraved, thousands of men, women, and children killed themselves for it. Those are just the two that are the easiest to kill. As per usual with Souls games, Bloodborne’s bosses are hard to kill as well, making this game nail-biting from a story, and gameplay perspective. It also doesn’t help that there’s a Lovecraftian theme to the game as well, which players will discover later. Next up is the Dead Space series, which is exactly what it says on the tin, and quite honestly, a more terrifying game than Alien: Isolation, which is also on this list. Dead Space is a third-person horror, survival shooter that takes you to the ISS Ishimura and in the shoes of Isaac Clarke. After the Ishimura went silent, Clarke and a few of his colleagues were sent to see what’s going on, only to find the Ishimura near silent. Then, various terrifying monsters begins to pop out of the vents and all over the place. It turns out that the Ishimura is currently in the middle of a really bad case of Necromorphs, and everyone is dead. Now, it’s up to Isaac to get his team out of the Ishimura, and maybe, find out how this happened in the first place. Gameplay-wise, the Dead Space series is one of the best third-person horror shooters out there. The Hud is near minimal, but for a good reason, since you can see how much health Isaac has on his spine. Ammo isn’t plentiful, but you can see how much you have on a clip on the HUD of any gun. In addition, the Plasma Cutter is the best gun in the game, and you get it when you begin your journey. Why? Because the Plasma Cutter is incredibly good at cutting off Necromorph limbs. Overall, Dead Space 1 and 2 are some of the best third-person horror shooter series out there; some would say it’s as good as Resident Evil 4. This isn’t an exaggeration, as the game has great gameplay, awesome characters, terrifying monsters, and secrets enough to fill a sea. Check out Dead Space 2 on Steam today! For those that want even more zombies than they can conceivably handle, then Days Gone might be up your alley. This is the game that has you fight a metric horde of zombies from the start of the game and proceeds to throw even more of them later. Hordes of them are everywhere, and you are going to need all your cunning, resources, and bullets to wipe them out. However, they’re not the only things that you need to kill, as roving bands of bandits scour the zombie-infested area. If you want to carve a home for yourself here, you need to kill them and the roving bands of zombies all over the place. The Last of Us is one of the games that stick with us even after the game is over. From the terrifying sequences of zombies trying to kill Ellie and Joel to their heartfelt moments with each other, The Last of Us doesn’t disappoint. You are put in the shoes of Joel, a survivor of the apocalypse caused by Cordyceps zombies. It’s here he meets Ellie, a young woman seemingly immune to it, and is tasked with bringing her East. Throughout the journey, Joel and Ellie will face not only zombies but also other people. People that are trying to survive, those that want to kill them, and a whole lot more. Their journey, and the ending of it, is one of the best stories that video games managed to tell in this generation. Until the sequel that is. Next up on the list of games like Resident Evil is Dying Light, which combines parkour and zombies to great effect; after all, if zombies can’t climb worth a damn, the rooftops are a good way to get to places. Parkour is the bread and butter of Dying Light; you can use it to go anywhere on the map, from the highest building to the railings of a bridge. Just make sure that you keep your balance. Combine that with an interesting story and a really good crafting system with several unique weapons? Well, you have a good zombie game on your hands. In addition to this, you have a choice of doing the game in the daytime or at night. In the day, zombies aren’t as aggressive, or as prolific. When nighttime comes, however, the zombies get stronger. More variants come along, and the lack of vision will hamper you immensely. It’s usually recommended to not go on night excursions until you have some sort of night vision on Dying Light. All this aside, Dying Light is one of the best zombie games out there. Parkour only adds to the awesome. There’s going to be a sequel to the game as well, which is pretty hype. Check out Dying Light on Steam! Second, to the last of our list of games like Resident Evil is the BioShock series. On the surface, the series is not a survival horror offering. However, if you’re saying that meeting a Big Daddy about to kill you isn’t terrifying, then playing the game might convince you. BioShock is a world filled with weird temporal anomalies and a lot of first-person action. The game has players fill in the role of someone that goes through what seems to be a Utopia at first. However, it’s then revealed to be an absolute nightmare of madmen, experimented wretches, and megalomaniacal maniacs. Similar to the Resident Evil games, eh? Combine that with some great gameplay and exploration loops, the environments being incredible, and a great story, the BioShock series is an absolute must-play. Last, but most definitely not the least on the list of games like Resident Evil, is Left 4 Dead 1 and 2. Valve pretty much knocked it out of the park with this series. The gameplay is very, very good. The gunplay is excellent, the zombies are plentiful and varied, and the AI is terrifying. More on the AI: The Left 4 Dead games have an AI Director that dynamically adjusts any game that you play. Once you start up a game, the Director will monitor how good or how bad you’re doing. If they’re not doing well, they might remove a Tank spawn and add in more utilities, better weapons, and ammo. If you’re doing well, though—the Director will add in more special infected like Jockeys and Chargers. Maybe they’ll put a Witch in an area where they weren’t supposed to spawn. The Director can either be a helpful friend or a psychotic maniac that wants you dead. And if you’re unlucky and are playing on higher difficulties—well, be prepared for a bad time. This adds a dynamic feel to every game of Left 4 Dead. At one time, you might feel like the game’s a slog, and when you play again, you’re slaying. This is due to the amazing AI Director, and it’s the reason why the game is still being played by gamers today. And for people that ask how Left 4 Dead is as terrifying as Resident Evil? Well, we won’t spoil the experience for you. Check out Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam!
