By I’m not a huge fan of horror games for the same reason I don’t play multiplayer FPS games. I just don’t see the point in getting my anxiety levels up for no reason.
But I make an exception for games like Resident Evil because those games do a perfect job of blending action with horror. Those games make gameplay more about investigation and exploration, rather than jump scares and gore.
I’ve been playing Resident Evil on my PC using emulators way before the remakes dropped. That’s how big of a fan I am of the franchise. But I never got enough of those games.
So, in this list, I’m sharing some of my favorite games similar to Resident Evil. These are other big franchises and games that took inspiration from Resident Evil or have similar vibes.
See if you’ve played any of these games before.
1. SILENT HILL 2
Silent Hill is one of the best horror games that defined the psychological horror genre. Back in the day, this game ruled the consoles of horror fans.
Silent Hill 2 features some of the most stunning visuals and graphics I’ve ever seen in a horror game. It perfectly captures that creepy vibe of an abandoned town with its foggy weather and the mysteries surrounding each location on the map.
This game also has many similarities to Resident Evil games. It is also played in third-person view with gunplay, puzzles, and mysterious areas to explore, as well as encounters with creepy creatures.
2. Dead Space
Dead Space may not seem like Resident Evil. This game takes place in space and has sci-fi vibes. So how can it be like Resident Evil, right? Well, you’d be surprised how similar Dead Space is to Resident Evil games.
Dead Space takes heavy inspiration from the Resident Evil franchise to offer that same third-person action horror gameplay where you explore an eerie and creepy spaceship full of mysteries and alien creatures.
The iconic Plasma Cutter weapon in Dead Space instantly made it to the hall of fame for some of the most memorable unique weapons in video games. The dismemberment system also added more to the action horror vibe of the game.
Dead Space is basically Resident Evil in space.
3. The Evil Within 1 and 2
The Evil Within is one of the scariest games I’ve ever played. The scary thing about this game is that it immerses you in its world, making you believe that you are experiencing what the main character is experiencing in the game. And that’s pretty scary.
The reason why The Evil Within franchise was so successful and eerily familiar to Resident Evil was that it was made by two legends, Shinji Mikami, the director behind the first Resident Evil game back in 1996 and Dino Crisis. As well as Shigenori Nishikawa (Resident Evil 2).
These two legends made sure to infuse some of the key features of Resident Evil games into The Evil Within games, but also added a unique spin to it as well. Both Evil Within 1 and 2 offer incredible action-horror experiences that will stay with you for a long, long time.
4. Cronos: The New Dawn
Cronos: The New Dawn is one of the newer titles on this list that blends sci-fi with old-school horror. This game takes inspiration from both Resident Evil and Dead Space, and it’s a refreshingly solid experience for action-horror fans.
In Cronos: The New Dawn, you play a mysterious character that’s wearing heavy scuba-diving-like gear and travels back in time to a post-apocalyptic world to save people. This world is full of strange abominations and creatures as well.
In this game, you walk very slowly and play in an over-the-shoulder view, just like in Resident Evil games. It also has puzzles, gunplay, and tracking back to previous areas to uncover mysteries.
5. Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 took my surprise. I wasn’t a huge fan of the series and couldn’t really get deep into the first game. But with the second title, they really nailed the Resident Evil vibe and got me hooked into the series.
Alan Wake 2 combines elements from Resident Evil and Silent Hill to offer a very unique and suspense-filled experience. It has a third-person view with puzzles and gunplay similar to Resident Evil. And combines it with the creepy small town called Bright Falls that’s filled with mysteries, similar to Silent Hill.
This game has incredible graphics and visuals with the iconic Remedy gameplay mechanics. Unfortunately, it’s only available on Epic Games Store as it’s published by Epic Games.
6. SILENT HILL: Townfall
Townfall is the latest installment in the Silent Hill franchise, and it follows a more modern and timely story that explores a similar, mysterious town.
The main difference in this game is that it’s played in first-person view. Other than that, Downfall features all the same Resident Evil vibes with its puzzles, exploration, and creepy monsters.
Townfall is a standalone game that is separate from the other Silent Hill games. So even if you haven’t played other Silent Hill games, you can jump straight into this title without prior story knowledge.
7. CONTROL
CONTROL is one of my all-time favorite games. Remedy made a masterpiece of a game with this by offering that same Resident Evil vibe with the incredibly immersive environments and gunplay.
In CONTROL, you dive into a building that is taken over by a mysterious entity that’s slowly taking over. It’s full of strange anomalies, creatures, and zombie-like enemies. You have a powerful weapon and some cool abilities at yourside to try and take back control.
Played in third-person view with a memorable character and stunning graphics, CONTROL offers a highly immersive experience where you get both horror and badass action gameplay.
8. Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation is more about stealth gameplay than action but it has the same survival horror vibes of some of the iconic Resident Evil games like RE2.
Just like in Resident Evil 2, in Alien: Isolation, you’re always running away from or hiding from the creatures, while also solving puzzles and uncovering mysteries.
This game does suspenseful horror quite well and offers a highly immersive experience. While it also has some weapons and first-person gameplay, Alien: Isolation is a great alternative for fans of early Resident Evil games.
9. Outlast I and II
Similar to Alien: Isolation, Outlast games are also about survival, running, and hiding. They have little to no weapon-based action gameplay, but they do a perfect job of creating suspenseful survival horror scenes.
In Outlast games, your main weapon of survival is a camcorder, which you use as a source of light to see in darkness. But you also can’t use it all the time to preserve battery. This core mechanic alone makes Outlast a scary survival horror game.
The exploration and investigation aspect of Outlast games reminded me of Resident Evil. However, it’s a very different experience from RE games.
10. Hellraiser: Revival
Hellraiser: Revival is another game that takes place in a completely different setting than the likes of Resident Evil. However, it shares similar mechanics that give off the same vibe.
This game takes place in the Hellraiser universe, where you will meet some of the iconic characters from the franchise. You will be exploring the deep, dark Labyrinth to uncover a mystery and experience some deeply disturbing stuff.
Seriously, this game is not for the faint-hearted. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the melee and weapon combat in this game, which combines with supernatural abilities to give you a unique experience.
11. Daymare: 1998
Daymare: 1998 is basically a Resident Evil clone with lots of bugs, performance issues, and clunky controls. I know that doesn’t sound like something you’d want to play, but what you’re looking for is something exactly like Resident Evil but with a few differences, then this is it.
Daymare: 1998 has everything you’d expect to see in a Resident Evil game, except it feels cheaper and clunkier than a RE game. It has similar characters, creatures, and even environments.
Somehow, this title was a success for the developer. They even released a sequel to the game called, Daymare: 1994. The reason some people like these games is because of nostalgia. They feature that classic look and feel from the good old days.
12. Silver Pines
Silver Pines is very similar to Resident Evil games and it’s a really good title. The only reason I ranked it lower is because this game is not a third-person shooter. It’s actually played in a 2.5D side-scrolling perspective.
Other than that, Silver Pines offers all the great features you’d want from a Resident Evil game, like a mysterious town that’s hiding a secret, a detective looking for missing persons, environmental puzzles, weapon combat, and more.
It’s a high-quality game with a different perspective view. If you’re up for something similar to Resident Evil but with a different angle, this game is perfect for you.
