To push you to play some of the very best horror games for the XBOX 360 has to offer, we’ve trawled through the simply, massive library of 360 games to come up with our list. Horror games shouldn’t just be played at Halloween. They’re playable all year round, so I wanted to encourage you to do just that.
To do this we here at CodeWithMike want to carry on our exploration of the best horror games for old-gen consoles. We started with the best PS2 horror games then moved on to the best PS3 horror games and now we’ve landed here, the best Xbox 360 horror games.
The issue we found with this list when researching it was that a lot of Xbox 360 horror games were also released on PS3 and we didn’t want any overlap with our previous lists so whilst today’s games might not be the most memorable, they will still be great games that we love.
The Best Horror Games For The Xbox 360
So, let’s jump into what we believe to be the best horror games for the Xbox 360. We’ll start with a game that you should all be familiar with. Most of the games on the list are easily recognisable, just some of you may have forgotten about a particular franchise.
Some games on this list need no introduction at all though!
Dead Island
When I mention Dead Island what’s the first thing that pops into your head? If you’ve played the game and don’t say the opening song then you’re lying to yourself. Even just writing this all I can hear is “I’ve got a Zombie army and you can’t harm me”. It’s great!
But let’s be real, you aren’t here for music, you came for gameplay.
Dead Island has you play as one of 4 main characters, each with their own special perks to help when surviving the zombie apocalypse, on their quest to escape the island of Banoi where the game takes place.
Dead Island is oft fondly remembered by a lot of gamers, and rightly so, the island is a beautiful place even with all the destruction, and the wide range of weaponry makes for some interesting strategies on taking down hordes of zombies.
The game of the year edition is well worth picking up.
Left 4 Dead 1&2
Sticking with the subject of zombies, let’s talk Left 4 Dead. I was struggling to decide which game I wanted to include from this franchise so I decided, screw it, I’ll use both.
Left 4 Dead 1&2 follow 8 survivors split across the two games as they fight through mountains of zombies in linear levels, pushing to get to the safe room at the end of the fight. Both games are both co-op and single player compatible with those choosing to fight solo having the back up of three AI characters who will be just as (if not more) effective than having a real person at your side.
Our favourite thing about the Left 4 Dead series is the range of special zombies included in each game, from the Boomer to the Witch there are plenty of them that require a different approach than just spray and pray.
These games will always be up there on some of our favourites of all time and definitely deserve to be on a list of the best horror games on Xbox 360.
Dead Rising 2
I’m starting to notice a little bit of a pattern forming with all these games so far, zombies! There’s a good reason for this I swear, zombies just make for good horror content. That being said, here’s Dead Rising 2.
Have you ever wanted to stick two chainsaws on a motorbike and mow down a mall’s worth of zombies? Play Dead Rising 2. Ever wanted to create Wolverine claws using boxing gloves and blades? Play Dead Rising 2!
Honestly this game lets you get truly creative in the way you kill zombies, but that’s not why it’s a great game. Whereas some games have you managing things like hunger or thirst, Dead Rising 2 puts you in the shoes of Chuck Greene whose daughter has been infected, this means that every 12 in game hours you have to give her Zombrex medicine or she will turn into a Zombie. All of a sudden this is a post apocalyptic parenting simulator, and honestly, I’m here for it.
You also have to manage your missions and prioritise them because as soon as a mission becomes available a timer starts counting down and that will be the mission failed, not game over but you will lose the rewards of that mission forever.
Alan Wake
Have you wanted to play a game that is presented as a TV show? Well you can with Alan Wake.
In this game you play as the titular Alan Wake as you try to discover what happened to your wife whilst experiencing things from the plot of your new book.
This game is highly praised in the gaming world, sporting stunning visuals and setting up a great atmosphere. There is a lot to be loved about this game and it is definitely worth the play through.
Alan Wake excels in providing stunning atmospherics, judging on atmosphere alone, it’s probably one of the best, really it is. It’s also got a pretty solid story line with brilliant writing and decent character development.
It’s moody, visually interesting and quite surprisingly, under-rated. I’d almost go as far as calling it a must-play.
Alone in the Dark
Speaking of games with episodic structures, enter Alone in the Dark, a puzzle solving survival horror game.
Alone in the dark has you play as amnesiac Edward Carnby as you follow his story which revolves around the occult, a philosopher’s stone, and the devil himself. It is a wild story and one you won’t regret being a part of.
There is a lot of talk among the gaming community that there are a quite a few bugs in this game. Download a digital copy and most of the bugs will have been fixed.
Even with the issues mentioned, it’s still a good game. Alone in the dark is a horror thoroughbred. It was first released in 1992, so the series is getting on a bit now. It hasn’t really aged like fine wine but it’s still worth playing.
It’s got enough content to keep you occupied. I can’t quite explain why but it’s a good game to keep in the collection and one that you can play through a few times.
Silent Hill HD Collection
Do I really need to introduce this next game? Konami created a masterpiece! Silent Hill is one of the biggest horror game franchises to date so there’s no surprise that one of them made it onto this list, and that one is Silent Hill HD Collection.
This is Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3 all wrapped into one game with improved graphics for the Xbox 360 and PS3 era of gaming. Whilst most of the gameplay from both games is the same there are a few artistic changes, and with this being released on Xbox 360 there were also achievements added.
Whilst you could go and play the original Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3 I would definitely recommend picking up the HD Collection instead, even if it is just for some minor graphics improvements. The gameplay received very little tweaking, if any at all. So it’s still the same perfect example of a horror game as it was all those years ago.
Slender: The Arrival
Last, but definitely not least, we have Slender: The Arrival. If you’re like me then you spent an uncomfortable amount of time on the internet growing up reading creepypastas like Jeff the Killer and Smile.exe (yes I was one of those kids). One of the mainstays among those creepypastas was Slenderman, a terrifying entity that stalks and abducts people, mainly children.
The game has you completing a bunch of different objectives across different locations but what makes the game terrifying is that you have no defense against slenderman. If you come across the entity all you can do is run and this hopelessness makes for a truly horrifying experience.
The Best Xbox 360 Horror Games Final Thoughts
So there you have it, our list of the best horror games for the Xbox 360. Did we miss your favourites? Let us know in the comments below, and whilst you’re here why not check out our gaming page for more lists like this, but also opinion pieces and guides to help in your favourite games.
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