Survival horror games are a subgenre of action games that combine elements like puzzle-solving and are set in a horrifying environment where strategy is needed to survive.
In this guide, you’ll learn more about this game style and the top titles worth checking out. Finally, discover how to enhance your online gaming experience by reducing lag.
What is Survival Horror?
The term survival horror is used for video games that combine survival elements set in a horror and suspense atmosphere. Players face monstrous creatures, aliens, or supernatural forces and must fight or evade them to stay alive.
This genre started gaining popularity in the 1990s with famous titles like Resident Evil (1996) and Silent Hill (1999). Both have even been adapted into movies, drawing fans of the game franchises.
Characteristics of Survival Horror Games
This game style generally shares common elements like a dark atmosphere that creates suspense, accompanied by a soundtrack that intensifies the unsettling experience. Additionally, the scarcity of resources forces players to strategize and make do with what they have to overcome challenges.
As players explore environments, they encounter various threats such as deadly viruses, hordes of zombies, and monstrous creatures. With each level, the difficulty of facing these enemies increases. In some cases, there may be multiplayer campaigns to defeat a common enemy.
In most games, players must solve puzzles, which often reward them with weapons and protective items essential for progressing to higher levels.
Top Survival Horror Games to Play in 2024
Among the notable survival horror titles are successful franchises like Silent Hill. Below are some of the top options on the market, including new releases in 2024 for PC and consoles.
Silent Hill 2
This is a continuation of the hit saga that has drawn fans for many years, now revamped with new environments and challenges. Set to release on October 8, 2024, the game features an expanded map of Silent Hill, maintaining its eerie, fog-covered aesthetics.
The graphics have been improved to provide a more realistic view, immersing players in an oppressive environment filled with terrifying creatures. Players control the character James from a top-down perspective, allowing for a broad view of the environment and precise control over movements.
Alone in the Dark
A new version of the game was released in March 2024, adding new elements to the franchise that blends gothic style with a horror plot. Players follow detective Edward Carnby, who is hired by Emily Hartwood to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her uncle.
The setting is Derceto Mansion, a mental asylum hiding many dark secrets. With more realistic graphics and a third-person perspective, the game revives a classic, featuring an engaging soundtrack and well-told narrative filled with challenges and puzzles. Players can also choose to play the campaign from either character’s point of view.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl
This is another highly anticipated release for 2024, continuing one of the most successful titles in the genre. The saga is set against the backdrop of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, where the disaster has left a trail of destruction, violent mutants, and anomalies that pose a constant threat to those exploring the area.
Additionally, war factions fight to dominate the territory, adding action and keeping players engaged. The game is played in first-person, offering an immersive experience complemented by its soundtrack and realistic graphics.
Players have access to a vast arsenal of weapons and encounter various types of mutants, including some that hunt in groups. One of the game’s standout features is its non-linear story, allowing players to choose their path, explore different environments, find artifacts, and face unique challenges that shape how they progress through the narrative.
Dark Fracture
This psychological horror game is set in the 1990s and follows Edward, a lonely man haunted by his past. He works at a corpse farm studying decomposition and finds himself facing situations that make him question his sanity.
Faced with disturbing and supernatural events, you’ll question what is real and what isn’t, with sanity being the key to survival. Players must solve puzzles and find items that will help them stay alive.
How does Lag Affect Survival Horror Games?
Lag is the delay in communication between the player’s computer and the character’s actions in the game. This issue disrupts the gaming experience, especially in survival horror games where reaction speed can determine whether a player survives or not.
Lag can have various causes, the most common being connection problems and the distance between the game’s server and the player, which increases transmission time. Additionally, it’s important to ensure that the computer’s settings meet the minimum game requirements to prevent freezing.
To address this, it’s ideal to have a fast internet connection, preferably a wired one, as it is more stable. Other resources, like the ExitLag software, can help resolve this issue.
How does ExitLag Work?
ExitLag was developed by gamers to solve one of the biggest problems in online games: lag. It uses servers located in various countries to connect players to the server closest to the game, reducing response time.
It also uses multipath internet connections, automatically redirecting the player to another network if there’s instability. This ensures there are no unexpected disconnections, preventing the loss of all the progress made in the game.
