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Many of the horror games available on the original Xbox could be found in the PlayStation section as well, though this green machine did have some spooky specters unique to its own library. There are vampire lords, murderous hunters, and Lovecraftian eldritch horrors all hidden under the hood of Microsoft’s first console.
10 Obscure
Obscure was released back in 2004 and is a survival horror game that features six playable students trapped in their school after hours. The students were originally just searching for their missing friend but stumbled upon horrors beyond human comprehension. The school’s principal has teamed up with the school nurse to turn the students into monsters using spores from a rare plant.
The story isn’t all that groundbreaking, but it’s fun all the same. Obscure also has some unique features like controlling the characters in duo squads and swapping inventory items between characters. The game still allows the player to finish the game if some characters meet their demise, so resetting is only needed for perfect runs.
9 The Thing
Created as a sequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing, players control Captain Blake as he leads his small unit of special forces through the Antarctic outpost after the events of the film. The team is attacked by strange creatures and are constantly under threat from The Thing.
This third-person survival shooter sets itself apart with its trust system, as teammates will only respond to Blake’s commands if they trust him. Any member of the team can be manipulated by The Thing, so players will also have to consistently double-check the actions and behaviors of each squad mate. This element makes this classic horror title a little more difficult than many of the modern releases seen today.
8 Manhunt
Manhunt has players control James Earl Cash as he must survive being hunted by deadly gang members on camera. This game caused some controversy on release due to its graphic violence, but it developed a cult following and even got a sequel in 2007.
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Manhunt is based on stealth, as James must take to the shadows and hide from the hunters before executing them by surprise. Weapons are spread throughout the game and range from baseball bats to plastic bags. With 20 base levels and four additional levels that are unlocked later, there’s a lot of mayhem to cause in this digital version of The Most Dangerous Game.
7 Doom 3
At the time, Doom 3 was a reboot for the Doom franchise, with upgraded graphics and the same gameplay formula that players love the series for. After a botched teleportation experiment, demons from Hell are sent to Mars, where a space marine must battle them back to prevent them from invading Earth.
The Xbox version did have some issues, though the game’s story is very solid, and it’s an enjoyable ride through demon-infested space. Players who loved the latest editions of Doom but never played the older titles should absolutely pick up Doom 3 when they get the chance.
6 Call Of Cthulu: Dark Corners Of The Earth
Based on The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft, Call of Cthulu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a stealth survival horror game that has players control Jack Walters, a private investigator sent to the town of Innsmouth. After he arrives, he starts noticing strange fish people and other threats to his health and sanity.
The game shows player damage through the surrounding sights and sounds, rather than using the traditional health and sanity meter. Though the enemy AI can be quite frustrating, the game is a fun dive into Lovecraft’s horror and is sure to perplex players in a way that only Cthulu can.
5 Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams
The most renowned title in the Silent Hill franchise got an upgraded port for the original Xbox called Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. The port upgrades the graphics and adds a game mode called Born From A Wish, which sees the player take control of Maria. This mode takes place before James Sunderland leaves to search the town of Silent Hill for answers about the letter he receives from his deceased wife.
James experiences horrors beyond imagination in Silent Hill, and the game is notorious for leaving players guessing what is and isn’t real in the world. Fans who have played the game on PS2 may want to give this port a try for the expanded story.
4 Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Director’s Cut
Another enhanced Xbox port, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Director’s Cut upgrades the graphics of the original game and adds new costumes, as well as a shop for Camera Obscura equipment. Protagonists Mio and Mayu are targeted by the spirits of a forgotten village to be used as sacrifices. The player must help the two girls traverse the village, and use careful camera work to keep the ghosts at bay.
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The upgraded graphics do a lot for the game, and definitely enhance the overall atmosphere and spooky visuals. This port also adds a first-person mode, providing the player with a more personal view of the vengeful spirits.
3 Castlevania: Curse Of Darkness
Castlevania: Curse Of Darkness takes place 3 years after the events of Castlevania 3. Even though Dracula has been defeated by Trevor Belmont, evil still threatens the world from beyond the grave. Players control Hector, a former follower of Dracula who returns to the vampire lord’s castle to seek revenge on Issac for killing his wife.
Issac murdered Hector’s wife because he believed that Hector’s betrayal led to Dracula’s defeat, and now Issac hopes to resurrect his former master. Castlevania: Curse Of Darknesscombines enjoyable gameplay systems with a killer soundtrack to form an immensely fun experience on the Xbox.
2 Fatal Frame Special Edition
This expanded port of Fatal Frame was released in 2002 and brought loads of upgrades to one of the best horror games of the 2000s. Dubbed Fatal Frame Special Edition, players control Miku Hinasaki as she searches the Himuro Mansion for her missing brother Mafuyu, though she encounters several specters and ghouls along the way.
This port also comes with upgraded graphics, new ghosts, and a “Fatal” difficulty to really crank up the scares and screams. These upgrades definitely make Fatal Frame Special Edition the superior version of the game, and a must-play for those looking to relive Fatal Frame.
1 Cold Fear
Cold Fear was Ubisoft’s first horror game, and though many wrote it off as a Resident Evil 4 clone, Cold Fear was released only a few months later so development for both games took place simultaneously. Tom Hansen is the protagonist and a member of the United States Coast Guard who is exploring a Russian ship that has become infested with the undead.
Russian mobsters and CIA agents alike are turned undead, and Hansen has to traverse the large vessel in order to find answers. This game has interesting mechanics including the realistic swaying of the ship as well as a unique delayed physics engine. Tom Hansen might not be Leon Kennedy, but he puts up with enough zombies to be placed on the same pedestal.
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