These 4 Horror Films (and 'Stranger Things') Would Make Fantastic Horror Games

Horror as a genre is something we've all come to know and love quite well. With games such as Agony, Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, Prey, and even P.A.M.E.L.A. aimed to change how we view the horror genre in 2017 in a dreadfully amazing way, it's hard to say there aren't a few shows or movies that could bring horror back from the dead. Devices such as the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and the upcoming PlayStation VR are finally hitting the market and horror itself as a genre is about to grow even more immersive than ever before.

By introducing games based upon TV shows and movies into the gaming genre, so lets take a look at a few that would help do this.

The Blair Witch Project

The Blair Witch Project set out to be one of the most terrifying movies of its era. While it scared younger generations, the movie set itself apart as a found footage film meets documentary about a witch. The movie itself followed the travels of a group of friends as they hike to a place where a entity is said to haunt the woods. A witch. In their adventure the friends travel to Coffin Rock. Their destination is one that has a dark past. One that was outlined with a tale of five men whom were all murdered in a ritualistic manner in the 19th century. Sometime after their bodies had been discovered, it had been rumored that their bodies had disappeared.

Unfortunately for our protagonists, this is the exact location where their trip takes a turn for the worst and sets them on a path that ultimately becomes a downward spiral into madness. With a reboot-or-sequel coming up soon The Blair Witch Project would be a perfect opportunity for a development team to jump on with interest once more surrounding the franchise.

How would this game play? It'd be a generous nod towards titles such as Outlast where players would find themselves as a lone survivor in the movie franchise setting. Alone in the woods and fighting for survival while being hunted by an unknown entity. Those who have played titles such as Outlast and Slender have a great idea of what this would be like.

Hellraiser

Known as one of the most iconic franchises within the horror genre, Hellraiser defined what hellish entities would be like, how they would feed upon the fears, desires, and darkest secrets of humanity. It even gave us a truly unique way of seeing how these type of creatures would look like. The creatures only known as the Cenobites are dark, twisted by both pain and pleasure. The series introduced these creatures by an item only known as "The Puzzle Box," which summons them once completed, and brings the person whom completes it into the presence of these lords and ladies of darkness.

These creatures are ones that can no longer differentiate between pain, pleasure, and their own hunger for carnal experiences. The game would require players to keep awareness to the world around them while taking place within both our world and the dimension in which the Cenobites themselves come from.

A title such as Hellraiser would have plenty of room in the modern day of gaming thanks to VR. The title would present itself as a horror-survival in the third person aspect where players would need to explore both puzzles and survival traits in order to hide from their hunters - the Cenobites (namely Pinhead). Clive Barker could team up with Madmind Studio, we know they can do anything, to scare the living hell out of us. It'd be a match made in hell for gamers.

As Above, So Below

If there's anything creepy in this world, it's the fact the Parisian Crypts travel miles upon miles below ground level in France. As Above, So Below is a title that takes us on the unique trips through the underground labyrinths of Paris. Ones that are riddled with centuries worth the bones, blood, and tears of those whom have ventured into the depths of these crypts. It's also a place that's not often ventured in media, games or otherwise. There are only a small handful of movies that explore the crypts, including As Above, So Below.

But what if, say in real life, you learned that there is a legendary alchemy-based substance that is quite capable of turning ores into things such as gold, silver, and or grant a person eternal life exists? Would you take the trip? If you did, lets make make things worse. You'd take on the role of Scarlett Marlow, the protagonist from the movie who just happens to be an alchemy scholar who wishes to continue her fathers work. In the game, the story would change a bit for players to adventure through the world around them.

As they do, the Parisian crypts will be the place of their adventures as they seek to uncover the truth behind what Flamel discovered. Unfortunately, the adventure wouldn't go as planned as your adventures would dig you deep within the crypts. Here players would end up attempting to survive a unique portion of once they uncover a gateway into hell itself.

The game would be a great opportunity for the first person action horror approach, which players are familiar with titles such as Outlast, Slender Man, and the upcoming Agony. If anything, this game is what night terror would be made of.

Stranger Things

Unless you've been avoiding Netflix, it's hard to not know about the TV show Stranger Things, that has become a critical success. So much so that it has even been announced to be receiving a second season that has recruited Colin Ferrel and comedian Vince Vaughn.

The show, featuring Winona Ryder and David Harbour among the decent size of an all-children cast (Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Natalie Dyer); takes place on November 6th, 1983, where a town has come together in a frantic search for the suddenly missing 12-year-old Will Byers, who just happens to have vanished mysteriously while riding home on his bicycle.

The shows wild adventure has two very separate stories intertwined with one another. On one end, you have the seemingly mad and distraught mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) who has teamed up with the local Sheriff (David Harbour) in a desperate, and a rather unbelievable twisted search for her missing child.

On the other side of the story, we have a rather twerpy group of children that hang out and play Dungeons and Dragons. Their search for their missing friend, Joyce's son, becomes a wild tale that may be all-to-real for them as it quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse when they learn that their new found friend named "Eleven" isn't just your average pre-teen girl. She has powers, amazing ones, and she knows exactly what has happened to their friend Will. To save him, she takes them on a wild ride to show them what is truly going on.

But where the show focuses on finding Will, the game would explore the horrible adventures of 12-year-old Will Byers as he attempts to survive an otherworldly place only known as "The Upside Down." It is where the creature that hunts him survives, it is a place that he can only run to survive in, and hope to one day find his way home.

There's Plenty More Out There

The genre is a vast one with movies such as The Hills Have Eyes, Phantasm, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Leprechaun, and many others available. With all the titles out there, horror is an ever-growing genre, and thanks to many writers - there's a lot of potential out there.