When incorporeal beings are launching an assault on the digital realm, who ya gonna call? Any one of these video game protagonists should get the job done! Well, almost any of them (sorry, James Sunderland). This list features as a smattering of ghostly titles of various genres, some with deadlier hauntings and more competent heroes than others. Whether it’s a paranormal puzzler or a full blown survival horror scarefest, one of this titles is sure to tickle your phantasmal fancy. These are the 10 best video games about ghosts and spirits, for thrill seeking spiritual investigators everywhere.
Luigi’s Mansion
While historically Luigi might not have been the first plumber you’d think to call to flush out a ghost problem, the Luigi’s Mansion franchise changed the younger Mario brother’s reputation forever. First released in the Gamecube glory days of 2001, the Luigi’s Mansion series was one of the first Nintendo titles to put Luigi in a starring role. A scream queen icon in the making, Luigi spends the first game bumbling around a haunted mansion searching for his lost brother Mario, who was spirited away by the specters within. Equipped with a Ghostbusters style vacuum to suck up ghosts, Luigi puzzles his way through the phantasmal mansion before facing off with his nemesis King Boo. Charming and campy as any classic Halloween film, the Luigi’s Mansion is a must play for any ghost buff.
Silent Hill 2
Arguably the greatest horror game ever made, Silent Hill 2 is the story of James Sunderland – a widower who travels to the town of Silent Hill after getting a letter from his wife…. his dead wife. Silent Hill is a supernatural suburb, a town that shapes itself around the psyche of those who enter into its borders – serving as a nightmarish landscape that reflects their deepest inner traumas. The game isn’t filled with ghosts in a traditional sense, but rather spiritual projections born out of James’ deepest fears. Psychosexual nightmare nurses, monstrous mannequins, and a pyramid-headed killer that has become a creature of gaming infamy – each one represents James’ guilt, sexual frustrations, and desire for self-punishment. There’s never enough space to run. There’s never enough bullets for your gun. There’s never a moment of peace for sanity-starved mind. Someone should really issue a travel advisory for this town, enter at your own risk.
Okami
One of the most underrated fantasy titles ever made, Okami is the story of Amaterasu – a sun goddess reincarnated into the form of a white wolf. With the help of a divine paintbrush and a diminutive artist that serves as her traveling companion, Amaterasu wanders the nation of Nippon to cleanse the land of darkness. The darkness comes in the form of yokai – malevolent spirits from Japanese folklore that have a penchant for possessing and eating people. Wilderness haunting demons, hungry ghosts, eight headed snake monsters, all sorts of nasty spirits abound – and Amaterasu must banish them all with her divine light. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of friendly spirits too. Helpful specters, benevolent goddesses, and one divine warrior with seriously fabulous hair.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
An iconic survival horror title remade for the modern era, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly is the story of Mio and Mayu Amakura, two sisters trapped in a ghostly village that is haunted by hostile spirits. Cursed to reenact an ancient ritual that keeps the powers of Hell at bay, the sisters attempt to defy their fate through the magic of photography! Featuring one of the most unique combat systems ever conceived, Crimson Butterfly‘s battles are fought through the lens of the camera. By taking pictures of ghosts with the mysterious Camera Obscura, the sisters are able to do damage to the specters before they can strike. The closer a ghost is to attacking when its photo is snapped, the more damage it takes, making gameplay a hair raising affair. While the remake’s graphics are gorgeous, there’s something about the PS2 original’s visuals that really ramp up the nostalgic dread. Atmospheric and adrenalizing, Crimson Butterfly is one of a kind.
P.T.
The greatest video game ghost story that never was, P.T. stands for “Playable Teaser,” and served as a sample of the canceled game Silent Hills. Designed by Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima and film director Guillermo del Toro, this first person thriller takes place entirely within the claustrophobic confines of a suburban house, where the games’ protagonist must complete a series of puzzles while being jumpscared to death by the ghost of a woman. When the protagonist reaches the end of the L-shaped hallway that serves as the game’s world, the house resets, and you’re forced to tiptoe your way through it all over again. Part puzzler, part psychological horror, P.T. is a head-scratcher and heart-pounder in equal measure.
F.E.A.R.
One of the originators of the “tactical team vs. supernatural horrors” trope, F.E.A.R. is a paranormal first person shooter that puts you in control of Point Man – the front-facing member of a spec-ops squad. Using your split second reaction time, you’re tasked with helping your squad pepper paranormal entities with lead – bought and paid for by the U.S. government. As you navigate a top secret black site where a psychic operative went rogue, you’re plagued by hallucinatory visions of a creepy little girl named Alma – who soon reveals herself to be the real star of the show. Combining run and gun action with survival horror scares, the F.E.A.R. franchise solidified itself as one of the spookiest shooters on the market.
Phasmophobia
Appropriately named after the fear of ghosts, Phasmophobia will surely exacerbate your sense of spectral dread. Arguably the best co-op ghost game ever made, Phasmophobia places you on a team of paranormal investigators sent to unearth the details behind hauntings. You and three friends can traipse your way through haunted houses where unspeakable things dwell, collecting spiritual evidence while trying to keep your sanity in check. If your sanity drops too low, the spirit will hunt you down and kill you. In classic survival horror fashion, all you can do is hide and wait for the ghost to go away. The rewards for finding spectral evidence are high, but so are the risks. Not even voice chatting with your comrades will keep you safe, as the ghost is able to recognize certain words – and punish you for saying them.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
A dark twist on a famous fantasy epic, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor paints J.R.R. Tolkien’s good vs. evil world in shades of moral grey. After his family is murdered by orcs, warrior Talion is possessed by the spirit of the ancient elf Celebrimbor, who vows to help him take revenge. Even a cursory glance of The Silmarillion will show you that Celebrimbor was done dirty by Sauron, and the elf-wraith is all too willing to hit the Dark Lord below the belt in return. Using a combination of stealth, swordplay, and sorcery, Talion and Celebrimbor cut a swath through Sauron’s forces in order to secure vengeance. The game is famous for its “Nemesis system,” which allows you to have personal beef with various orcs in Sauron’s army – beef that is all too satisfying to squash with the help of your spiritual powers. However, sometimes you’re pitted against powerful spirits in return. Ever gone 2v1 against a Balrog? If you answered no, this game’s sequel will change that.
Oxenfree
Don’t let Oxenfree‘s nostalgia-inducing title fool you, this story is about as kind to adolescent protagonists as a Stephen King novel. Inspired by coming of age stories past, the game revolves the teenage girl Alex, who accidentally unleashes a supernatural threat while visiting a remote island with her friends. While playing around with her radio, Alex unwittingly tunes to a spectral frequencies that open a dimension rift to the other side. Now Alex and friends must side scroll their way through the mysterious island, solving puzzles, communing with spirits, and trying to not get possessed. When you’re stuck in a ghostly time loop created by malevolent spirits, that last bit is easier said than done. A horror/adventure story like Stranger Things, Oxenfree proves that most spiritual problems can be solved by the power of friendship.
MADiSON
Scientifically proven to be the most heart rate elevating game ever made, MADiSON is the story of 16 year old Luca – a boy whose photography hobby inadvertently exposes him to a malevolent spirit. As it turns out, Luca’s new instant camera was once owned by a serial killer attempting to summon a demon, but the spirit was bound to the device after the murder ritual went wrong. Trapped in a house by the deranged killer, he learns how is cursed lineage is linked to the murder’s past – and the demon jumpscaring him at every turn. Featuring the caught on camera horror of Fatal Frame and the claustrophobic thrill of Resident Evil 7, MADiSON solidifies its legacy as one of the scariest games of all time.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
