Summary
The horror video game genre is massive nowadays, with horror games being one of the most popular styles to create for indie developers. Unique ways have been found to create horror games that can be fascinating without needing a lot of money behind them, and this has greatly increased the variety of stories that can be told in the genre.
Medieval horror is a lot less common than other types of horror games, but there are a few truly great ones that have set themselves in a variety of Medieval and Medieval-inspired worlds,using creepy castles and disturbing talesto terrify players without needing any modern conveniences.
The entireDark Soulsfranchise makes for amazing examples of games taking medieval architecture and styling and bringing it intoa terrifying, nihilistic fantasy world, filled to the brim with characters that are able to brutally murder the player at every turn, making sure the game is only suitable for veteran players or players looking to take a lot of punishment.
In the first game in the franchise, players become an undead character who has been cursed and is on a journey to uncover what happened to their people. In a world that contains magic, dragons, and prophecies, theDark Soulsgames are easily considered horror games while focusing heavily on a distinctly medieval style.
A very unusual game set around 1590 andcreated using RPG Maker,Fear And Hungerholds the unusual distinction of being a survival horror game while simultaneously being a pretty interesting indie RPG. Players choose from one of four classes of character before entering the caverns ofFear And Hunger, where they are forced to fight various creatures and monsters, in addition to solving a number of puzzles.
In spite of the RPG elements,Fear And Hungeris very much a medieval-set game about terror, where players constantly have to try and get enough food and keep their sanity meter replenished, in addition to fighting off deadly adversaries. The world is built around an ancient fortress that is a nexus between different planes of reality, and players have to traverse these boundaries in order to unlock the secrets within.
One of the few games set during a real medieval time period instead of a medieval fantasy world,A Plague Tale: Innocencetakes place in Aquitaine in the 12th Century. It focuses on a fifteen-year-old girl who must take her young sick brother on a journey to try and cure him, while avoiding soldiers, black plague rats, and other entities.
Playing as a child, who is practically helpless at times, is terrifying enough in such a bleak medieval world, but adding the supernatural elements helpsA Plague Taleratchet the fear factor up on this strange adventure, which was highly praised and resulted in a sequel thatwas nominated for Game of the Year.
Similarly toDark Souls, and taking a number of cues from that franchisedespite being a little easier,Blasphemousis set in a medievally-styled fantasy world, named Cvstodia. Uncommonly,Blasphemoustakes a lot of inspiration from the medieval Roman Catholicism of Spain, especially Andalucia. This world feels medieval in every sense of the word.
Players take control of a character called The Penitent One, who has to venture through the world in a Metroidvania fashion, taking on a variety of horrific creatures and re-traversing areas that were formerly inaccessible. The world feels both medieval and highly religious in its style, with a force called the Miracle both blessing and cursing the inhabitants of Cvstodia, subjecting them to eternal damnation and helping to create a world that feels terrifying and intimidating.
Hellbladetakes inspiration increating a terrifying fantasy worldsteeped in mythologies from unusual sources. Many different games take their basis from Norse Mythology, butHellbladeadditionally takes pieces from Celtic lore. Set in the 8th century,Hellbladeis one of the oldest medieval-style games, focusing on a Pict warrior as she ventures into Helheim to try and recover the soul of her lover.
Senua is a fascinating character, and the ancient world created from the lore of various mythologies helps the game deal with a lot of psychological terror through Senua’s voices in her head. While Senua does fight enemies throughout the game, the feeling of helplessness often found in survival horror is still present, as she traverses worlds and realms far beyond her.
One of the best examples of a fantasy world built around a medieval-styled world, the entireCastlevaniafranchise andSymphony of the Nightin particular make a creepy, intense world of fear that has gone on to inspire a huge variety of other horror games, including much of the Metroidvania genre, whichthis remains a great gateway toward.
WhileSymphony of the Nightis a classic, it is still terrifying to play through today. Players can adventure as Alucard, the son of Dracula, as he attempts to take down the mysterious force that is controlling Richter Belmont. The fighting mechanics and adventuring 2D style may have gone out of fashion in the modern gaming world, but it remains a lot of fun to revisit games likeSymphony of the Night.
