Besides the PS1/DC Resident Evils, what are some good "classic" style survival horrors?

[ChiefReginod]

Are Dino Crisis and Fear Effect still worth playing? To be honest, I don't know what other games are popular in this genre. And to be clear, I'm talking about the classic Resident Evil style with the tank controls, fixed perspectives, etc.

It seems the genre has seen a resurgence lately with the "Haunted PS1" tag on itch.io, but most of those games seem pretty short compared to the older ones. If there are any that are still worth checking out, go ahead and list them.

 

[mrdude]

Try Silent Hill.

 

[ChiefReginod]

Try Silent Hill.

I've played the first one. I liked it, but the fully 3D sections with no fixed perspective made it feel a little too modern somehow. I'm being picky, I know.

 

[FAST6191]

I like Dino Crisis and its sequel (there were no others you can't convince me otherwise) but it has been a while I suppose.

Soul of the Samurai/Ronin Blade depending upon the region can be worth a look into but they made the mistake of locking the most satisfying gameplay (comes from the best weapons) behind being able to play so takes a while to click. Still one of my favourite games in those circles though. Rarely see it on lists either.

Skipping forward a bit I will throw in for Cold Fear on the original xbox. That said it is not necessarily fixed if that is a hard limit.

PAL and Japanese (don't think there has been a backport of the translation yet) but Michigan Report from Hell could be worth a look in.

Not necessarily PS1 era but if you want to take it back to the origins then Sweet Home for the NES/Famicom has a nice translation
https://www.romhacking.net/translations/2853/ https://www.romhacking.net/translations/222/

Tank controls are out but Clock Tower usually gets thrown in for these discussions. Whether you go for Parasite Eve in this is also potentially debated but I have to note it in this, the second is not bad but a very different game and the third for PSP is different again.

Outside call but if you are plumbing depths then Zaphie 2 could be worth a look in (the original is more point and click, usually likened to Myst).

 

[CrossOut]

A ps1 game called Hellknight. Heres a bit about it. "The game consists of mazelike maps, there is no combat. The player must travel through the underground and protect Naomi. There is only one monster in the whole game, which cannot be killed. Hellnight can be seen as a modern takes on 3D Monster Maze and a precursor to games like White Day and Amnesia: The Dark Descent"

"The game's atmosphere relies on alternating between the puzzles and solutions in certain rooms and the dangerous legwork between each point of safety where the creature roams"

 

[HippyJ3]

A ps1 game called Hellknight. Heres a bit about it. "The game consists of mazelike maps, there is no combat. The player must travel through the underground and protect Naomi. There is only one monster in the whole game, which cannot be killed. Hellnight can be seen as a modern takes on 3D Monster Maze and a precursor to games like White Day and Amnesia: The Dark Descent"

"The game's atmosphere relies on alternating between the puzzles and solutions in certain rooms and the dangerous legwork between each point of safety where the creature roams"

Additional note: there are four different support characters each with different abilities in Hell Night, if Naomi was killed, another character will take her place as your support as you progress in the game, game's ending will differ depending which companion is with the player at the end of the game

As for PS1 games with tank controls here are a few more
- Alone in The Dark New Nightmare
- Countdown Vampires (it sucks though, but maybe it's just me)
- Galerians
- Overblood
- Martian Gothic Unification

First Person View
- D
- Juggernaut
- Iru
- Echo Night
- Echo Night Nemuri no Shiasha (The Lord of Nightmares)

 

[ChiefReginod]

I'm a little late coming back to this but I appreciate the recs.

And on second thought, Silent Hill definitely counts. I've been meaning to get to the second one, but I didn't get the best ending in the first one and will probably want to play it again first. I'll also add Haunting Ground and Eternal Darkness to the list.

It still seems like there are remarkably few games in this genre given how popular it is. There was a relatively short window of time before they started adding elements from other genres.

 

[mituzora]

If you can stomach it, the original Alone in the Dark on PC was essentially the grandfather of the 'tank controls' survivor horror game. It's hard to look at nowadays though, but it essentially birthed the survival horror genre

 

[ChiefReginod]

If you can stomach it, the original Alone in the Dark on PC was essentially the grandfather of the 'tank controls' survivor horror game. It's hard to look at nowadays though, but it essentially birthed the survival horror genre

I kind of want to play it but I'm afraid I'll hate the battle system, which doesn't look very forgiving. I've heard good things about the game in general, though.

 

[duwen]

Pac-Man ...the original 'survival horror' game.

 

[AmandaRose]

Blue Stinger on the Dreamcast is rather good it's like Resident Evil but with Zombies/Aliens and Dinosaurs all in the one game.