Summary
Lighting has always been an important aspect of survival horror games. After all, giving players just enough vision to see a few steps ahead of the path, without revealing the horrors that lurk in the shadows, is what makes the general aesthetic and tone of these games so creepy, but some titles in this immensely popular genre have used darkness in very unique and effective ways.
While it can be easy to make the environments a tad too dark to where it gets in the way of the core gameplay experience, when a game gets it just right, it can add so much to the spine-chillinggameplay loop. There’s nothing scarier than popping on a flashlight, only to see a swarm of grotesque monsters wandering around the room, so without further ado, it’s time to see the best survival horror games that contain dark environments for players to venture through.
Just as the name suggests, the latest title in theAmnesiaseries throws players into an underground bunker, though this is far from a safe heaven. The dark and dingy bunker is being occupied by ahorrific beastwho will stalk the player as they try to make a desperate escape, so attracting as little attention as possible is the goal here. While the corridors of the bunker are devoid of any light, players can still use their personal flashlight to get an idea of their whereabouts.
The issue is, powering up the light will require players to pull on a cord, which will attract the Beast if he’s already in close proximity. Grabbing a torch to light the way tends to be more effective for safely exploring the bunker without getting detected along the way by the monstrosity simply known as the ‘beast’.
What should have been a relaxing weekend getaway became an absolute nightmare for the cast ofUntil Dawn. After Josh and his friends decide to return back to Blackwood Mountain a year after a tragic accident, they soon realize they are not only beingstalked by a serial killer, but have also stumbled into the nest of a ferocious pack of Wendigos.
Because the entire game takes place in a single night, there’s always a dark and dreading atmosphere to the game which keeps players in suspense at all times. There are still a few torches and flashlights that the characters can pick up in certain sections of the game, but the darkness that covers the mountain ensures the enemies themselves can only ever be heard, rather than seen.
While making their way through the eerie PATHOS-IIunderwater facilityinSOMA, players must attempt to keep their cool while being hunted by all kinds of terrifying creatures. What makes this all the more scary is that any sort of lighting in the game is few and far between, meaning players will need to rely on neon banners and spotlights to get a good look at their environment.
BecauseSOMAis a game that encourages players to use stealth rather than run and gunning their way through each level, it means the darkness of the areas can actually be an advantage, allowing players to know where they should and should not be hiding.
In the first cutscene ofResident Evil 7where Ethan is shown driving towards the Baker Estate, the sun is still shining, and the environment doesn’t feel all that scary thanks to the vibrant background. Once Ethan actually enters, though, he wouldn’t see the sunlight until the very end of the game, and with the Bakers only having a few lamps and candles scattered around their premises, it makes the environment incredibly dark and spooky.
Once players reach the outhouse, they’ll be able to see Marguerite coming from afar thanks to her giant lamp lighting up the rooms, which she also uses to control her bugs. While it was always a bit tricky creating dark environments in the classic games due to the fixed camera angles, it works a lot better and is much more manageable with thisFPS viewin place instead.
TheSilent Hillgames always try to prevent players from seeing what’s right in front of them, leaving it up to their imagination to wonder what enemies await them around each corner. In theSilent Hill 2remake, along with the original, this is achieved by using a cloud of fog to obscure their vision when outside, but when entering a building, the corridors will be completely covered with a thick layer of darkness.
Though James grabs a flashlight early on in his adventure, the range of this handy tool is fairly minimal. Instead, players are encouraged to rely on the static of their radio to detect when an enemy is nearby. Considering the game is all about exploring the dark and disturbing corners of the human psyche, the bleak aesthetic and lighting ofSilent Hill 2perfectly feeds into the underlying themes ofJames' journey.
Outlastkicks off with curious journalist, Miles, entering the seemingly abandoned Mount Massive Asylum, only to find himself trapped in the building and surrounded by violent lunatics who are more than willing to kill him on sight. Players are left defenseless for the entire game, though they do still have a camera, which becomes absolutely essential for being able to navigate through many areas of the game which are pitch-black.
However, this isn’t always completely reliable, since players will need to collect batteries as they go in order to keep the camera up and running. At one point in the game, the camera screen is shattered, making the darker sections even more unnerving as it becomes harder to see the inmates as they stalk Miles from afar.
Darkness is at the core ofAlan Wake 2’sstory. One way it manifests is through the enemies that players encounter as both Alan and Saga, who are all surrounded by a dark presence which acts like a kind of armor that protects them until the shadows are removed with a light source. By keeping the environments dimly lit, it allows the enemies to blend in with the background as they pop in and out of vision, keeping players on their toes for an entire playthrough.
Thankfully, players are able to use flares to light up an area, while also keeping enemies at bay as they avoid losing their dark power. There are also a fewsafe roomsscattered throughout each level which are fully lit up, giving players a chance to catch their breath before diving back into the nightmarish journey once again.
The USG Ishimura is one ofthe scariest locations in all of gaming, and due to the dreaded Necromorphs ravaging their way through the space station, it means the entire ship is running severely low on power once Isaac reaches it. At many points in the game, players will need to deactivate the lighting in order to send power to a different department, such as air pressure, for example. During these sections, all players can rely on is the flashlight of their weapons, the glowing health bar on Isaac’s suit, and the terrifying screeches of the Necromorphs to find their way around.
Because of the game’s Intensity Director, which will mess around with the environment to catch the player off guard, lights can even switch off randomly to drench players in darkness at the most unexpected of moments. Thanks to the excellent audio design of the remake, it makes being stranded in darkness even more spooky than it was in the original.
