Summary
Ubisoftisn’t exactly known for horror games. That’s probably thelast thing that comes to mind. In fact, players can probably count all of their horror titles on one hand. But that doesn’t mean the publisher hasn’t delivered a few experiences chilling enough to keep players up at night.
Sure, some of these may not reach the sheer terror that certain Japanese developers have mastered, but they’re still enough to leave players in a cold sweat or reach for the nearest light switch. So, let’s take a look at some of themost terrifying experiences Ubisoft has delivered over the years, either as a developer or a publisher.
MostDivision 2players might scoff at the idea of this being included on this list. But those who’ve spent enough time in the sewers beneath Washington, D.C., know exactly why. Every now and then (thanks to the game’s randomized encounters), players will cross paths with a nomadic, eerily silent faction known only as the Underground.
These mysterious sewer-dwellers are clad in all black with heads wrapped in chains. But what truly pushes them into pants-pooping territory? Theirchainsaw-wielding tanks. The moment that engine roars to life, all player strategy will evaporate, leaving behind a bawling mess.
For a series aboutserial murderers who stab people for a living, Assassin’s Creed is surprisingly light on horror. It leans more toward quasi-historical action romps with a swashbuckling feel. But all of that got tossed out the window (and into a bale of hay) with the release ofAssassin’s Creed Syndicate’s Jack the RipperDLC.
Getting hunted by the Whitechapel Murderer was a thrilling yet terrifying experience that fans of the franchise won’t soon forget. But the biggest chill of all? Stepping into the shoes of the Ripper himself.
I Am Aliveisn’t exactly billed as a horror game, but it will definitely get players' hearts racing as they navigate its bleak, uncaring world. Like allpost-apocalyptic survival stories, the biggest monsters aren’t the environment or dwindling resources—it’s people. People who will do anything to survive, or even worse, those who revel in lawlessness now that society’s rules no longer apply.
This one isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s far more focused on dealing with emotional gut punches than physical ones. So, it’s not the best choice to unwind with after a rough day.
Watch Dogswas ahugely ambitious game for Ubisoft. They wanted to cement it as one of the all-time greats of the open-world genre. While it’s debatable whether or not they met that lofty goal, the game did have some standout moments.
One such moment was “Alone,” a minigame fromWatch Dogs’selection of Digital Trips. This eerie scenario dropped Aiden into a nightmarish,Silent Hill-esque version of Chicago, forcing him to stealthily evade waves of relentless killer robots. The suffocating atmosphere, oppressive darkness, and downright chilling sound design make it an experience that lingers long after the trip is over.
Whether it’s morally bankrupt villains or bad acid trips, theFar Cryseries isn’t afraid to dip its toes into horror. And one of the places it leans into it mostis its DLCs—especially inFar Cry 4, where things get cranked up a notch.
The “Don’t Look Down” DLC follows a hallucinating protagonist as they struggle to escape a nightmarish prison in the Himalayan mountains. But that’s nothing compared to the sheer terror of the “Valley of the Yetis” DLC, where players must survive relentless nighttime onslaughts from mysterious, abominable giants lurking in the dark.
Ubisoft took thePrince of Persiaseriesin a much edgier direction with its fifth installment, giving it a radical tonal shift that wouldn’t feel out of place in a survival horror game. Up until this point, the series had been fairly light-hearted, but the developer wanted something grittier and darker.
The result? An almost unrecognizable Prince who ditched his Aladdin-style garb for a more angsty, gothic look. But the real nightmare came in the form of a brand-new villain—the Dahaka. This relentless force of nature hounds players throughout the game, backed by pounding metal music, and there’s not a single thing they can do but run and hide.
Cold Fearis one of the few ventures Ubisoft made into thesurvival horror genre. In the game, players must fight against infected enemies known as “Exos,” who are the unfortunate hosts to parasitic organisms known as the “Exocel.” If that sounds very similar toResident Evil 4, that’s because it is.
WhatCold Feardid bring to the table was its claustrophobic atmosphere and sense of disorientation from being on a ship amidst a storm. Players would need to compensate for the rolling of the ship as they fought for their lives, making every encounter in the first half of the story especially tense. It’s too bad the rest of the game pales in comparison.
When thinking of the Wii U, horror isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind. However, Nintendo attempted to change that perception withZombiU, a first-person survival horror game developed by Ubisoft. Tasked with crafting an experience that would appeal to a more mature audience, they delivered agame full of tense, terrifying moments.
One ofZombiU’smost unsettling mechanics was its use of permadeath. Every zombie encounter carried serious weight, as death meant losing your character as well as any progress they had made. Adding to the panic-inducing atmosphere was the Wii U GamePad, which displayed crucial inventory and map information, forcing players to constantly dart their eyes between screens, often at the worst possible moments.
