Well, it's that time of year again. Let the ghosts and goblins come! I was originally going to try and
marathon a few this month, but turns out, I missed my chance! Too busy. I don't see a ton of discussion
about games of this genre, so here's my question:

What would you say is the best horror game you've played in recent memory?

PC, or console.

The best survival horror game ever made, in my opinion, is Nocturne.

That is not from "recent memory" though, but the thread title doesn't say recent memory, even though the OP does, so I'm saying Nocturne anyway.

The Corpse Party games (they are on GOG) are also good survival horror games, although the one titled "Corpse Party 2" is a scam that is only 1/5th of an actual game, and the other 4/5ths of that game have never been made and probably never will be. So definitely no one should buy that one in particular.

Dying Light 1 (that is on GOG too) is also a good survival horror games.

I played the RE 2 Remake last year since I figured it would never come to GOG and I got fed up with waiting for a possible GOG release. I don't think that game deserves all of the acclaim it gets.

In RE 2 Remake, the default lighting is horrible and requires a ReShade mod to be applied to remove the horrible (in a bad way) green tint that the devs put into the game by default.

And most of the bosses ruin the tone by changing it from a Survival Horror game into a zany, asinine, silly, unimmersive, unrealistic, unscary, non-believable, Marvel-esque movie/Saturday morning cartoon nonsense.

It's not technically a survival horror game, but for sheer ambiance of suspense on the edge of terror - Subnautica! The music, sound cues and atmosphere really surprised a lot of experienced gamers and reviewers who played past the first "shallow" areas. So very many moments I still recall several years later, including the one that sent B out of his seat. LOL!

Does Project Zero (aka Fatal Frame) count as survival horror? Those are easily my favorite horror games, and there is some resource management. Nothing gives me chills like the haunting sound design of the original Xbox/PS2-games. It doesn't throw jump scares at you that often either, but it always manages to put you on edge. Also, I found out that ghosts are actually scarier than zombies. The gameplay of defeating the ghosts by taking pictures of them is also a novel idea.

As for a new game, I've been playing Sons of the Forest with some friends. It's still very early access, but it has a lot going for it. Plenty of creepy moments while exploring the forest or underground caves at night. Nothing like peacefully chopping wood when a cannibal sneaks up on you. The tension of swimming out to the raft while sharks are circling around you was also quite a rush.

Resident Evil is always a classic! Subnautica is still in my backlog though. Will definitely play it when I get the chance. Honestly, the ocean's always going to be unsettling to some extent for me. Even after all the research we've done over the years, there's still a lot we don't know. Really lends to some good ideas!

Also, Fatal Frame! Yes, that definitely counts. The first game on Xbox brings back a lot of memories. Same goes for its sequel, Crimson Butterfly. The ghost designs were top notch. I distinctly remember one with a broken neck that constantly charged at you from inside the walls. Didn't help that the doors automatically locked, forcing you into a fight you couldn't escape. I played a bit of Sons of the Forest not long after it was put out, but I've definitely missed a few updates. Was super fun though.

All on PC, unless stated otherwise:
- The Evil Within series.
- RE 4 (UHD Edition) and RE7 Gold.
- RE2 Remake.
- Silent Hill 1 (PSX).
- Silent Hill 2 (PC).
- Dead Space 1 and 2 (old versions on PC).
- Alan Wake.

Life

Saw the thread title, came in here to mention Condemned: Criminal Origins, but then OP specifies it should be one I've played recently, and I haven't played a survival horror game in a while...

Edit: The Evil Within games are fantastic, and I played those not so many years ago.

Dead Space 1. Played on Impossible difficulty straight away. Normally, you can only play on Impossible after finishing the game. But you can unlock it through a config file and play on it on a fresh playthrough. Best way to really bring out the survival, anything below is too lenient with supplies and enemies.

Still one of the best horror games IMO. Dead Space 2 was OK, but definitely not as good as the first one. 3 was playable, but completely dropped the ball with the horror.

Your thread gave me some thought...
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/horror_game_or_survival_horror_game_whats_the_difference_nowadays

Oh, man; Condemned: CO was awesome.

I really wish Condemned 2 was ported to PC.

Some of my favorite horror adventure* games:
* The "Survival" part isn't that important to me

- Various Resident Evil games
- The Evil Within 1/2
- Dead Space
- Alan Wake (1/AM). Looking forward to the second one!
- Alone In The Dark
- Black Mirror 1-3
- Deadly Premonition
- Prey 2017
- Silent Hill 4 The Room
- Planescape Torment
- SOMA
Etc.

I won't let a thread like this pass without mentioning Silent Hill 3. The peak story-telling from Silent Hill 2 is exchanged for peak horror.

SURVIVAL Horror:
-Resident Evil 2 (og), and 1 (also og).
-Dino Crisis

Regular Horror:
-Lone Survivor
-Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Personal favorites (perhaps unconventional): S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl and Minecraft in hardcore mode.