Video game adaptations are nothing new, and The Last of Us is only the most recent successful instance of one. The first live action film-adaptation of a video game was created way back in the early 90s, with a poorly received iteration of Super Mario. Even with this reception, fans of the franchise look upon it more fondly now.

When it comes to the horror video games, the genre shares several elements with the film genre. Here are the top horror video games that would be successful if they were ever translated into a motion picture.

10 Outlast 2

outlast2 scene with religious imagery
Red Barrels

Outlast 2 may not be the first installment in the Outlast series, but it is the better contender for a movie. The story of Outlast 2 takes place in the Arizona desert. There, a journalist named Blake Langermann is investigating the unjustified killing of a pregnant woman, whose true name has not been discovered. He also brought his wife along with him, and following the tropes of a lot of survival games, she does indeed go missing. Blake searches for his wife in a panic, and soon realizes that he is not alone in the desert. Accompanying him now is a deranged cult that is preparing for doomsday, and they are thirsty for his blood. The game explores the themes of abuse, religion, and trauma in a fast-paced experience that is filled with gore, and Southwestern influences for its consistent aesthetic.

A lot can be done to flesh out this setting and story for a full-length feature film, like going into more detail about what this cult is doing in the desert, and provide more insight into the backstory of Blake to tie things together more neatly. This is not a story that should be watered down, either. The narrative was criticized when the game first came out, but there is a lot of potential for something that would speak to people who can relate to the characters. A brilliant director for this project would be Ti West, known for the X series. Outlast 2 covers some touchy subjects that are not safe for work, is set mostly outdoors, and is overall a wild ride. With X and Pearl under his belt, it is clear that West knows how to handle films of that nature. The new favorite director of modern-day horror fans would also likely approach the subject of women being taken advantage of with tact, seeing as X itself is a critique on the treatment of women in terms of expressing their sexuality. Of course, that is only half of X, there is a lot of depth within its script. But, him having that skill is very important, because it is arguably the most impactful arc in Outlast 2’s plot development.

9 Green Hell

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Creepy Jar

Green Hell might primarily be a survival game, but its story mode does feature some horror elements that could be exemplified in a screenplay. Protagonist and anthropologist Jake Higgins is visiting the Amazon rainforest with his adventurous wife, Mia, who is a linguist. After visiting a village of indigenous people located nearby their camp, everything goes wrong when Mia goes missing after making first contact. Their only way to communicate with one another is through a radio, which Mia has to keep hidden from the tribe who would not be able to understand the technology. Jake has to search for Mia in the vast, green wilds, with his current knowledge on wilderness survival and pure adrenaline.

This is all while dodging the natural horrors that come from the wildlife, but also from a tribe that rightfully opposes any and all researchers desecrating their land. Green Hell as a game is not necessarily rich in narrative, very much so a result of it being a survival game focused on gameplay mechanics before anything, but there is enough there for it to be an interesting commentary on colonization, and disturbing the peace of those who came before. Jake can often lose his sanity if the player makes unsavory decisions or goes untreated from injuries, etcetera, so that could also be something toyed with in an adventure-psychological horror adaptation.

Alejandro González Iñárritu is a director who comes to mind, with The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio showing that he could translate the realistic survival gameplay elements of Green Hell, and the human psyche in these harsh conditions, in a visceral and engaging way that we would certainly love to see come to life.

Related: Best Folklore Horror Movies From the Last Decade

8 Until Dawn

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Sony Interactive Entertainment

Supermassive Games are known for developing games that focus on a deep narrative, in which the player is able to change along the way. However, the most popular and recognizable instance of this is the interactive drama-horror, Until Dawn. The cast of characters is trapped at an isolated cabin spot, where they must survive until they are rescued at dawn. The game has a lot of scares, but the basis is pretty simple and similar to most slasher films. There is a big scary guy following them around, and traps set all over Blackwood Mountain, where they were staying and hoping to have a good time.

Until Dawn is not to just be taken at surface level, because there are a lot of twists and turns to the story, and shocking revelations to be made. When the player discovers the truth about what is happening, the game almost swaps horror genres entirely to provide some less-than-human spooks, and that is part of what makes this title feel so special. While it would not be the most innovative horror movie of all time, it has a good enough narrative to be compelling in the format, and there is not always a need to reinvent the wheel.

Someone good at creating suspense and a large group of interesting characters is Mike Flanagan, who can be credited for the Haunting anthology series and Midnight Mass. Flanagan has shown a distaste for jump scares (outside of breaking a record revolving around them), so it would be interesting to see Until Dawn adapted in a way that deviates from video game clichés, and displays it as a more serious title. Until Dawn also has a prequel called The Inpatient, which would be a no-brainer addition to the horror franchise if it were to ever be brought to cinema.

7 The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

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BANDAI NAMCO

Man of Medan is another Supermassive Games title from their Dark Pictures anthology, though this one was not received as favorably as their previous titles on this list. The narrative was not seen as interesting, and most of the characters were seen as unlikable. This was because Man of Medan was simply adapted to the wrong format. The story of Man of Medan just does not work as a video game. Five characters are bonding on a diving trip together, and they are in search of a plane that crashed during the second World War. Things go awry when they are met with a group of pirates who capture them, and force them onto a ship with them. Somehow, they encounter a ghost ship, the task is to sail with them and find something that they call the Manchurian Gold.

The ghost ship comes with horrible visions of creatures that are apparent to not be from this world. While this sounds like the plot of an interesting movie with psychological and creature-feature aspects, there is not much a game can do with a concept where nothing eventful is happening until a vision happens to occur, or the group of friends gets into a life or death situation. It drags on too long to force itself to reach a satisfying runtime for a full-length game—but, a feature film would not have this issue, and would allow the story to be paced much better for what it is. Because Man of Medan is an interesting story at its core, and its shocking twist would be talked about by many.

Mentioning twists, a director known for his twists and ability to keep the audience guessing is M. Night Shyamalan, most known for his critically acclaimed thriller Unbreakable, and its controversial sort-of-sequel Split. Should Man of Medan ever be adapted, Shyamalan would be the perfect person to helm the project.

Related: Best M. Night Shyamalan Movies, Ranked

6 Observer: System Redux

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Bloober Team

An excellent instance of psychological horror successfully being translated to the video game format, Observer: System Redux is set in a dystopian cyberpunk world that is sure to mess with your mind. You are introduced to the Blade Runner influenced world by the main character, Daniel Lazarski, who is an Observer for a police unit. Nearly everyone has a brain implant, and as an Observer, Daniel is able to hack into these implants with a Dream Eater. To keep the explanation short, a Dream Eater is an entry to the other person’s mind, and can be used for interrogation purposes. Daniel receives a call from his son who he has not spoken to in years, and is led to a rundown apartment building from the caller ID. While there, Daniel is introduced to several individuals who give the player a deep dive into the horrifying state of the world, and a less than favorable look into the rise of trans-humanism—the colliding of technology and the human body in order to help evolve the human species.

There is also an oppressive mega corporation called Chiron that controls the entire country, whose name lingers through the main story. A movie based on Observer would probably follow Daniel in the search for his estranged son, but the game also provides plenty of clues about the world outside the apartment building, so there is room for that to be expanded upon to flesh things out. With the cyberpunk genre seeing a resurgence in recent years, Observer would add to this trend positively with its fantastic world building and atmosphere.

Known for his complex cyberpunk and science fiction work on Blade Runner and Alien, Ridley Scott would be prime to bring this unique, thought-provoking title to the big screen.

5 SOMA

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Frictional Games

The perplexing SOMA is a survival horror video game by Frictional Studios, who are also responsible for the Amnesia series. They are known for developing games that do not focus on combat or offensive mechanics, with a high emphasis being put on creating suffocating atmospheres and a good story that is put together by the player along the way. SOMA in particular takes place in a research facility that appears to have been abandoned. When the protagonist first wakes up, their only company will be machinery that appears to have some form of sentience, or higher intelligence.

While there, the player will be finding out what happened to the facility, and what that means for himself and everyone else. SOMA is more than just a basic survival horror game with cheap jump scares. The story is one that will make you think deeply about humanity, and life in general. It would be relatively easy to adapt it to a screenplay, and even opens the door to prequels taking place in the facility when it was still functioning and booming with activity. The ideal director for this film would have to be able to create a strong sense of atmosphere that would give the viewers a feeling of dread.

Denis Villeneuve is a great example of someone who fits the bill, with a filmography stacked with movies that are stunning to look at, and explore themes involving human existence within the science fiction genre. Dune is an instance where he shone in the director role. Optimally, a film adapted from the story of SOMA would be a psychological horror, and would almost guarantee an instant classic.

Related: Best Movies About Sentient Artificial Intelligence

4 Dead Space

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Electronic Arts

The Dead Space franchise is one of the most recognizable and beloved pieces of sci-fi horror in video gaming, and is at the moment solely developed by the Electronic Arts-owned Visceral Games. Two animated film adaptations have been created to capitalize on the highly successful games, but it is about time that Dead Space is brought to the silver screen. The chilling world is set all the way in the 26th century—or, somewhere around the year 2500. Isaac Clark, the game’s lead, is stuck in space around odd, mutated undead creatures. It is similar to a zombie flick in this way, but the inclusion of deranged cults and the protagonist’s inner struggles add plenty of other facets that could be explored.

With there already being so much Dead Space media produced, ranging from comic books to full-fledged novels, there is plenty of material to work with, and would assure that this is not a one-and-done film. Prequels, sequels, and spin-offs are all a very real possibility in the Dead Space Universe, and with that comes a lot of marketability.

In an ideal world, the director for Dead Space would be able to drum up tension in a space setting, and give us a science fiction setting that feels realistic for what it is trying to portray. Ridley Scott, again, would be a good choice to take the helm of this franchise. Another choice would be Alex Garland, whose work on Ex Machina shows that he knows how to accurately show the psychological impact of being in an isolated environment. He is also skilled with tackling futuristic themes that have to do with science, inhuman characters, and huge advancements in technology.

3 Alan Wake

Alan Wake
Remedy Entertainment

Alan Wake is an action-adventure title, but its harrowing experience draws heavily from aspects prevalent in the horror genre. The structuring of the story is even based around that of a television show, with chapters, nail-biting cliffhangers, and everything needed to keep you on the edge of your seat. While a television series is not off the table, a film would be particularly interesting to see the story based around a new format this time around. The titular character, Alan Wake, is a bestselling novelist who takes a vacation to a beautiful town called Bright Falls. This is what he hopes is the cure for the two-year-long writers’ block he is suffering from. Taken along for the trip is his wife, Alice Wake. Very early on, Alice is kidnapped by an ominous force. Alan must look for his missing wife while fighting off a town of shadowy individuals that only come around in the dark, with events that correlate to a story that he has no recollection of writing, let alone ever coming up with.

The story of Alan Wake is already set up for greatness, and even has a well-received live action prequel series called Bright Falls to show for it. Whoever is tasked to direct an Alan Wake film would need to be able to work with a source material that blends genres with efficiency, with a talent for character development. David Lynch would be a hypothetical prospect, as the game is even inspired by Twin Peaks, a mystery television series which Lynch had worked on in the 1990s. With a prequel series in existence and a second game in the works, Alan Wake is an obvious contender for a horror franchise.

Similar to Twin Peaks, Alan Wake would be best served as a mystery, but with a mix of horror, and some action thrown into the mix. Since there is also another television show in development based on the series, please, do not forget the thrills.

Related: Video Games that Would Work Great As A Miniseries

2 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrfice

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Ninja Theory

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a twisted tale within the dark fantasy genre, with psychological horror elements sprinkled in to make the player’s spine tingle. The developers even took note from reputable mental health professionals to make sure that their representation of someone struggling with psychosis was realistic, but also respectful to people that suffer from it. The game itself is a perfect metaphor for this condition, and what brought the game so much notoriety when it was first released. Senua is the titular character, who must combat evil entities from a sinister realm, and voices that swarm her head, all while attempting to rescue her deceased lover, whose soul is being held captive by the Norse goddess Hela. There are a lot of Norse mythology references in general, which add to the mystic, but dark intrigue of this world.

The film industry is always welcome to provide healthy representation for people struggling with mental illnesses, because that is not always something that is always done tastefully in Hollywood. An example of this would be the movie Split, which was acclaimed overall for being a well-made film, but criticized for its cliché approach to Dissociative Identity Disorder. Ari Aster strikes us as someone who would handle Senua’s personal struggles well, and would be able to capture the Nordic influences and setting perfectly. His two most popular films Hereditary and Midsommar show that he is a director that specializes in films with characters that are battling demons from within more than anything else, and a Senua’s Sacrifice adaptation would be an unexpected, but likely praised addition to his already spectacular film catalog. There is also a sequel coming sometime soon, so that would leave room for there to be a possible sequel of the film.

1 Silent Hill 2

silent hill 2 james sunderland fog
Konami

Another game that is the second installment of its franchise, but would undoubtedly be the better choice to fit the criteria we are looking for. The second Silent Hill game is a bona fide classic, which garnered inspiration from iconic works of horror to build its complex, and praised narrative. Crime and Punishment is an 1866 novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, studied by the writers to convey states of mental anguish and moral dilemmas that would be included in the game. Jacob’s Ladder is a 1990s psychological horror film, which the game designers used to help decide what they wanted to do with the overall aesthetic, as well as works by David Lynch, and more. Clearly, a lot of work went into Silent Hill 2 to try and make it an experience equivalent to watching a movie, and it was incredibly ambitious for its time. Silent Hill, a story that delves deep into the history of the town’s backstory, was released to major success for this reason.

This entry is an interesting one, because it is the only one confirmed to be in development to be adapted into a film, which Christophe Gans will be directing. He was also the director for the first two Silent Hill movies that were released in 2006 and 2012—but they were both critical failures and did not do very well at the box office. This time around, we have reason to believe that the director has learned from his mistakes, if he is being brought back for another go. What needs to be done is for Gans to stay faithful to the story of the games, and perhaps even reboot the history he built with the first two films. The story of Silent Hill could also do with some more explanation, because it could prove quite confusing for anyone that hasn’t done some studying on the lore.

Hardcore fans were pleased with the first two efforts, but when critical and non-super-fan reception is such a stark difference from that, one has to wonder where the films went wrong originally. It certainly was not an issue with the visuals, because he received plenty of kudos there.

Silent Hill 2 gets the top spot on this list for two reasons; we know that it is happening, and the sheer potential it has considering the source material it is riding off. There really is no reason for this to not at least be loved by fans, because they have the perfect template to go off of.

There are horror games from all decades that would make excellent horror films. Horror has not always been a genre known for good storytelling, but in recent years, that appears to be changing. Some of the best stories just happen to have been catered to gamers.