It's spooky season and feedback from our previous article which was based on Sony's best-selling games by console leads us here. An anonymous reader of our news suggested we should do a horror-themed list this time round with it coming up to Halloween. So after some research, here we are with a slight twist. Though I am a fan of the Resident Evil games, everyone in the gaming industry knows how successful the series is. The recent announcement of Resident Evil 4 being remade from the ground up, just proves how much fans want the classics to get the next-gen makeover. It would also seem that after researching sales figures, they would've dominated this list with ease. So for a fresh outlook on other horror games, lets dive into this scary line-up of video games that WON'T feature any Resident Evil tiles. 

5) Dead Space 2 (Approx. 4 million copies sold worldwide)

Credit: Eurogamer

To kick us off we have Dead Space 2 ranking in it at number five. Selling approximately 4 million copies worldwide, it was this game that gave people countless nightmares of Necromorphs. Not to mention too that it took people's phobia of claustrophobia and astrophobia to a whole new level. Whilst the first instance of Dead Space was by no means a nursery rhyme, Dead Space 2 veers into much darker territory and that was the key for it being such a success. The narrative focuses around heavy subjects like mental illnesses, and mostly succeeds in this aspect with its depiction of the protagonist Isaac Clarke's twisted mental state. If that wasn't enough, the game is very gory with intense violence. If you happen to be a fan of a horror game with a lot of gore and violence, then Dead Space 2 will be right up your alley. There's even one part of the game where if you press the wrong button, your eye gets poked in and it's not off screen and doesn't hold back on the gruesome detail either. 

4) Dead By Deadlight (Approx. 5 million copies sold worldwide)

Credit: Steam

At number four, we have Dead By Daylight. No one could've predicted the success that Behaviour Interactive would claim for Dead By Deadlight upon its release in 2016. Many people believe the solely multiplayer horror game is so successful among players and streamers because of its one of a kind nature. For those who don't know exactly what Dead by Daylight is, the game is a multiplayer (4vs1) horror game where one player takes the part of the Killer, and the other four players play as Survivors, trying to escape the Killer and avoid being caught, tortured and killed. The line up of killers also features familiar faces from Horror film classics, such as Michael Myers from Halloween, Freddy Kreuger from Nightmare on Elm Street and Ghost Face from Scream. Despite having some grisly details and methods of killing, the game is actually pretty fun and can make a great night of gaming for you and your friends wanting to host private lobby's. 

3) The Forest (Approx. 5.3 million copies sold worldwide)

Credit: Endlight Games

Taking the bronze medal is The Forest, which is considered an indie classic. This game is kind of like Minecraft but with an actual horror aesthetic to it. The main goal is to simply survive, by crafting shelter and finding food and resources whilst fending off cannibals and mutants. Though the game isn't particularly scary and doesn't particularly throw cheap shot jump scares, the atmosphere is very eery and unsettling. Naturally, the feeling of being stranded in the middle of nowhere would terrify most people. Oh, and there's caves you can explore, but as you'd expect, you're classed as an uninvited guest should you venture into one of those. The success of this game is very unmatched, considering it is classed as an indie game. Most people have credited on its originality and storyline to be the reason for why it sold over 5 million copies.

2) The Last Of Us Part II (Approx. 10 million copies sold worldwide)

Credit: Esquire

If you're reading this and thinking "tHE lAST oF uS iSN'T tECHNICALLY a hORROR gAME!" Then I apologise, but it's going on the list. Whilst you are right, you are also wrong because this game is a survival horror, with a fantastic story. Set five years after the first instance of The Last of Us, the game focuses on two playable characters in a post-apocalyptic United States whose lives intertwine: Ellie, who sets out in revenge for a murder, and Abby, a soldier who becomes involved in a conflict between her militia and a religious cult. The first game had a few scares but this title definitely ups the horror elements. Just take the Rat King for example, that 'thing' was made from a kids nightmare.

1) Dying Light (Approx. 20 million copies sold worldwide)

Credit: Polygon

…And the winner is: Dying Light. Whilst some people argue that the storyline doesn't particularly set the world alight, what makes this game so great is its other counterparts. Placing a distinct stamp on the horror genre with its kinetic gameplay and combining traversal with time management induced horror, this chimeric approach to design was a major success for the company with sales bolstered by long term updates and content drops, fostering much goodwill from players and ensuring the sales would roll in indefinitely. If we take a moment just to appreciate the environment as well as it is absolutely fantastic. Running through the favelas at night being pursued by super zombies is one of the scariest things to experience in a horror title.

So there we have it, the top five selling horror games currently. Tell us some of your favourite horror games that you've played over time and whether its through the sheer enjoyment of having your heart in one's mouth or if you love a good storyline with horror elements.