Summary
Snow levels in games have existed forever, but not a lot of them are set exclusively in frozen landscapes, especially in thehorror genre.The Last of Uscomes close because the adventure goes through many seasons, including winter. It’s one of the most harrowing parts of the game, which won’t be explained to avoid spoilers.
Another big Sony example would beGod of War Ragnarök, but that game isn’t a horror game in the slightest. One could argue there are terrifying things about it though, such as the monsters, or the gods themselves. Are there anyhorror games that primarily take place in a frozen environmentthough? Let’s jump into the powdery unknown and find out.
The firstLost Planetgametakes place on an alien planet with giant bugs trying to kill everyone. It is kind of terrifying, but players are joined by a squad of soldiers throughout many parts, and it’s more action-oriented altogether. Overall, this series has never really been considered “horror,” butLost Planet 3is much more of a solo adventure, and it makes every encounter with a monster feel more isolating, and as a result, terrifying. It is also, strangely, heavily inspired byDead SpaceandThe Thing, and those horror homages are very clear.
Sure, players are armed with weapons and even a mech in some parts, but the game can still be nerve-wracking. It has plenty of flaws, as cited by reviewers, such as an odd story and wonky controls at times, but that doesn’t change how scary it can be. If anything, it enhances it. The nice thing about this game (and the rest of the series) is that it is backwards compatible with Xbox hardware, so horror fans should give it a second glance.
The Callisto Protocolwas a spiritual successor toDead Space,since a lot of its development team came from Visceral and EA. The game starred a scrapper, Jacob, who got caught in a bad deal and a bad shapceship crash. He was rescued, but was then sent to prison on an ice planet, which was not ideal. After a viral outbreak, Jacob was able to escape his cell, but escaping the planet was another issue entirely.
Most ofThe Callisto Protocoltakes place in buildings, but there are several segments outside, and a lot of the architecture is affected by the chilliness of the weather. It tows the line between taking place in a frozen wasteland, but it’s a terrifying game regardless. It’s also one of the most brutal games on the list, as it favors melee combat over shooting, so players should be prepared to get bloody.
The Thingis based on John Carpenter’smovie from the 1980s, which shares its name. It’s actually a straight sequel to that film, taking place at the same base and following the events of the film. This might be the most hellish environment on this list, because players have to battle the weather and their teammates.
The most unique feature of the game is that the titular Thing changes with every playthrough, so it’s kind of a randomly generated roguelike in that way. Players won’t have a lot of resources to fight back either, so they have to be extra careful about who they trust. The one downside to going back toThe Thingnow is that it has a lot of dated features from the PS2 era, from menus to load times to controls.
Dead Space 3, funnily enough, doesn’t take place in space all that much. Players will instead battle through arctic winds among broken-down spaceships and bases on an icy planet. It was an interesting change of pace for the series, on more than one front.
Besides the frozen setting, players could play in co-op, along with having more control over their weapons thanks to the crafting system. It was the last game in the series until the 2023 remake came along, but chronologically, it still serves as the finale. And boy what a finale it was, as it has one of the most ridiculous final bosses in gaming. Those interested can enjoy it through backwards compatibility, just likeLost Planet 3.
Until Dawnjustannouncedthat it was getting a remake to the same degree asDead Space. How much change that means has yet to be determined, but it will be interesting to see what, if anything, will be different from the original. The core concept of the game felt like a throwback to 80s horror films.
A bunch of students get trapped in a lodge deep in the snowy mountains, and the slasher is systematically cutting them down. It’s an adventure game akin to Telltale’s games, where choices matter and the story will branch accordingly, giving players a lot of reasons to replay it. There’s a big reason why fans have been dying for a sequel, but a remake is a nice alternative.
TheResident Evilseries has featured snow many times in the mainline games and spinoffs. For example, there are frozen levels inResident Evil: Code VeronicaandResident Evil Revelations.Resident Evil Villageis the first game where snow is a primary backdrop though. It’s a direct sequel toResident Evil 7: Biohazard, starring Ethan Winters, who went to another country with his wife, Mia, to start anew.
After Mia and their child, Rose, get kidnapped, Ethan has to brave a sea of zombie-like people in a snowy village to find them. Also, there are werewolves and other supernatural powers. It’s without a doubt the best-produced game on the list from the visuals to the story to the gameplay. It’s a high point for the series overall.
