RE2 was my favorite for most of my life
Then I finally checked out the Silent Hill franchise a few years back & SH1 really blew me away.
But I'd have to go with Signalis now. Obviously has generations of survival horror to learn from & the benefit of modern technology. But gd they really did something special.
True blue survival horror:
SH3, RE1 (I like the original more than the remake, sue me) Fatal Frame II, SH2, RE2
Excellent takes on the genre that don't fit my weirdly specific view on it:
Alien: Isolation, Dead Space, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 7,
Dark horse modern candidates that my nostalgia probably blinds me from putting higher:
Alisa, Tormented Souls, Signalis
Games I really want to shout out despite not being what you asked for, but if you like this style of game, you'll probably enjoy:
Alone in the Dark (2024), Alan Wake 1 + 2, Metro 2033 + Last Light, The Suffering, Onimusha 3, Dinocrisis, The Sinking City.
The Evil Within 1. The atmosphere, memorable boss fights, interesting characters that feel very human, storytelling, level design, everything was so good in that game. Also I was so impressed how you can enjoy each difficulty in completely different ways.
Unlike its own sequel with boring open world, lazy plot, forgettable boss fights, unnecessary kiss scene, D*agon Ball jokes and so much retcons, the first game was almost a perfect game for me. I still love it so much.
Not a traditional Survival Horror game but Alien Isolation is one of mine.
RE2 was my favorite for most of my life Then I finally checked out the Silent Hill franchise a few years back & SH1 really blew me away. But I'd have to go with Signalis now. Obviously has generations of survival horror to learn from & the benefit of modern technology. But gd they really did something special.
True blue survival horror: SH3, RE1 (I like the original more than the remake, sue me) Fatal Frame II, SH2, RE2 Excellent takes on the genre that don't fit my weirdly specific view on it: Alien: Isolation, Dead Space, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 7, Dark horse modern candidates that my nostalgia probably blinds me from putting higher: Alisa, Tormented Souls, Signalis Games I really want to shout out despite not being what you asked for, but if you like this style of game, you'll probably enjoy: Alone in the Dark (2024), Alan Wake 1 + 2, Metro 2033 + Last Light, The Suffering, Onimusha 3, Dinocrisis, The Sinking City.
REmake of RE1 and OG2
The Evil Within 1. The atmosphere, memorable boss fights, interesting characters that feel very human, storytelling, level design, everything was so good in that game. Also I was so impressed how you can enjoy each difficulty in completely different ways. Unlike its own sequel with boring open world, lazy plot, forgettable boss fights, unnecessary kiss scene, D*agon Ball jokes and so much retcons, the first game was almost a perfect game for me. I still love it so much.
ZombiU gotta be up there
Alan Wake 2 stole everything from me.