Ari Aster has quickly established himself as a major force in modern cinema. He wrote and directed Hereditary and Midsommar, two of the best horror movies of the 2010s. He's since followed them with Beau Is Afraid and Eddington, a bit of a pivot, yet they still carry his trademark dark humor, some violence, and, of course, dark themes.
For video game fans, some of Aster's works can remind them of popular games. They can run the gamut from action to pure horror, with others more psychological to fit his motif. They can be big games or smaller ones, which also suits Aster's mixing of different budget scales. For fans of Aster and his filmography, these 10 video games can be a good way to feel the same scares.
Weird West
Aster's latest movie, Eddington, is a "neo-Western" with some satire to go with the thrills. That's why Weird West may work, as it's a unique mix of horror, Western, and dark comedy. It has a bevy of unique characters from the normal (a female bounty hunter getting back into the job) to the wild (a man whose brain was put into a body made up of scraped-together pig parts) on some offbeat adventures.
The game does a fine job mixing a Western setting with some truly bizarre characters and adventures with surprisingly engaging backstories. It's a strange game to live up to its name, yet still enjoyable, and the mix of genres is something that would appeal to fans of Aster. Thus, a trip to this Weird West can be a truly wild one.
Outlast 2
The first Outlast game was already scary, but the sequel amped it up to pure terror. While investigating the murder of a pregnant woman in Arizona, a cameraman and his wife are separated in a crash. His search for her brings him to a small town with a cult that believes the world is coming to an end.
The game uses its setting well, as the desert heat adds to the hallucinatory experiences and the fervor of the cultists. It evokes films like The Hills Have Eyes and The Blair Witch Project with a personal touch. The gameplay is less combat and more stealth and hiding to push the survival aspects. That haunting climax wraps it up well for the sort of psychological experience Aster excels at.
The Excavation of Hob's Borrow
A great tale for lovers of folk horror, this 2022 game is a good old point-and-click adventure set in Victorian times. Thomasina Bateman comes to the small village of Hobb's Borrow to investigate a dig site. She's pulled into the local tales of sinister happenings, and as she stays in the town, Thomasina slowly uncovers a horrifying secret.
The game explores themes of religion and cult followings, complemented by great pacing and voice acting. It's like an old Hammer horror movie with some fun touches that Aster would do wonders with. That includes its stunning ending that will haunt you long after the screen goes blank. It really is a great entry for folk horror lovers.
MADiSON
This 2022 first-person game has players taking the role of Luca, a teenager who gets an old instant camera for his birthday. The camera had once belonged to Luca's grandmother, who happened to be an infamous serial killer 30 years earlier, with Luca fleeing his abusive father and hiding out in his grandparents' home.
The camera is a cool gimmick as it lets Luca see how things once were, including the past victims. The setting in the mansion is creepy, with Luca (and the player) wondering how much is real and what's not, with a growing vibe of possible demonic influence occurring. If Aster wanted to make a movie with just one camera, MADiSON would be a perfect choice for him.
Hellblade: Senau's Sacrifice
Aster's movies have played on things like Celtic culture, and that makes Hellblade: Senau's Sacrifice an intriguing ride. It's set in an 8th-century fantasy world based on Celtic and Norse mythology, as Senau is a warrior trying to save the soul of her love. She hears voices (including a narrator) as she battles various enemies.
What sounds like a typical fantasy tale takes a turn when it becomes clear the voices in Senau's head aren't gods or spirits but her own innermost psychosis coming out. That adds a new degree to her quest, and the focus on her inner battle is better handled than warring against monsters. While Aster hasn't done as much in the fantasy genre yet, a protagonist lost in madness fits his filmography.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
The Amnesia series has been a popular one among horror fans. It works first for the first-person gameplay, immersing the gamer into this world. It also boasts some amazing gameplay and legitimate scares. Dark Descent is the best of the series and overturns the tropes of survival games. It's a good setup as you play a mine worker in 1893 who finds themselves in an abandoned mine and is faced with a huge monster.
The twist is that you have no weapons, so rather than fight the creature, you have to hide from it. But the more you hide in the dark, the closer you get to losing your mind. The setting and mood add to the thrills, and the darkness is a great metaphor for the beast hunting you down. While the other Amnesia games are all sinister rides, Dark Descent lives up to its name, sinking gamers into a terrifyingly dark world.
Faith
Many of Aster's works play on religious themes, and that makes Faith a good comparison to his films. The game is a superb throwback to 8-bit adventure games, with audio recordings of actual exorcisms adding a wild touch. The story is right out of a horror film as a priest attempts to complete a botched exorcism and on a quest to find the cause.
The graphics may look old-school, but the story is much more modern. The ending can vary depending on how many quests you completed, with a truly gripping storyline. Any video game fans of the '80s will love it, while modern gamers can also enjoy a tale that gives both Aster and The Exorcist a run for their money.
The Path
Video games have long drawn from classic fairy tales, and Little Red Riding Hood lends itself well to horror. This 2009 game allows gamers to play as one of six sisters sent through the woods to visit their grandmother. Along the way, they are given the choice of whether to stray off the path and into the woods of creatures.
The game isn't a standard one needing an overall goal, as it instead uses the atmosphere and creepiness to enhance the gameplay. The choice of whether or not you face a wolf means the ending can be bright or much darker. The idea of Aster tackling this classic tale with a sinister edge makes The Path an underrated gem among horror games.
Silent Hill 2
The Silent Hill series has always relied on its spooky atmosphere, but there's good reason the second game is still regarded as one of the greatest horror video games ever made. James Sunderland makes his way to the titular quiet town searching for who sent him a letter from his supposedly dead wife. While there are monsters about, it's scarier for what you don't see.
The psychology of the game is remarkable as it plays on themes of loss, grief, hallucinatory imagery, and the works of David Lynch, among others. The result is a game that established video games as an art form, and it is still one of the absolute creepiest you could ever play.
Alan Wake
This video game is as close to a Stephen King video game as you can get. It's a brilliant take on the action game as the titular character is an author visiting a small town when his wife vanishes. Alan's quest to find her clashes with a literal darkness overtaking the town. Your main weapon isn't firearms, but light, such as flashlights, lamps, flares, etc, becomes vital to survival.
The game plays like a horror novel, complete with Alan finding pages to a book on the experience around. Even the daytime scenes feel dark in their own way, as it becomes a psychological experience as well. This would be up the alley of Aster (especially with its even more gripping sequel), even as the original game remains a marvel.
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