Guts, Gore, & Gigabytes
If you're looking to arouse your fight-or-flight response without leaving the comfort of your home, there's no better way to plunge yourself into a pit of terror than an anxiety-inducing video game. Fortunately, there are a number of classic survival-horror titles to choose from based right here in Louisiana that effectively incorporate themes familiar to the region.
Alone in the Dark (2024)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox X|S
A remake of the landmark 1992 classic that launched the "survival horror" gaming genre, Alone in the Dark immerses players in the lonesome environs of an abandoned 1920s Louisiana manor. The claustrophobic Southern Gothic-ambience evokes the haunting aura of an Anne Rice novel, and there is an ever-present sense of dread lurking around every corner. Those wishing to get their hands on the original will quickly notice its undeniable influence on the first Resident Evil (1996). Conversely, this remake strongly resembles the recent remakes of the original Resident Evil trilogy it inspired.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise (2020)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Steam
This survival-horror entry cleverly divulges its story by vacillating its investigation of a murder between the past and present. The former comprises the majority of the game, taking place in the idle bayou-bordered community of Le Carré, Louisiana, which is based on New Orleans. The game has a novel-esque quality to its storyline and feels like it could be a supernatural-infused season of HBO's anthology series True Detective. On August 29, 2020, a side-quest was made available on Switch to commemorate Hurricane Katrina.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (1993)
Original: PC
Remaster: IOS, Steam
The inspiration for Deadly Premonition 2, Gabriel Knight is a French Quarter-novelist investigating a series of killings dubbed the "Voodoo Murders." An early entry in the "point-and-click" CD-Rom genre, the gameplay is archaic by current standards—the modern movie-going equivalent of excavating a film from the silent era. Still, there is a retro charm to seeing local landmarks reimagined in a nascent 16-bit form. Jackson Square, the Napoleon House, and St. Louis Cemetery #1 all make an appearance. There is even a Voodoo shop owner named Dr. John. A 20th-anniversary remaster was released in 2014.
House of the Dead: Overkill (2009)
Original: Wii, PS3, IOS
Currently Available: Steam
Unsubtly set in the made-up municipality of Bayou City, located in Bayou "County," Louisiana, this R-rated rail shooter cranks the B-movie bloodshed of a game like Left 4 Dead 2 up to 11. While the essence of Louisiana is more sparse in this title, it is fast, mindless fun. It is also the only game on this list to hold a Guinness World Record—for "Most Swearing in a Video Game."
Left 4 Dead 2 (2009)
Original: Xbox 360
Currently Available: Steam, Xbox One & X|S
This grindhouse gore-fest feels as fresh today as it did 16 years ago. The story follows a quartet of survivors during a zombie apocalypse as they make their way from Savannah, Georgia to New Orleans. New Orleans really comes alive in this game. From an undead endurance trial through a Bourbon Street stand-in to wandering rough renderings of Jackson Square and the riverfront, you feel like you've made it home. The gameplay is brisk, and the bloodshed is ceaseless.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
Platforms: Xbox One & X|S, PS4 & PS5, Switch, Steam, IOS
Horror-gaming's most heralded franchise returned to its survival-horror roots, adopted a first-person perspective, and plopped its protagonist in a rundown plantation in the fictional parish of Dulvey, Louisiana (loosely based on the swampy outer-fringes of Baton Rouge). While the developers drew inspiration for its single-local horror-show from 1981's Evil Dead, the decomposing, rustic manor and the feral Baker family feel more like they were plucked from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).
Shadowman 64 (1999)
Original: N64
Remastered: Steam, Switch, PS4 & PS5, Xbox One & X|S, Amazon Luna
Shadowman is a Voodoo warrior tasked with protecting the balance between our world and the "Deadside," where the souls of former serial killers have gathered to amass an army of zombies. While the game begins in the French Quarter, the game quickly makes its way to Louisiana swamplands, where it switches between the lands of the living and the dead. The unsettling music, brackish atmosphere littered with severed limbs, and torturous moans of lost souls are horrific by Silent Hill standards. Watching a body explode into a barrage of blood and guts after sucking its soul out was unappetizing in the '90s original—the 2021 4K remaster should be four times as gruesome.
Voodoo Vince (2003)
Original: Xbox
Remaster: Xbox One & X/S, Steam
It's easy to imagine Voodoo Vince, with its charming and distinct gothic-cartoon aesthetic, being reimagined as a Tim Burton Disney animated feature in the style of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) or Frankenweenie (2012). You play as Vince, a Voodoo doll on a quest to save his creator. New Orleans is not just a setting here but an interactive playground. The highlight of the game is when the Jackson Square statue comes to life and the horse bucks you to the top of St. Louis Cathedral. There are jazz-playing skeletons, anthropomorphic alligators, and a chef named Crawdaddy Jimmy who tasks you with finding ingredients for his gumbo. You've also got to love the use of Mardi Gras masks as power-ups. A remaster was released in 2017 for the Xbox consoles.
