Summary
It’s great to see something as small as a simple turn into something huge — even when it’s terrifying — because it is bound to be a work of love and passion. Most mods are fine as they are, and aren’t meant to grow into anything else, but some others have the potential to become even more
Every once in a while, gamers are treated to some fantastic games that started out as simple mods. The horror gaming scene is lucky to have been a fertile breeding ground for a lot of awesome horror games conceived in this way, so here’s a look at some of the most memorable out there.
DayZ,is one of the most influential multiplayer gaming phenomena, and likely the game most likely to have paved the way for the creation of the Battle Royale genre and the likes ofPUBGandFortnite. And it all began as anArma 2mod.Unlike the original tactical shooter,DayZspawns players in a random area of a map, then warns them that a zombie outbreak is what they have to worry about the most. That’s wrong.
Though the zombies can chew anyone up, the true enemies here are other players, whose malice or proneness to pre-emptively get rid of possible threats will ruin a lot of games for decent players. And that is what makes it all the more interesting.
Remember Ravenholm fromHalf-Life 2?The way that game steered into full-on horror territory for one single area proved one of the most memorable moments of the game, and left many wanting more.Cry of Feardoesn’t take place in Ravenholm, but it is modded fromHalf-Life 2.It offers a great showcase of Valve’s Source Engine’s prowess when it comes to horror, and creates a surprisingly terrifying campaign capable of going toe to toe with some of the heavyweights of its time.Cry of Fearis no joke, and players should give it a chance even a decade after its release.
The Forgotten Citybegan life as aSkyrimmod, and likely remains the best game to spawn out ofThe Elder Scrollsseries. It’s a mesmerizing, well-written time-loop tale that will not look horrifying at first, but will get darker and darker as players go.
The Forgotten Citycan be beaten in just a few hours, but it’ll take a little longer for players interested in peeling off all the layers of this fascinating adventure. Anyone who thinks games are no longer original and lack storytelling prowess should not forget to give this one a try.
TheKilling FloorFPSseries, where players are sent into a dungeon to either complete objectives or just survive hordes upon hordes of enemies, actually began a long time ago. It had its start as a mod for the oldie but goldieUnreal Tournament 2004, so it’s a title from even before the times ofGears of War. Though the original mod is a bit dated by today’s standards — and likely even hard to get running nowadays — the series is still going strong and will likely stay that way.
6Total Chaos
Doom 2 With Amazing Graphics
When people think ofDoom 2,the first thing that comes to their mind will likely be the immense amount of fun they had with the game. The second, however, is the memories of dated graphics.Total Chaosis an absolutely gorgeous horror experience in first-person that began as aDoom 2mod.
“When There’s No More Room In Hell, The Dead Will Walk The Earth” is an expression from a classic movie by George H. Romero, the father of the zombie genre. It’s also the name of an FPS mod forHalf-Life2,using the source engine that turned into an unofficial game adaptation ofRomero’s universe. As far as mod-originated zombie action goes, it’s far more chaotic thanDayZ, so it might prove an interesting title to pick up for fans of games such as theLeft 4 DeadorDead Rising series.
Natural Selectionbegan as a mod for the originalHalf-Life. Though it exudes Xan vibes (the least popular area in the originalHalf-Life), it deserves a chance. First off, Xan isn’t that bad. Secondly, this is a versatileAlien Versus Predator-like title where players not only get to enjoy the carnage and gunplay allowed byHalf-Life’soriginal engine, but also to put their gray matter to use.
Natural Selectiondoubles as a strategy game, and thus naturally pays tribute to the more cerebral gameplay seen in the originalHalf-Lifein an original manner. Players get to pick a side in the action too.
Doom 3might not be the best game in theDoomseries (it definitely isn’t themost well-liked one) but it’s a great horror game in its own right. To make it even better, Team Dark Mod came up with a mod of the same name, which went on to become its own game.The Dark Modbrought doom to the medieval setting long beforeThe Dark Ages, and it imbued it with horror vibes and some gameplay elements reminiscent of the good old days of theThiefseries, making this one a must-play title.
Red Solstice 2: Survivors
TheRed Solsticeseries began as a mod forWarcraft 3, an excellent game responsible for a bunch of equally awesomespinoffs such asDota.TheRed Solsticeseries follows the remnants of a doomed humanity who left Earth to find refuge on Mars, right before learning that Mars is actually populated by alien monstrosities who don’t really want people there.
Unlike most games on this list,Red Solsticeis not an FPS, but rather a fun tactical strategy shooter title where players will control the human troops as they fight off hordes of spooky alien critters.
This one isn’t likely to come as a surprise, asBlack Mesais one of the few mods to ever be recognized by the developers of the game it began as a mod for. Valve likes it so much that players will often see it being sold alongside theHalf-Lifeseries on Valve’s own store.
The most modern version of the beloved classic helps highlight the original’s horror elements.Black Mesais a much better remake ofthe originalHalf-LifethanHalf-Life: Source, and remains one of the best — and spookiest — ways to enjoy the classic’s darkest and most gruesome moments.
