Dead Space Series Alternatives and Similar Games

For more sci-fi horror action, Prey is your choice. This atmospheric first-person title is loaded with variety when it comes to gameplay, letting you upgrade various skills, craft cool gadgets and more to help you throughout your adventure in a space station loaded with diverse aliens. It’s not exactly the same of course, but Prey could easily become your favorite game if you give it a go.

These third-person survival horror games put you in the shoes of detective Sebastian Castellanos stuck in a nightmarish world which has all sorts of messy things. Using stealth is a necessity, and carefully managing your ammunition is a must. Use traps against various abominations and more. Made by Shinji Mikami, if you’re looking for more great horror games that mix horror and action, then The Evil Within games are for you.

If it hadn’t been for this horror franchise, especially for the innovative Resident Evil 4, then we wouldn’t have had the Dead Space we have today. Dead Space took heavy inspiration; it’s basically Resident Evil in space. While the initial first few entries Capcom made aren’t third-person, the newer ones are, and there’s even a first-person entry. Overall, the Resident Evil franchise is loaded with diversity, with some entries giving you that true, atmospheric horror feel, while others pack a lot of action into the mix. If you’ve never played a Resident Evil game before, and would prefer to jump into one that is third-person, then maybe going into the remake of the 2nd installment would be a great start, as it turns it from a fixed-camera perspective single-player game into a highly-detailed third-person horror experience.

From the developers of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA is a first-person sci-fi horror that has you explore a creepy underwater facility. Don’t expect any combat in this game, but do expect amazing sound design, an immersive narrative and monsters to run and hide from.

Alien: Isolation is a true survival horror title that nails the atmosphere, visuals, sounds and gameplay. You play as Amanda, exploring a trading station on a quest to find out what happened to your mother, Ellen Ripley. Whether you’re a fan of the Alien movies or not won’t hinder your experience of this fantastic game that stands out with its complex AI, particularly the Alien, who is the main threat throughout your entire journey. The Alien learns and reacts to how you play accordingly, keeping tension at a high level throughout the game. You can’t kill him either, making hiding and using various tools to make him go away a must. If you’re looking for an immersive first-person horror title where every step you make matters and don’t mind a focus on stealth gameplay then Alien: Isolation is a must play.

A franchise that, just like Dead Space, sadly didn’t end on a high note, the F.E.A.R. games are first-person horror titles which put you in the shoes of a Special Forces protagonist who can slow down the world around them and pick off his targets at will. The original entry, despite being dated by now having released in 2005, has still one of the best blends of horror and FPS gameplay you will find to this day. Enemy AI in particular is outstanding, smartly reacting to your position in the environment.

As mentioned before, Dead Space was meant to be something else; In fact, it was meant to be a spiritual successor to this old gem. System Shock 2 mixes up great first-person action RPG gameplay with the survival horror genre. Thought into what resources to carry or leave behind due to a limited inventory, how to efficiently use ammo and weapons, which skills to unlock to best deal with the enemies you’ll face throughout the cramped sci-fi environments; all of this and more is coupled with sound design and moments that will send chills down your spine. If you don’t mind its dated visuals, System Shock 2 is absolutely worth trying out.

The Condemned games have you play as FBI Agent Ethan Thomas trying to figure out what is causing the rise of serial killers. You’ll get to investigate crime scenes and search for clues as you also deal with various enemies using mostly melee and less ranged weapons in first-person. They are dark psychological horror titles with a chilling atmosphere felt throughout the entirety of your intense adventures.

Alan Wake is a third-person horror title where darkness is the main enemy. You get to face human-like enemies chasing at you with axes, but instead of shooting them straight away you have to use tools that emit light such as a flashlight to destroy the darkness protecting them, and then take them out. Enemies with axes aren’t the only kind you’ll get to face, though. The game is played out in episodic fashion, like a TV series, where you play as renowned writer Alan Wake whose vacation has turned into a nightmare with the disappearance of his wife. If you’re looking for something quite unique, then Alan Wake’s mix of interesting gameplay, captivating storytelling and memorable characters won’t disappoint.

This time-bending horror FPS has you uncover the truth behind something that has totally messed up time. Use various different weapons to face enemies in the past, present and a distortion of the two which throws some creepy enemies at you. The shooting aspect of the gameplay won’t wow you, but the visual style and idea going throughout the journey might impress you as you use a device to manipulate time and alter everything before you.

Based on Dmitry Glukhovsky's Metro 2033 novel, the Metro games take place in Russia after a nuclear war has completely radiated the Earth’s surface. As the name suggests, most of the time is spent underground, while exploration on surface and some tunnel areas require the use of gas masks, which last for a certain amount of time. While the first two FPS horror titles are linear, the 3rd installment takes a more open approach, with bigger, surface environments to explore featuring a day & night cycle and weather system mixed in with classic linear tunnels. If you want more games that do a good job of mixing intense action with good horror, then the top-notch Metro games are for you.

Not as scary as Dead Space, the BioShock games offer great storytelling and FPS action, where, apart from using weapons, you also use various powers and the environment to your advantage. From the underwater city of Rapture in the first two games, to the city in the sky, Columbia in BioShock Infinite, if you’re looking for an interesting narrative and great, diverse gameplay then the BioShock games are for you.

The Dead Effect games are action-packed sci-fi titles where you shoot waves of zombies coming at you in a starship. Upgrade weapons, use special abilities such as bullet time and more throughout a single-player campaign, or jump into game modes such as Survive and Biohazard, the former challenging you to stay alive for a specific amount of time, while the latter pits you against waves of zombies to mow down. The second entry improves upon the original in every way, and even introduces co-op and PvP. If you’re looking for something simpler and more action-focused then the Dead Effect games are worth checking out.

The critically-acclaimed survival horror FPS franchise oozes with the nuclear post-apocalyptic feel, as all the games take place in ‘the Zone’, an area near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. You’ll have to use stealth, guns and more to survive in the radiated open-world. With a bit of RPG elements thrown in, the base games are worth playing, but even more so with the incredible mods made by the community.