Summary
ThePlayStation 2is one of the most popular consoles of all time, with over 157 million units sold worldwide. Due to its widespread success, Sony made sure to keep supplying the console with incredible games, and the PS2 now has one of the most beloved libraries in all gaming. From tactical JRPGs to EyeToy rhythm games, there’s something for everyone on the PS2, including horror fans.
There are a lot ofhorror titles available on the PS2, and players can expect anything when it comes to these titles. Some are popular stalwarts of the horror gaming universe, while others have slipped under the radar of many fans of spooky games. The monsters are grotesque, the combat is stressful (if available at all), and the scares are constant in these haunted classics.
Updated by Mara Cowley on July 26, 2025:Though gaming has evolved several generations ahead, the PS2 is still a largely celebrated console that was home to some of the greatest hits of all time, especially in the horror category. Franchises such as Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Siren have all released multiple titles for this console, as well as more one-off unique titles that are some of thebestPS2 horror gamesof all time. With so many successful years on the market, there are countless fantasticPS2 horror gamesthat were made available for this console, and this article has been updated to include even more scarily good titles.
Witness Mankind’s Struggle Against Rogue AI
Galerians: Ash
It is the year 2528.Humans are still at war against evolved technology.Humanoids with Psychic abilities were created by a sentient computer named “Dorothy”. Dorothy used them to pollute the atmosphere with radiation to eliminate the human race. Rion, a young man with greatpsychic powers, defeated Dorothy 6 years ago. Now her followers are trying to revive her, and it’s up to Rion to defeat the Last. Galerians.Stay with the action with a lock-on targeting system.Real Time battles in 60FPSFeaturing over 60 minutes of High Quality CG cutscenes.
Sci-fi stories withrogue AI gaining sentienceand questioning their allegiance to their creators is not a new and unique story in anyway, yetGalerians: Ashstill manages to set itself apart from the rest.
The AI in question, called Dorothy, was destroyed in the events of the first game, but players must still contend with her creations, the Galerians. The main character called Rion is called upon one last time to defeat the remaining Galerians. Though it received middling reviews, fans of anime and earlyResident Evilgames will enjoy the themes explored and the gameplay on offer, even if it won’t scare them as witless as other horror experiences available for PS2 players.
One Of The Earliest PS2 Survival Horror Titles
Extermination
WELCOME TO THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.You’re under orders to uncover the cause of a distress signal emanating from a secret military base in Antarctica. Once there, you find the base contaminated by a virus that has ferociously infected and mutated every living and non-living thing in sight. And you’re next.You’ve never felt pressure this intense. You can’t think. Can’t blink. It’s just you and a tenaciously unstoppable virus bent on infecting the world. You’re U.S. Special Forces Recon illarine Dennis Riley, and you re on mission that seems ImpossioleFully customizable SPR4 assault rifle delivers multiple functions: Shotgun. Flame Thrower, Zoom Scope, Night Vision Scope and more.Unique blend of exploration and action rewards tactical planning over all-out firepower.Unexpected twists force you to make decisions on the fly.Enhanced music and sound effects add to the chilling intensity.
Considered one of the earliest survival horror games to be released for the PS2,Exterminationmay not go down in history as one of the most memorable horror titles in history, but at the time, it was considered an innovative and frightening game.
Set in a remote base in Antarctica, players assume the role of marine Sergeant Dennis Riley who is sent to investigate a distress call, and finds extremely distressing events have unfolded within. There are more monsters than people within its confines, and the game places a large emphasis on survival. Despite his combat training, Dennis will spend more time running for his life than fighting, which only makes the threats he encounters all the more terrifying.
October 20th, 2003
Developer(s)
Asylum Entertainment
This game would have flown under the radar of many gamers, though those that did give it a try would have found a diamond in the rough. Though it was a gem that could have used some polishing,Curse: The Eyes of Isisdid still offer some scares and fun to players.
Set in the year 1809, strange events have begun to occur in the British Museum after a gang of thugs stole one of the items on display, the Eye of Isis. A mysterious fog has rolled through the building, killing or transforming everything it touches. The game will take place for the most part in said museum, butCursewill also take players on trips to the coast and even the pyramids in Egypt.
A Unique Take On Horror
Gregory Horror Show
Have you noticed that nothing is quite what it seems? That’s because this house is serlously haunted and the only way out is by collecting every lost soul that litter the many hallways. Unfortunately this isnt as easy as itsounds and youll be doing well just to stay alive and check out. Oh, and be warned:keep your eyes open for the evil Nurse Katherine. She is very scary and will do anything to extend your stay..Based on the new hit Japanese cartoon showMore than a dozen of the strangest characters youve ever encounteredA dazzling mix of action and puzzle solving in this remarkable new game from Capcom
For those not in the know,Gregory Horror Showused to be a CGI anime in Japan, proving popular enough to warrant a horror PS2 game. The gameplay is rather simplistic, which sees players gathering the soul bottles in the possession of the guests, who will flee with the bottle if they are spotted. More bottles will increase the number of guests and rooms, as well as increasing the difficulty of sneaking up on guests.
While not as in-depth as some other horror games available on the PS2, this game was still viewed favorably by those who did play it, as it offered a fun and unique take on horror.
Survivors from the firstOutbreakare back for round two inResident Evil Outbreak: File #2,with five new scenarios to play through: Wild Things, Underbelly, Flashback, Desperate Times, and End of the Road. Players can choose to play this alone or with friends, which elevates the enjoyability of any game. The characters awaken infected with the T-Virus, placing a pressing deadline on them to escape the city before they join the legions of infected roaming Raccoon City.
While not asfrightening as otherREinstallmentssuch as the first game orResident Evil 7,Outbreak File #2,it is still a fun game to play with satisfying controls and plenty of challenges to keep players coming back for more. Special scenarios, a checklist for each chapter, and difficulty modes ensure plenty of replayability.
March 26th, 2004
Cing/Capcom
Another Capcom hidden gem,Glass Roseis aunique point-and-click psychological horrorgame. In it, reporter Takashi Kagetani explores an abandoned building with his friend before he is knocked out, and awakens seventy years in the past. To escape back to his own time, Takashi must explore every nook and cranny of the mansion, and speak to its inhabitants, unfurling the mysteries hidden beneath the tasteful furniture.
This unique time travel plot, the mind-reading abilities, and point-and-click gameplay setGlass Roseapart from the rest. While this risky innovation may not have always worked in the game’s favor,Glass Rosepromises a unique and fun horror experience for the PS2.
Ambitiously Combines Sci-Fi And The Paranormal
Echo Night: Beyond
CAN YOU UNCOVER THE MYSTERIES OF THE BEYOND?2044 - Moon Colony - A horrific crash has left you separated from your fiancée. Opening the door to the lunar colony 239,000 miles from Earth - you find a desolate base haunted by the spectral remains of those who called it home. Prepare to embark on a paranormal journey to the Beyond.Fog, Shadows, and Weightless gravity engulf you in an out of this world experience.Stunning environments and dynamic camera changes will leave you trembling in fear.Challenging puzzles and heart- pounding exploration will take you to the edge and Beyond..
Before games such asDark Souls,Bloodborne,andElden Ringlaunched it into fame, FromSoftware was responsible forEcho Night: Beyond, aPS2 horror game,which would be a much different experience for Soulsborne players. It focuses more on horror and survival, telling a tale that ambitiously combines sci-fi and ghosts to create a wholly unique experience.
Honeymooners Richard and Claudia embark on a shuttle to the Moon when supernatural forces cause engine failures within the shuttle as it comes to land, causing a deadly crash that kills many passengers who then become ghosts that flood the base. It’s up to Richard to free the spirits that are now trapped in the base, without joining the legion of the dead himself.
With the firstManhuntbeing such a success, garnering the praise of critics and gamers alike, a sequel was inevitable, and was just as shocking with its gratuitous violence. Parts of the game had to be censored for it to be released on consoles at the time, and once it was, it exceeded many people’s expectations.
Playing as the escaped patient of a mental facility, Daniel’s amnesia slowly begins lifting once he returns to his ruined home. The other patient he is with, Leo, is the manifestation of another part of himself awakened by a research project to create the perfect assassin. The twist is just as surprising to the players as it is to Daniel, and the battle in his mind against himself is one to be remembered.
Most fans know that game tie-ins based on movies and TV shows tend to be about as successful asmovie adaptations of games— which is to say, not successful at all. But fans ofTheX-Filesmay have been pleasantly surprised by this more than adequateX-Filesvideo game, with a writer and actors from the show onboard for the project.
Set during the seventh season of the show,Resist or Serveaimed to deliver three ‘lost episodes’ into the timeline of the series, which all revolved around what the show is most known for: aliens. The writing and story delivered a frightening and solid experience, cementing itself as an excellent addition to the PS2’s library of horrors.
An Episodic Horror Game
Forbidden Siren 2
FROM THE ISLAND OF DARKNESS, A SIREN CALLS…A group of strangers are approaching the mysterious Japanese island ofYamijima when a blood red tsunami pitches their boat into the waves. Those that survive the storm may soon wish they hadn’t… 29 years ago, the inhabitants of Yamijima vanished during a blackout, leaving the island of darkness guarded by creatures from the Netherworld.Each survivor is unwittingly entwined in the island’s gruesome past, and must now defend themselves with any weapon they can find. To stay alive, they must also learn to “Sightjack, a unique ability to see through the eyes of others, including the enemy; thus foreseeing the unspeakablehorrors that lie in store for them.
A direct sequel toSiren,Siren 2returns with its episodic style game, and survival horror elements as the characters must survive the dangerous inhabitants of the island. While it retains the aspects of the heart-racing gameplay of the original, it loses some of the difficult and trial-and-error gameplay that plagued the original game, creating an altogether more pleasant yet terrifying game.
The game takes place on Yamijima Island, where the entire population vanished during a blackout in 1976. A journalist working on an article, a ferry containing a few other passengers, and a squad of soldiers all find their way to the island, where they are subjected to the dangers and horrors lurking there.
