Haunting Ground (2005)

Capcom’s underrated hide-and-seek horror game is one of the harder games to play on this list. Haunting Ground is a one-and-done PlayStation 2 game from 2005 that was overshadowed by some of the company’s bigger games like Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening. While it wasn’t Capcom’s biggest hit, Haunting Ground has gained a cult following over the years and is still one of the most memorable horror games from the era. It follows Fiona Belli, a young woman who is kidnapped and trapped within a large castle. As she tries to make her escape, she finds an ally in a fierce but friendly German Shepherd named Hewie, who protects her from assailants who chase her through the castle grounds.

Throughout most of Haunting Ground, Fiona is helpless, only able to hide long enough to disorient the villains chasing her through the hallways of the castle. Hewie is her stalwart defender, and the two of them solve puzzles and fight off foes together based on Fiona’s commands, growing close as they try to escape the hell they’ve been trapped in.

Even in 2005, Haunting Ground was a little clunky to control—that only added to the tension back then, but might frustrate nearly 20 years later. However, Haunting Ground’s brand of horror remains disturbing to this day, as the threat of sexual violence is pervasive, which makes for a harrowing experience, albeit one not for everyone. This looming threat is a key piece of the dread and fear the game evokes, and if that sounds like something you’d rather not engage with, that’s valid. But Haunting Ground’s terrors still echo in my mind, and I wish it would get ported to something modern. — Kenneth Shepard