The Best Horror Games on Sega Saturn

The Sega Saturn never got a fair shot in America. It was overshadowed by the PlayStation and N64, and so all the fun games on the Saturn never really got to see the light of day.

It’s too bad, though, because the console offers arcade-quality ports at home and a slew of titles that utilize 2D and 3D technology. The Sega Saturn was before its time, and players can see all the greatness the console has to offer by checking out some of the most underrated horror games. Gamers shouldn’t overlook the best horror games on the Sega Saturn. These titles range from whimsical to outright terrifying.

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8 Mr. Bones

Bone-Chilling Fun for the Whole Family

• Platform: Sega Saturn
• Developer: Zono
• Release Date: October 18, 1996
• Genre: Platform, Rhythm, Mini-Game

For a Saturn game that’s bad to the bone, players won’t find a more imaginative title than Mr. Bones. Players need to maintain skeletal magnetism and conquer all kinds of challenges to make it to the end.

There are over 20 stages in Mr. Bones, and each is different from the last. Sometimes the titular hero is fleeing from an army of undead, whereas other times he’s caught in a spinning vortex. There are even mini-stages where players must perform a drum and guitar solo. With its bluesy soundtrack, beautiful visuals, and unique gameplay, Mr. Bones has more soul than any other horror game on the Saturn.

7 Phantasmagoria

Mildly Spooky Setting

• Platform: Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS, Sega Saturn
• Developer: Sierra On-Line
• Release Date: August 24, 1995
• Genre: Interactive Movie, Adventure

It’s never a good idea to hole up in an abandoned mansion in the middle of nowhere. However, that doesn’t stop Adrienne Delaney, a writer looking for inspiration, from shacking up in Phantasmagoria, which plays like an interactive movie.

Phantasmagoria is like other horror games on the Sega Saturn in that players are immersed in a 3D setting they can explore by moving around their cursor and looking for flashing red areas. The gameplay is also peppered with cut scenes giving the backstory of the mansion, which was owned by a famous magician who murdered his five wives. This horror game isn’t overly scary, but with six hours of gameplay and a compelling narrative, it’s worth checking out.

6 Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster

Featuring a Horror Legend

• Platform: Sega Saturn
• Developer: Amazing Media, Alexandria, Tachyon Studios
• Release Date: 1995
• Genre: Point-and-Click, Adventure

Tim Curry is best known for playing the original Pennywise the Clown and Dr. Frank-N-Furter. However, gamers can also see this actor in Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster, a hidden gem horror game on the Sega Saturn.

The game works as a point-and-click adventure with 3D CGI graphics and immersive video clips. Players control Frankenstein’s monster, and ultimately choose their own adventure and dictate the ending of the game. Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster received mostly rave reviews, with critics praising the photorealism and complex puzzles.

5 Corpse Killer

Zombie Shooting Practice

• Platform: Sega CD, 32X, 3DO, Saturn, PlayStation 4, Steam, Nintendo Switch
• Developer: Digital Pictures
• Release Date: 1994
• Genre: Rail Shooter, Interactive Movie

The Sega Saturn is known for porting arcade games like House of the Dead and Skeleton Warriors. Few players talk about Corpse Killer, but it’s one of the best arcade games from the 90s.

Players control a U.S. Marine whose mission is to stop an evil doctor who is breeding an army of zombies on a tropical island. Players start with a gun, but eventually pick up antidotes in a skull-shaped mug and a juju stick to ward off evil spirits. Other members of the military also show up in their zombified forms. Journey through the jungle and take out as many of the living dead as possible.

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4 Alien Trilogy

Classic Horror Movie Brought to Life

Alien is one of the best horror movies of all time. No wonder it spawned this first-person shooter on the Sega Saturn, which basically puts players right in the film, battling their way through the Nostromo, trying to survive. Facehuggers, chestbursters, dog aliens, and, of course, the alien queen, are all present in this horror game.

Players take the role of Ellen Ripley and battle their way through 30 levels, taking out hostile extraterrestrials and three lethal Queen bosses with a variety of weapons like the pulse rifle. Alien Trilogy offers the best of what the Sega Saturn had to offer for 3D technology. It received many positive reviews and was even nominated for awards at game developer conferences.

3 Enemy Zero

Under Attack By Invisible Aliens

• Platform: Sega Saturn, Windows
• Developer: Warp
• Release Date: December 1, 1997
• Genre: Interactive Movie, Adventure

Outer space isn’t all beautiful shooting stars and cosmic clouds, it’s also the setting for some truly terrifying titles in the horror genre. These types of isolating horror games are also more unsettling than battling giant monsters or creepy ghosts.

Enemy Zero uses that strong sense of isolation. The game follows Laura Lewis, who has just woken up from cryogenic sleep and is now battling invisible aliens onboard the AKI spacecraft. Watch full motion videos to learn the backstory, and then, during the gameplay, solve puzzles and acquire items to add to an ongoing inventory. Weapon supplies are limited, so often players need to be ready to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemies to survive.

2 D

Play Out a Horror Movie

• Platform: 3DO, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, MS-DOS
• Developer: Warp
• Release Date: April 1995
• Genre: Interactive Movie, Adventure

Horror fans are always screaming about what they would do if they were in a horror movie. D creates that interactive experience, so gamers get a chance to see if they have what it takes to survive the genre.

The final girl here is Laura Harris, whose father has gone on a mass murdering spree and has barricaded himself in the hospital where he works as a doctor. Players must direct Laura’s movements throughout the hospital, solving puzzles and learning more about the crazed doctor along the way. The full motion video makes the entire gameplay more immersive and more or less makes players feel like they’re in a haunted house simulator.

1 Deep Fear

Underrated Underwater Horror

Sci-fi horror games are found on all consoles, including the Sega Saturn. Deep Fear is one such title. Come for the horrific transformation scene, but stay for the epic mutant battles and advanced underwater graphics.

Deep Fear is one of the best horror games for the Sega Saturn. Unlike other titles like D and Phantasmagoria, which are interactive movies, Deep Fear uses its cut scenes only as a bridge to get from one piece of action to the next. Many reviews put Deep Fear in the same camp as Resident Evil due to its intriguing storyline and horrific visuals.

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