The most iconic weapons in horror games

From Atari's Haunted House to PS5's The Devil in Me, horror games are one of the biggest genres of gaming. The game touches on all kinds of horror tropes, including ghosts, zombies, and the boundaries of deep space.

Throughout the game, players used a variety of weapons, including pump-action shotguns, spears, and teddy bears. But not all weapons in horror games are created equal. Some are symbolic. This weapon was born in a flash of light, and if you ask me to think back to this game, you'll probably have fond or nightmarish memories of using it.

Updated on October 11, 2024 by Dominic Allen: The best video game genres with the best weapons are FPS and horror. When fighting undead, demons, ghosts, or other supernatural beings, you need a good arsenal, and horror games are just that. There are a lot of great, unique, and unlockable weapons in Horror, but there are also standard weapons that are iconic in the game world. High-quality replicas of some of these weapons cost a lot of money, which goes to show how iconic and meaningful they really are.

12 whip

castlevania

Before survival horror became very popular on the PS1, there were a lot of retro 8-bit and 16-bit horror games, with Castlevania being the best series. Boasting some of the best 2D side-scrolling action, the series also featured one of the most iconic horror game weapons before its PS1 days: the whip.

The straight line that allows you to hit everything in your path worked perfectly for the 2D action that Castlevania offers. In certain titles, such as Super Castlevania 4, the whip was one of the greatest weapons of the 16-bit era, capable of being used in eight directions. This made the whip a full-blown beast, and the whip still remains an iconic weapon in retro gaming.

11 great knife

Silent Hill 2

The Great Knife, a famous weapon used by Pyramid Head in Silent Hill 2, can be used by James himself and is great to play with. The Great Knife is so heavy that it moves incredibly slowly, but the weapon itself is incredibly powerful.

It's a great option for one boss fight near the end of the game, and it's very satisfying to use as a final blow against the final boss. Unfortunately, the remake does not include the Great Knife as a standalone weapon, despite a brief moment where you can wield it.

10 chicago typewriter

resident evil 4

Resident Evil 4's Chicago Typewriter (not actually a typewriter) may be an unlockable weapon, but it's a particularly good one. Boasting unlimited ammo and significant damage, the Typewriter can take down entire armies of enemies.

In the GameCube version, it can be unlocked by beating the Assignment Ada minigame, while in other versions, it can be unlocked by beating Separate Ways. The weapon is part of Leon's mafia gathering. In a strange touch, each time you unload an unlimited ammo weapon, Leon performs a new hat trick.

9 machete

Friday the 13th: The Game

The faster you play as a player in Friday the 13th: The Game, the more likely you are to progress through the game. This memorable game lets you play as a camp counselor or Jason. Unlike the other weapons on this list, this is the only item related to weapons used by potential antagonists.

If you're playing as Jason, you should definitely consider grabbing the Machete, which is the fastest melee weapon and one of the best weapons in the game if you need to leave a locked room quickly. With incredible weapon strength and durability, your weapons become even more powerful when you play as Jason. If you choose to be the villain of this game, a machete can make all the difference.

8 slice cycle

Dead Rising 2

The Dead Rising series includes a variety of weapons that players have never seen before in any other game, including horror-themed weapons. Among other bizarre weapons are lawn mowers, gumball machines, shower heads, and excavators.

Dead Rising 2 tells the story of former motocross champion Chuck Greene, and in the game Chuck has a bike in the form of a Slicecycle. It may sound strange, but the Slicecycle is a motorcycle with chainsaws on both sides, making it ideal for cutting through hordes of zombies. Is there anything more memorable from the Dead Rising series than mowing down hordes of zombies on a motorcycle with dual chainsaws?

7 flash

Silent Hill 2 and 3

Several games have used flashlights to notable effect, but Silent Hill 2 and 3 are the games best remembered for initiating the use of flashlights in games. Clipping and fog make the game largely revolve around what the player can and cannot see.

In both games, monsters are attracted to sound and light. This is why monsters prey on creatures that need light. Although a flashlight is not technically a weapon, it is an important tool for survival. Heck, in some games, like Silent Hill: Origins, you can skip most enemies if you turn off the flashlight. But good luck with how dark Origins is.

6 plasma cutting machine

dead space

This weapon, sometimes called the Cutter, is actually a jerry-rigged weapon used by Isaac Clarke against the Necromorphs. The great thing about the plasma cutter is that it acts as a complement to the gameplay. This weapon helps you cut off limbs, assists with precision shooting, and is a really good basic weapon.

Actually, it's so good. You can just use the plasma cutter to blow up the entire Dead Space, and that's a good idea too. On harder difficulties, ammo is so rare that it is recommended to only use the Plasma Cutter, as the ammo drops consist of weapons you already have, and the Plasma Cutter can be used in almost any scenario.

5 knife

alone in the dark

Alone in the Dark is an influential horror game that directly inspired Resident Evil. The combination of fixed camera angles over static backgrounds has influenced countless horror games.

The best weapon in the game is the sword, and it is the only weapon that can harm Ezechiel Pregzt, a ghoul and the game's main enemy. Unlike most weapons in Alone in the Dark, the sword does not break easily and can be used consistently. It's also the deadliest melee weapon in the game and can be used in a variety of ways when fighting enemies.

4 flamethrower

until dawn

One of the reasons Until Dawn works so well is because it pulls a mid-play switch on who the antagonist is in the game. Once you learn about the Wendigos, you're already deep into the second act.

There are a variety of weapons at your disposal in Until Dawn, but what's most memorable about the game is the flamethrower that the Stranger uses to fight off hordes of monsters. It may not be the most useful weapon in the game, but it's certainly the deadliest, and the sequence in which it's used is one of the most memorable moments in the game.

3 grenade launcher

Left 4 Dead 2

The Left 4 Dead series takes a fun and manic approach to zombie killing. Debuting in the second game in the series, the Grenade Launcher takes action and explosiveness to a whole new level. It's not an easy weapon to use, as it has a long reload time and fires one shell at a time.

However, if used perhaps against certain enemies, it could make the difference between life and death. You can also upgrade the ammo type to make it more destructive. If you're playing in expert mode, don't fire near your allies as the explosion will knock them out instantly.

2 camera obscura

fatal frame

Fatal Frame was released during the Silent Hill and Resident Evil era. It was a time when many people thought horror games meant running and shooting in the dark and fighting the undead. But Fatal Frame greatly expands what scary means to gamers.

Fatal Frame's cameras not only record images on film, they also have the ability to release souls. What's even more memorable is that the game's camera is the only weapon available to players. The idea of ​​fighting ghosts with just a camera was novel in 2001, and it's almost unique now.

1 brass knuckles

The Evil Within 2

The Evil Within 2 is one of the best games released in the late 2010s. As with the first entry, the weakest points have to do with the story and tone. But there are some truly scary moments, and they represent the high point of the previous video game generation.

There are some unusual weapons in The Evil Within 2, but the strangest one is the brass knuckles. Although similar to those from the first game, the sequel's Brass Knuckles deal 150 points of damage on hit. But getting knuckles is quite a challenge. Because you have to beat the game in Nightmare or Classic. Regardless, you haven't experienced the game until you've played it with only brass knuckles.