When the monsters and psychopaths are still scary but the player has the ability to fight back; that is action-horror which seems to be a lost genre, replaced with survival horror which is great on its own. Action-horror games used to be everywhere which resulted in many classics like the Dead Space games.

RELATED: 10 Best RPG Horror Games

It all started when games like Ghosts 'N' Goblins merged an adventure game with horror elements and this continued with the Castlevania series. Though, for every game that became a classic, there were others that went under the radar to be forgotten gems that deserved more attention.

10 Castlevania: Bloodlines

John Morris Gameplay For Castlevania Bloodlines

Like most Castlevania games, Bloodlines leans more towards action with horror elements. It was an exclusive title for the Sega Genesis which is why it is often overlooked compared to its SNES and PlayStation sister games.

Though not on the same level as Super Castlevania IV or Symphony Of The Night, Bloodlines was another solid entry in the series. It takes place all across Europe with new characters and lore that borrows from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

9 Dino Crisis

Rex Breaking Through A Window In Dino Crisis

Resident Evil with dinosaurs: how did this series never catch on? From the same developers of Resident Evil, Dino Crisis features all the same elements that made the sister series so good but never reached the same level of popularity.

The dinosaurs were genuinely chilling, making it the Jurassic Park survival horror game fans never got. Despite having two lesser sequels, the franchise has faded into obscurity and has become a cult gem; many are hoping for modern remakes similar to how Capcom has been treating the Resident Evil games.

8 Silent Hill 4: The Room

Silent Hill 4 The Room Door

No, it's not a game where the player is chased by Tommy Wiseau, that would be too scary for gamers. When it comes to Silent Hill games, fans are always quick to talk about the original trilogy. This is understandable but it results in the fourth title in the series always being overlooked.

Silent Hill 4: The Room received a mixed reaction from fans due to taking things in a different direction; it was a more linear experience but that didn't stop it from featuring nightmarish creatures, challenging puzzles, a haunting atmosphere, and a refined combat system.

7 The Thing

Spec Ops Team In The Thing

A movie licensed game that was made over twenty years after the release of the movie it was based on? The Thing has every reason to be a total disaster but somehow, it became the closest thing to an official sequel.

RELATED: 5 Movie Licensed Games That Deserve Remakes (& 5 Better Left Forgotten)

It featured many familiar concepts from the movie: testing blood, maintaining the trust of allies so they don't turn on the player, and claustrophobic horror. It sold well enough that a sequel was approved but it was canceled due to the studio going under.

6 Blood

Gameplay Of Blood

At first glance, Blood looks like a poor man's rip-off of Doom: that is not the case. Yes, it features a similar first-person gameplay style but it is a unique beast. The playable anti-hero is much darker with one-liners lifted straight out of the Evil Dead movies.

It's also much more macabre and bloody than Doom with a dark comedic twist to everything as the player hunts down Chernabog. Its sequel which took on more of a Half-Life approach is arguably even better.

5 Saw: The Game

Gameplay Of Saw: The Game

It is easy to see why this game was forgotten: it is based on a very divisive horror movie series. Fans of the franchise are more likely to enjoy the game but general gamers might be surprised by it as well.

Players control Detective Tapp from the first movie in one of Jigsaw's gauntlets of traps. Much like the movies, it provides a ton of gore and tricky nerve-shattering puzzles while adding more enemies to face. It did get a sequel but a very poor one that is better off forgotten.

4 The Suffering

the suffering torque main character

One of the more disturbing games on this list, the player controls a death row inmate who must survive an onslaught of horrific supernatural entities. Taking a more Max Payne-style approach to the controls, the game is a bloody and nightmarish rush from beginning to end.

A fair warning to gamers: there is a lot of visual and psychological moments that make Resident Evil games at the time look tame. It almost looks like something Clive Barker would create.

3 Clive Barker's Undying

Patrick Galloway And Jeremiah From Clive Barker's Undying

Speaking of, many might not know that the creator of Hellraiser and Candyman actually created a game. Clive Barker's Undying focuses on Patrick Galloway who must confront his best friend's undead family and fight hordes of hellish creatures.

RELATED: Top 10 Eldritch Horror Based Games

As per usual with Barker, every monster, ghost, and entity is visually impressive and disturbing at the same time. The game mixed gunplay and spellcasting similar to BioShock games perfectly with plenty of scares. Despite positive reviews, it made no money and all plans for a sequel were abandoned.

2 Darkwatch

Jericho Cross Wielding A Crossbow In Darkwatch

Imagine if Blade from Marvel merged with one of Clint Eastwood's old western movies: that is Darkwatch. The protagonist is an outlaw turned vampire who joins an organization of hunters to take on Lazarus and armies of undead monsters.

With a morality system, tons of first-person carnage candy, powers, and interesting lore, it's a shame this game was quickly forgotten; there were plans for a sequel but it was lost to time. If one happens to have a PlayStation 2, try to find a copy.

1 Nightmare Creatures

Fighting A Werewolf In Nightmare Creatures

While Silent Hill and Resident Evil focused on slower, more methodical survival horror, Nightmare Creatures provided a perfect balance of horror and action. The gothic London setting combined with an ominous villain set the atmosphere perfectly.

The title of the game is certainly accurate; the monsters in this game definitely look like they originated from someone's night terrors. Top all with satisfying melee combat, one of the best PS1 soundtracks, and two different characters to play as; it's a gem that needs a return

NEXT: The 10 Best Indie Horror Video Games Of All Time, According To Metacritic