Top 5 Horror Games to Play for Halloween
The cool breeze and pumpkin spice lattes are back! The season of scary is upon us once again so, let’s get in the spooky mood with some video games. There have been plenty of games based on terrifying monsters and the creepy undead, but let's take a look at some of the absolute best horror games to get into the Halloween spirit.
F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon)
First person shooters require quick eyes and fast reflexes, and F.E.A.R. is no different. You’ll need a towel to wipe the sweat from your fingers while you are playing through this title.
F.E.A.R. is about a military branch that is sent to contain a supernatural event. You play as the team scout who has enhanced reflexes. While we may have superhuman reflexes, your enemy has something else up her sleeve. Alma is the spirit of a young girl who is killing members of your squad, and it’s up to you to stop her.
The game’s lead designer, Craig Hubbard, drew inspiration from Japanese horror and even mentioned movies like “The Ring,” “Dark Water” and “The Shining.” You may know that Alma is attacking you, but there is always a sense of confusion. What is she doing and what is the extent of her abilities? You’ll just have to find that out yourself.
F.E.A.R. can be played on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Of course, I had to mention a Resident Evil game on this list! Resident Evil 7 stars Ethan who receives a message from his wife who has been missing for a few years. While going to find her, he encounters a crazed family that kidnaps him. Now Ethan has to find a way out, and he has to find his wife in the process.
This isn’t the first kidnapping story that has been in horror, but Resident Evil 7 does something a little different. This game is playable in PlayStation VR. The story is played out right in front of your eyes. Just when you thought shooting and running couldn’t get more intense, try it in VR.
Resident Evil 7 is available on PlayStation 4 (with VR), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Dead Space Series
Is there anything more terrifying than being alone in the emptiness of space? I had to give Dead Space the scary credit. The grotesque alien monsters and creaking space vessels are not for the faint of heart.
We play as the character of Isaac Clarke, an engineer on a mining ship in space. The vessel becomes infected with the Necromorphs, an alien being that can reanimate dead crew members. Each reanimated corpse changes structure by warping their anatomy, so the monsters are not your average zombie.
Dead Space is a third person shooter much like most of the Resident Evil series, but the developers, EA Redwood Shores, cut out all of the player UI elements. For instance, your health bar is shown on the character’s back. It helps to draw you into the gameplay. Like most shooting games headshots do more damage to kill enemies, but in Dead Space, your mission is to find out where the monster’s head, or weakness, is located. Having to learn your enemies weakness becomes similar to that of the Mega Man formula. Enemy anatomy becomes part of the discovery and is a learning curve in Dead Space.
The Dead Space series (1-3) is available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.
Beyond: Two Souls
Horror stories don’t always have to be jump scares and running from demons, sometimes stories feature friendly ghosts. Beyond: Two Souls is an action-adventure interactive movie based on a young girl named Jodie who has a link to an entity named Aiden. Jodie has been connected to Aiden since she was a little girl and they have been through a lot together. Jodie’s family sends her to a government project with work with a Dr. Nathan Dawkins. Jodie, played by Ellen Page, and Nathan, played by Willem Dafoe become a makeshift family while trying to understand Aiden and his origins.
Beyond: Two Souls might not be the most terrifying of experiences, but the entire game can be played in co-op. You can take control of Jodie, and your friend can play as Aiden, and each character can make their own decisions which will slightly change the story. It is a great game to play with those who don’t typically enjoy video games or don’t play games often.
Beyond: Two Souls is available on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
Friday the 13th
Haven’t you ever wanted to be the villain of a horror movie? Why not flip the script and become the killer in the multiplayer game, Friday the 13th? Become Jason Voorhees and try to find the camp counselors of Camp Crystal Lake. You can join in random parties that will randomly select who is Jason or just create a private game and rotate the killer.
Of course, Jason can’t win every time. The camp counselors have to complete objectives on the map or hide long enough for the session time to run out. Counselors also can stun Jason using different types of traps. While play as Jason, you can teleport to different map areas and see where counselors are hiding for short periods.
The multiplayer aspects create all types of fun to be had with friends and family. Friday the 13th can even be a significant part of a LAN/Horror movie night at a friends house.
Friday the 13th is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Honorable Mention: PT
Based in the Silent Hill universe, PT stands for “Playable Trailer,” and it was created to show the world what Guillermo Del Toro and Hideo Kojima have been working on for the canceled Silent Hills video game. You wake up in an unfamiliar place and have to solve puzzles to find out where you are and how to get out. After completing multiple problems, Lisa the spirit haunting this place will reveal herself.
Unfortunately, after the canceling of Silent Hills, PlayStation removed PT from their online store making it impossible to download now. Hopefully, Kojima and Guillermo can find a way to bring their dream, or nightmare, back to life in the future.
Horror games are one the best ways to start feeling that Halloween spirit. Immerse yourself in the creepy and crawly aspects of these video games, and invite some friends over to do the same. Just make sure you have plenty of candy.
What games scare you the most? Have you played all of these games yet? Let us know in the comments section.