Five Horror Video Games to Scare Yourself With This Halloween
If you’re looking to have a spooky night in for Halloween, these horror video games may be the scare you’re looking for.
What will you be doing on Monday? Handing candy to trick-or-treaters? Maybe going out and collecting candy yourself? Perhaps a scary movie marathon is more your speed? Or, if you prefer your scares a little more interactive, there are loads of quality horror video games to fire up. Your Halloween is about to get a little scarier with these five horror games.
Alien: Isolation
The thing about Alien: Isolation that makes it so scary is the same thing about the movies that make us jump; you never know when the Xenomorph is going to pop out. And this game was expertly designed to keep players on their toes. If you’re looking for a game to relax to, this ain’t it. You play Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda Ripley, as she attempts to figure out what happened to her mother. And, y’know, aliens. Unfortunately for Amanda (and you), the AI in this game is surprisingly advanced, so the Xenomorph will not only jump out of ceiling vents and seemingly take bullets like you’re using a marshmallow shooter, but it will also learn over time. Making that as you get better, the game gets harder, and the duel-mouthed-killing-machine gets smarter. Good luck.
P.T.
This game is so terrifying that it’s even scary when nothing is happening. And that may be the brilliance of it. This is a pretty short game, and that’s because it was originally a demo for a Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro-made Silent Hill. You’re in an infinite hallway with new terrors (and sometimes no terrors, but that’s not any less scary) around every corner. Will you solve the mystery or just curl into a ball when you see whatever is up there? I’d do the latter, personally, but I have high hopes for you.
Bloodborne
Coming from the Dark Souls family, Bloodborne feels more like an action RPG than a true horror game at times. But in a world where everyone is either undead, subsumed to madness, both, or on their way, this is a spooky game full of monsters, dread, and its fair share of jump scares. It’s Lovecraftian in its approach to the genre, and your character is there to hunt something horrible and unknown. On the way you’ll uncover secrets, solve mysteries, and be terrorized by the unknown as much as the known.
Dead Space
Survival horror games in space just work. You’re already frightened and fighting the unknown, but there’s also an element of isolation as you’re surrounded by the cold vacuum. It adds an element of hopelessness and raises the stakes, and Dead Space plays into this beautifully. This is also a game with a masterful handle on the atmosphere. You’re perpetually low on ammo as the story slowly shifts and comes into focus around you, and most of the danger is implied through sound design. You don’t see the danger, you hear it. Which I think we can agree is worse.
Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil 7 took their already famously good series to the next level but made everything a bit smaller. Instead of fighting against a giant evil pharmaceutical company, you’re just trying to escape a mansion in Louisiana. Encounters happen in rooms and hallways, making everything feel tight and claustrophobic and giving you limited ways to run away from danger. This game is as scary as it is gory, but if horror games are your cup of tea, it’s one of the most fun ones out there.
Will you be playing any horror games this Halloween? Did your favorite make our list? Which would you recommend for a truly terrifying night in? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Adventuring!
