October is best known for all things spooky because it’s the month that brings us Halloween and all the scary movies we can stomach. So it’s only right we point out some games you can pick up the sticks in honor of All Hallows Eve.
Halloween is the best time to stock up on your favorite candy and other snacks, turn off the lights, put on your best gaming headset, preferably one from SteelSeries, hop in front of your television, and indulge in a horror video game binge if you’ve got the nerves for it.
Thankfully, there is no shortage of titles to choose from that will have you tensing up as you embark on your electronically terrifying journey.
If you need some suggestions, don’t worry —HHW Gaming has you covered.
Silent Hill ƒ
The Silent Hill franchise is back on our list again, this time with an entirely new entry, Silent Hill ƒ, which is currently a hit among fans of the iconic Konami survival horror franchise.
In the game, the action shifts from the town’s iconic, spooky Silent Hill to 1960s Japan, underscoring that the horror is not confined to the fictional location.
We finished this one, and here’s what we had to say about the game in our review:
Silent Hill ƒ is that redefining moment for Silent Hill, or put, the Resident Evil 4 of this franchise. Okamoto and his team brilliantly blend action, horror, and psychological twists into a beautiful yet twisted story that is a testament to Ryukishi07’s vision when he wrote the game’s story.
For longtime Silent Hill fans, this is a new way to experience the game without sacrificing what made the franchise so iconic. For first-time players like myself, it’s a more welcoming game to ease you into Silent Hill.
Silent Hill ƒ is definitely a spooky vibe.
Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part One: Evolved Edition
Looking for a spooky time in outer space where no one can hear you scream, then you will definitely find that experience with Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part One: Evolved Edition.
Released initially as a full VR experience on the Meta Quest headset, which remains the definitive way to experience this game, Survious later released a non-VR version, turning it into an actual first-person/survival horror experience.
While the sight of a facehugger jumping across a hall to impregnate you with a chestburster, or waves of Xenomorphs trying to take you, is extremely fear-inducing while rocking a VR headset, we are happy to report that the scares still work in Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part One: Evolved Edition.
In his review of the game, our resident gamer, Bernard “Beanz” Smalls, wrote:
Alien: Rogue Incurson – Part One: Evolved Edition isn’t a terrible game. In fact, it’s definitely one of the better games based on a movie franchise.
Any Alien fan, such as myself, will find this to be a good time, simply because it feels so close to the Aliens movie, unlike Colonial Marines, which is easily one of the worst games based on the films.
Coming in at roughly 8 hours, Rogue Incursion doesn’t overstay its welcome and delivers one of the better side stories in the Alien lore, and features one of the better characters not named Ellen or Amanda Ripley.
Alien: Rogue Incurson – Part One: Evolved Edition is out now on PS5, Xbox, Series S | X, and PC.
Dead Space Remake
We will utilize any chance we have to praise Motive Studios’ Dead Space Remake, because it was honestly that damn good, and we deserve a remake of Dead Space 2.
While the original game from 2008 still holds up very well, 2023’s remake cemented itself as the definitive way to experience this survival horror gem that takes you out into the dark reaches of space.
This game is the perfect title to boot up on Halloween, slap on a pair gaming headphones or buds, whatever you prefer and totally immerese yourself in the adventure that will see you take control of Isaac Clarke, a ships system engineer, who was initially tasked to help fix the planet cracker, the USG Ishamura’s communications issues only to learn it is now overrun with monsters who used to be the ship’s crew.
We also reviewed this game, and here’s what our guy Beanz said about it:
Somehow, EA Motive took an already excellent game and made it perfect. The Ishamura, an already terrifying location, looks and feels even more frightening than ever thanks to impressive lighting and sound, turning the derelict ship into a beautiful nightmare.
Throughout the playthrough, you can’t help but feel as if something is lurking behind you, above you in the Ishamura’s vents, or just breathing down your neck. EA Motive perfectly leveled up the original game’s tense atmosphere and took it to another level by utilizing the PS5’s powerful new hardware.
Dead Space Remake is out now.
The Dying Light Franchise
Techland is absolutely cooking with its Dying Light franchise thanks to its perfect mix of parkour, while destroying zombies in the most spectacular ways with an assortment of weapons.
But it’s what happens when the sunsets in the game that truly makes this franchise worth visiting on a Halloween night.
While the game encourages you to handle your quests during the daylight, if you unfortunately happen to get out in the zombie-ravaged streets in the darkness of night, you are in for a challenge, as the monsters are much stronger. There are even worse creatures than just mindless flesh-eaters lurking.
If you happen to get spotted, a heart-racing chase sequence ensues as you hop across the rooftops in hopes of making it into a safehouse, shielded by ultraviolet lighting to keep the things that go bump in the night out.
The franchise currently has three entries: Dying Light, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, and the most recent release, Dying Light: The Beast, which was initially supposed to be DLC for Dying Light 2 before Techland decided to release it as a standalone project.
In our review of Dying Light 2 Stay Human, we wrote:
Dying Light 2 Stay Human takes all of the fun elements from the first game and delivers an even more polished RPG-like experience. The intense, heart-pounding action is still there, especially when a Howler spots you and initiates a chase sequence. It can be just as terrifying as exploring a building while you are trying to avoid waking up sleeping infected and roaming Volatiles.
We are currently enjoying Dying Light: The Beast ourselves and can say confidently that it’s the perfect game to play during spooky season.
Resident Evil Remakes
Finally, it wouldn’t be a scary video game-themed list without Resident Evil. There are many entries in the Resident Evil franchise since it burst onto the scene in 1996, delivering scares across different console generations. Still, we’re going to focus on the exceptional remakes.
Capcom got in its remake bag with Resident Evil 2, which totally reimagined the classic game that broke boundaries with its new “zapping system” and A and B game scenarios, offering players different perspectives on the scenarios encountered throughout their playthrough.
We can’t forget the introduction of Mr. X, who makes his appearance during the B game playthrough, adding an extra wrinkle as he pops up from time to time to make your life a living hell.
Capcom decided to remake Resident Evil 2, but take the scares to another level, and make Mr. X a threat in both scenarios. Oh, and he can almost chase you throughout every corridor of the RPD Police Station.
Not done with the remakes, we got a new spin on Resident Evil 3, giving us a new way to experience Jill Valentines epic story as she tries to survive the zombie outbreak going on in Raccoon City, while being hunted by Nemesis, a much scarier version of Mr. X, this time equipped a gattling gun, rocket launcher and tentacle that can pull you in if you don’t avoid it.
This leads us to Resident Evil 4 Remake, which is now the proper way to experience what many say is the best game in the RE franchise, thanks to how it changed the way we play it by abandoning tank controls, putting the camera over Leon’s shoulder, and delivering more action.
The remake took that from the original and added even more flavor, making a game already great, even more phenomenal.
In our review of Resident Evil 4 Remake, we wrote:
You rarely play a game, and when you reach its conclusion and say, “damn, that was perfect.” 2023’s Resident Evil 4 is one of those occasions, and so was the Dead Space remake. Both did something to change the genre they occupy, but there is just something a tad bit special about this game that gives it a STRONG chance for a video game remake to win Game of the Year.
It’s that damn good.
So there you have it. That’s our suggestions, but there are definitely more titles out there worth trying, like Dredge, Silent Hill 2 Remake, and Alan Wake 2.
Happy gaming, and don’t spook yourselves too badly indulging in these fantastic, scary video games.
