As brave as you might be, you most likely have a weak spot or something that scares you. Spiders, snakes, dark places, monsters, blood, ghosts, the list gets quite long, especially if you have a twisted fantasy.
Not long ago, movies were pretty much the place where we could see our fears come alive. Nowadays games like Doom, Resident Evil, Dead Space, Silent Hill, and many more have cemented video games as a realistic scene to bring us not only the things we fear – but Fear itself.
Halloween is nearing and we are all looking for something to keep us on the edge of our seats, sweating and ready to scream. This Spooky season might be more frightening than ever gaming-wise, as some of the latest titles are more terrifying and more real than ever before.
We are giving you a list of horrifying horror/thriller scary games to celebrate the road to Halloween! Not for those with weak hearts! Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Returnal
Release date: April 30, 2021
Platform: PlayStation 5
Being advertised as the first real next-gen game for PS5 as it is not a port, remake or remaster, coupled with the fact that it didn’t get released for previous-gen, Returnal is a way to experience the good old sci-fi horror genre. If you just got your long-awaited PS5, the game is a wonderful way to start your next-gen journey.
Even though it came out back in April, Returnal still feels fresh and not fully appreciated. While it is not strictly horror, the reminiscence with the genre is undeniable. You will still get goosebumps from the alien monstrosities trying to kill you, by recalling and reminiscing Alien Isolation and Dead Space.
After catching a signal from the remote planet Atropos, the main protagonist Selene disobeys orders to investigate. Sound familiar? Don’t worry, no facehuggers coming out of eggs! But even so, the planet is not the safest place for you to be. Meeting a corpse of yourself, time paradoxes, hostile tentacle enemies, extinct alien civilization, and a replica of your own childhood home (spooky huh?) will keep your nerves stretched until the game comes to an end.
The Medium
Release date: January 28, 2021
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
This psychological third-person thriller game will let you be a detective as you will be investigating bloody sceneries to find out about a series of grim events that happened in a hotel in 1999. Find clues, encounter scary pieces of evidence among spooky places in post-communism Poland, and discover horrifying experiments done on human beings by Nazis and Soviets. How does that sound? Spooky? No?
Would it be better if you can dive into the spiritual world by not being just a detective in our world, but a Medium able to travel between both realms? You got this. The main protagonist in the game – Marrianne is a medium with psychic abilities, which can be used to fight supernatural hostile forces or to free troubled souls seeking rest. Better now? Okay, a real-world detective and a Medium at the same time? Sounds fun.
The Medium will not just let you be both things but be in two separate worlds at the same time. And not just by switching between the two worlds Soul Reaver-style, but to be simultaneously in both of them. Your screen will be split into two: one is the real world and the second is the spirit realm.
A new and fresh gameplay vision, that results in a great interaction between the two points of view. But don’t fool yourselves, besides being a uniquely intriguing game, The Medium is something that will haunt you for days, even weeks after completion!
Resident Evil Village
Release date: May 7, 2021
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia
Resident Evil VII was highly successful and a sequel was somewhat inevitable. What is a list of horror games for the Halloween season without a good Resident Evil game anyway? Resident Evil Village steps in to try taking its crown as the finest horror game.
Village continues the story of the previous game by putting us back in the skin of Ethan who finds himself in a haunted Eastern-European village, that is reminiscent of the starting level of Resident Evil 4.
Despite still being a survival-horror game at its core, Village is more action-oriented as this time Ethan has military training, so you will be a bit more capable than the previous game. The Baker family were tough enemies, but this time the trouble is much bigger as you will be thrown into fights against werewolves, disgusting abominations, the walking undead, and extremely tall vampires.
If you are looking for a challenge, pack your luggage and head for the Village, and be prepared as it might be a one-way trip. Resident Evil Village is a worthy successor of the new generation of Resident Evil games that started with Resident Evil VII. The VR mode is not present at this time, but the first-person perspective is kept and it will still totally immerse you in the game.
Alan Wake Remastered
Release date: October 5 2021
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Alan Wake came out in 2010 for the Xbox 360 and despite being one of the best exclusives for the console it was somehow overlooked. Such a pity as the game is a grim atmospheric third-person psychological thriller that will give you the creeps. You might have trouble sleeping after spending several hours with it. A real gem that came from Remedy, the guys who brought us Max Payne.
Earlier this year it was announced that a remake is coming. Alan Wake Remastered was announced for modern consoles and PC with updated graphics and visuals. If you’ve never laid your hands on the original, now’s your chance!
As Alan Wake, a best-selling thriller writer, you will be trying to uncover the mysteries behind the disappearance of your wife while on a vacation. As Alan’s latest novel comes to life, you encounter weird events in the small town of Bright Falls. You get attacked by the ‘Taken’ – mysterious dark subjects armed with axes, chainsaws, and knives, huge hostile flocks of crows are trying to kill you, and waves of dark forces are trying to devour you.
Beautifully and stylishly scripted as a TV show consisting of six episodes, Alan Wake Remastered is a must-play for this spooky season!
Back 4 Blood
Release date: October 12, 2021
Platforms: Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Usually, horror games are single-player driven games because playing a scary game alone is much more personal and affects our mentality more. But what about multiplayer games in the genre? Well, there aren’t many of that kind to be precise. However, you do remember Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, right? What a blast they were! Guess what, the guys who developed L4D are releasing its spiritual successor Back 4 Blood on the 12th of October!
In it, an alien virus outbreak worldwide is causing people to be turned into the so-called ‘’Ridden’’. Our world is being turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of zombies. Get ready for some good old co-op zombie shootouts as the familiar format of 4 player co-op vs hordes of zombies is back, this time alongside 8v8 player PvP.
You are one of the veterans called ‘’Cleaners’’ coming together to hold off the zombies. Make sure to give this one a try when it comes out as it is expected to keep the magic of its predecessor Left 4 Dead.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
Release date: October 28, 2021
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Three days before Halloween, we are getting Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water released on all modern platforms. Originally being launched for the Wii U back in 2014, the game is a sight to behold. Despite using the advantage of the iconic Wii U controller for a more immersive experience, the game never got enough attention and couldn’t reach many gamers due to the unpopularity of the Wii U.
Just as in the previous instalments of the series, players will navigate through areas filled with ghosts that can be fought only by using Camera Obscura, a mysterious antique camera that can locate the weak spots in the spectral creatures.
The setting is Hikami Mountain and drags three main characters that are on a quest to seal away the Black Water, an evil force corrupting spirits that are lingering around. Fancy those clips with ghosts captured on camera? Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water might be your closest pick to that!
Final Thoughts
We are all looking to play something scary during the spooky season around Halloween and the list above aims to show you some of the best options available at the moment. The games above may seem scary but we all have our fears and only particular things can make us feel truly terrified. And oh, if you’re looking for some gaming gift cards to get these games, head on over to OffGamers right here for more details!
Anyways, sometimes even if a game is being advertised as really scary, bad pacing or old boring tricks might make it look silly. And in some other cases even if a game is not intended to be scary, it terrifies us and mentally pushes us to our limits.
What do you think is the most important thing in a game like this – the story, the writing, the atmosphere, the graphics, how it recreates our fears or something else? Let us know in the comment section below!
I am a junior content outreach writer for OffGamers. I foster relationships between gaming enthusiasts and gaming developers to create relevant content for gamers worldwide. I also happen to be a passionate writer and a certified night owl.
