Spooky season is upon us, and what better way to mark the occasion than by scaring yourself silly with some of the best horror titles around? Whether you’re looking to get stuck into a classic remake or want something new to sink your teeth into, there are plenty of scares to be had this Halloween.
1Silent Hill 2 Remake
Bloober Team’slong-awaited remakeofSilent Hill 2is finally here. You play as widower James Sunderland, who heads to the eerie town of Silent Hill to search for traces of his late wife, after receiving a letter (supposedly from her) informing him that she is waiting for him there.
What follows is a descent into the very depths of physical and psychological horror, as James trawls his way through this fog-ridden ghost town, dredging up long-forgotten memories and confronting the monsters that reside there.
2Still Wakes the Deep
Set aboard an ill-fated oil rig off the coast of Scotland in 1975,Still Wakes The Deepis a psychological horror story, told from the perspective of Glaswegian electrician Caz McLeary. Playing as Caz, you must negotiate your way through the collapsing oil rig, avoiding environmental hazards and the pursuit of a monstrous enemy.
With no combat in the game, players must rely on stealth and cunning to progress, solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles in their path. Dripping with atmosphere, this is an immersive first-person adventure delivers chills by the bucket load (and not just because of the North Sea winds).
3Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2continues the story of novelist Alan Wake, who has been trapped inside an alternate dimension for the last 13 years. The plot follows his attempts to escape this reality by writing a horror story involving an FBI agent named Saga Anderson.
Serving up twists and turns at every corner, this dark tale has all the trappings of a classic survival horror adventure, with a healthy dose of bonkers sprinkled on top.
4Until Dawn Remake
Like the very best ‘bad’ teen slasher flicks,Until Dawnoffers up a bunch of hapless yet ridiculously good-looking guys and gals for the slaughter, depositing them into a standard “cabin in the woods” style setup. Through a series of unfortunate events, they find themselves isolated from the outside world and pursued by a menacing foe, who seems bent on picking them off one by one.
Playing out like an interactive movie, you (or you and some friends) will face moral dilemmas, as each of the eight main characters is forced to make tough choices that can result in death. Rebuilt from the ground up for PS5 and PC, a new generation of gamers can experience the thrills and spills of this highly replayable classic.
5The Outlast Trials
The Outlast Trialsis a first-person horror experience set during the height of the Cold War. The nefarious Murkoff Corporation has been conducting an experimental recruitment program where volunteers are kidnapped and forced to complete a series of high-stakes trials while avoiding the clutches of monstrous enemies.
Using a pair of night vision goggles (which have been surgically attached to your head), you must tread carefully and avoid being seen, in order to successfully complete each more dastardly trial. The game is playable both solo or asa cooperative multiplayer experience.
6Alone in the Dark
Alone in the Darkis a reimagining of the classic 90s horror game of the same name. Set in the 1920s, players must choose to play as private investigators Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood while they investigate the disappearance of Emily’s Uncle, Jeremy Hartwood, at the mysterious Derceto Manor.
The gameplay takes place from a third-person perspective (similar to theResident Evil 2remake) and has you fighting for survival against the mansion’s hideous inhabitants in an action-packed mix of firearms, melee weapons, and throwable objects.
7Slitterhead
Upcoming gore-festSlitterheadis a battle-based horror game, set in the neon-soaked streets of Kowlong. You play as the “Hyoki” an entity who is plagued by “Slitterheads,” which are demons who mimic humans. The Hyoki is without physical form, and can only fight the Slitterheads by inhabiting the humans who live in Kowlong.
Cue deranged and flamboyant action, as you take on the fiendish Slitterheads by opening up various cans of magical whoop-ass on them. ThinkDevil May CrymeetsPrototypeand you might not be too far off.
8Fear the Spotlight
Fear the Spotlightis a third-person horror adventure that sees you sneaking back into school after hours to take part in a seance. Predictably, the seance goes wrong, your friend disappears, and you have to search the deserted school for her while avoiding the monster that now prowls its hallways.
A love letter to the old-school, puzzle-heavy survival horror titles of the 90s,Fear the Spotlightis brilliantly tense and creepy, despite its 90s graphical style.
9Resident Evil Village
As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Thankfully, they weren’t talking about the one inResident Evil Village, as this is quite frankly no place for child-rearing.
Players take on the role of Ethan Winters as he battles his way through werewolves, vampires, and a host of other adversaries to rescue his daughter Rosemary from the village stronghold. LikeResident Evil VII,Villagetakes place from a first-person viewpoint.
10Alien: Isolation
It was arguablyAlien: Isolationthat first bucked the trend of lackluster ‘sequels’ in the Alien franchise. This first-person action stealth-em-up was a textbook example of how to deliver cold, hard terror into the sweaty palms of gamers everywhere.
You play as Amanda Ripley (daughter of sci-fi’s most kick-ass heroine, Ellen Ripley) who, in searching for answers about her mother’s disappearance, arrives at the remote trading station of Sevastopol. Soon after her arrival, the proverbial hits the fan, and she is forced to improvise to survive as she is stalked by the most terrifying creation in all of cinema history. Unbearably tense, this is heart-pounding horror at its very best.
