Halloween is my favourite time of year! The weather is cooler, the days are shorter, and this special day is approaching fast. It’s a time to enjoy the spookier side of life, and with that in mind here are ten recent and classic games and franchises to fit the mood.
Presented in no particular order in what spooky gaming products are good includes:
Silent Hill
Before this game even became a franchise, the original Silent Hill had you searching a small town of perpetual fog for your missing daughter. The mountain town of Silent Hill seems quiet, serene and surprisingly deserted. If you’re a fan of the recent television hit, Stranger Things, you couldn’t be blamed to think that Silent Hill was one of its inspirations.
The all-ages LEGO adventure games have given us many reimagined series over the years, but the ones based on the Harry Potter novels (and subsequently the movies – Ed) have been among the most popular. Recently re-released on the PlayStation 4, but available for most modern systems, use magic spells and LEGO contraptions to follow Harry, Hermione and Ron through the stories of all seven books, battling dragons, homework and ‘You Know Who’ himself!
Grab your shotgun, space marine! A portal to Hell itself has been opened on Mars and an army of demons are overrunning the colony! Nearly everyone has been killed or possessed and you are the last line of defence before they find a way to reach Earth! Frantic, fast-paced action awaits as you rip and tear your way through the demonic hordes, but be careful! You may have access to some of the most advanced weaponry humanity has ever developed, but they have learned to use it as well.
If you find an arcade with one of these light gun games, you owe it to yourself to try it out! With a B-movie feel, the plot is paper thin, but the fun is in the shooting gallery of zombies. Known as an on-rails shooter, the game moves you through the environments on its own so that you can focus on taking down the brain-craving enemies. If you enjoy cheese with your headshots, this may be the franchise for you.
Gamers can follow the Belmont family through the centuries as they battle countless classic monsters in their quest to defeat the evil Dracula once and for all! Inspired by classic horror novels and movies, it’s nearly impossible to go wrong with this series. The music, in particular, is a consistently amazing mix of rock and gothic melodies that never get old. You can find Castlevania games on most systems from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 all the way back to the Nintendo Entertainment System. I personally recommend Symphony of the Night (PS1) and Castlevania 3 (NES).
A story-driven adventure game based on the Fables comic series from Vertigo where myths and fairy tale beings live in hiding among regular humans. A detective story set in this gritty fantasy world, you play as Sheriff Bigby Wolf, formerly the Big Bad Wolf, who is tasked with investigating the murder of a woman. The story is shaped by the player as actions have consequences and people will remember to how you treat them.
Controversial. Over the top. Bloody. This classic series of fighting games has recently seen a huge return to popularity with Mortal Kombat in 2011 and Mortal Kombat X last year. A martial arts tournament is all that stands between the realm of Earth and the evil forces of Outworld! Filled with almost as much cheesy humour as blood and gore, Mortal Kombat has always offered a stylish blend of Asian cultural influences and demonic horror. FINISH HIM!
A survival horror series from Koei Tecmo where you have to investigate supernatural disturbances. Your greatest tool is the Camera Obscura, an antique camera that has the ability to reveal and capture spirits. The clearer the photo you take, the more effective it is, so maybe you could let them get just a step closer?
Randomly generated zombie hordes and limited resources stand between you and the next safe house. Thankfully you can bring four of your friends along for the trip! You and your teammates have to trek through urban and rural environments while fending off the ‘infected’ that roam the streets and are attracted to noise. There are also elite infected with special attacks and powers of their own. There may not be a plan beyond surviving, but you’re going to kill a lot of zombies before you do down.
The breakout hit survival horror game from Capcom. Spawning countless spinoffs, sequels, remakes, and two series of films, this juggernaut of a franchise started with a mansion in the forest. As a member of the local police’s Special Tactics and Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.) you have to locate your compatriots, figure out what’s going on in the labyrinth of a building, and above all, survive what you find inside.
There are too many horror-based and Halloween games to list here, and this is by no means a ‘top-ten list.’ Hopefully, something here has caught your interest. And remember to play alone and in the dark — if you dare!