Randy Robertson
Halloween is approaching rapidly, and what better way to celebrate than by experiencing the best horror video games out there? Over the next few days, we’re going to list off the best games to play no matter what mood you’re in. Whether you’re looking for the scariest, goriest, or most entertaining horror games, we’ll give you a few suggestions for every category. We will also touch on the best classics, and a few recent titles that are noteworthy as well. To help compile this list, we've enlisted the help of Rob Nielsen from RedGoateeRob’s Horror Pages.
Horror games don’t have to be old to be good. Besides, not everyone has an NES on their shelf anxiously awaiting a cartridge. Newer gamers might not even have a PS2 or GameCube sitting around either, so today we’re going to stick strictly to the most recent generation of systems; or more specifically the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Sorry Wii, you didn’t quite make the cut. We’ve already scared you silly, grossed you out, given you some time to reminisce, and messed with your mind, but there’s a good variety of entertainment here. Things get a little frustrating, a little freaky, and, of course, a little fun.
‘Rise of Nightmares’
“Rise of Nightmares” brought horror to the Kinect for the first time, and it was quite the showing! Although it’s not as perfectly crafted as some of the other titles on this list, there’s no doubting that it is the horror experience for Kinect, and easily one of the best across all motion gaming platforms. It simultaneously showcases everything the Kinect is capable of while providing a surprisingly entertaining and interesting game. Needless to say, if you own a Kinect and are a fan of horror games, this is one title that absolutely should be a part of your collection. You won’t ever find yourself scared to death – due in part to the fact that you’re forced to play with the lights on – however there’s enough shocking moments to satisfy any horror fan.
‘Souls’ Series
Probably the best thing to come out of Japan this generation without the word 'Nintendo' attached to it, the Souls series is rapidly on its way to becoming legendary. Brutally difficult and unforgiving, the games in this series will test the resolve of any gamer brave enough to pop one of them into his console or download it to his PC. The first game in the series, “Demon's Souls”, set down the formula, and the second, “Dark Souls”, added to and expanded it. Debate over which of them is the better game rages across the internet and probably always will, but this much is sure: if you have the patience to face the challenge it poses, you'll find the Souls series to be some of the best games you'll ever play. They're also among the scariest; for instance, where some games ask you to fight a dragon, “Demon's Souls” will ask you to face the god of dragons - a behemoth of a thing with two sets of jaws and claws the size of a compact car. From the flocks of zombies to the other players invading your game to the Dragon God, the Souls series is a pit of terrors, each more deadly than the last.
‘F.E.A.R.’ Series
The “F.E.A.R.” series is interesting because it's sort of a chimera. Equally influenced by military shooters like “Call Of Duty”, survival horror games like “Resident Evil”, and Japanese horror films like “Ringu”, “F.E.A.R.” made psychological horror shooters a genre for the first time. Each game in the series approaches the horror from a different angle and uses its own unique mechanics to keep the series fresh. Much like 2010’s “Medal of Honor”, the AI in the series is some of the best you can find in any shooter. Just try sneaking away from behind cover when you're under heavy fire, and you'll hear the enemies yell "he's flanking!" and move to protect their exposed side. All of these elements serve to keep you on your toes when you're playing “F.E.A.R.”, reminding you constantly that no matter what you do, you're never, ever safe.
So that’s it! There’s tons of content here to get you prepped for Halloween, but this list is by no means exhaustive- there are plenty of other great titles that didn’t make the list, so get out there and find your favorite. Whatever you decide to play, just make sure you’ve got something spooky ready to go, because Halloween only comes once a year!