There’s nothing better than enjoying a good ‘horror’ game during Halloween. And while many titles deserve to be mentioned, we picked the ones that stood out the most to us.
Let’s begin our, ‘Top 10 Survival Horror Games to Enjoy This Halloween’:
#10. Lone Survivor (Available Platforms: PC / Mac / PS3 / PS4 / PSVita) – This 2D retro-style indie game is as frightening as it is terrifying. Lone Survivor’s chills and thrills derive from its creepy environments, zombie-like monsters, and stealth-like gameplay. The game’s protagonist also experiences violent, often perplexing visions that can only be described as disturbing.
#9. Resident Evil: Code Veronica (Platforms Available: Playstation 2 / Dreamcast) – Code Veronica’s multi-character gameplay and T-Virus island scenario add to this title’s suspense. Not only is the story seen from different perspectives (i.e. Claire Redfield, Steve Burnside, etc), but you’re placed inside confined, zombie-infested locations that will literally make your palms sweat.
#8. Resident Evil: Revelations (Available Platforms: PC, Nintendo 3DS, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U) – What Halloween game list would be complete without a Resident Evil game? Revelations is one of the best games in the series, as it returns Resident Evil to its original ‘survival’ horror roots. The action-based gameplay of RE 4 and 5 was replaced by the original gameplay concept from the first three games – solving puzzles and finding keys to unlock doors. The over the shoulder combat system is still present, but it’s been revised to fit the current game engine. There are plenty of scares along the way, as Jill and her partner, Parker, search the claustrophobic SS Queen Zenobia for the whereabouts of Chris Redfield and Jessica Sherawat.
#7. Silent Hill (Any Version) – Even today the PSOne originals can send a chill down your spine. But if you’re looking for a more recent Silent Hill game (especially one to play on the go), then Silent Hill: Book of Memories for PSVita is a good place to start. The top-down perspective is a change of pace from the standard third-person engine used in the original games, but the hellish environments and creepy story keep the Silent Hill vibe going.
#6. Metro Redux (Available Platforms: PC / PS4 / Xbox One) – If living underground in a post-apoaolytpic Russia isn’t frightening enough, the nightmarish abominations that chase you through this FPS / survival horror / stealth game will do the trick. Nothing is more heart-pounding than riding a rail car, while being chased by a large group of Lurkers.
#5. ZombiU (Available Platform: Wii U) – This first-person shooter is filled with countless scares. Zombies will lunge at you from nowhere and the environments are eerily dark. The feeling of isolation is also overwhelming, as you try to survive as a ‘random’ survivor. ZombiU is a great game to own on Nintendo’s console.
#4: Left4Dead 2: (Platforms Available: PC / Xbox 360) I have one word for you – Jockey. You haven’t experienced a heart-stopping gaming moment until a Jockey climbs on to your character’s back, and then runs you out a window to your death. Left4Dead 2’s gameplay is unequivocally the scariest game you will ever play, period. Did I also mention zombie clowns? That’s a nightmare in and of itself.
#3: Dead Rising 3 (Available Platform: Xbox One) – Nothing says ‘horror’ like an open sandbox world overrun with the undead. Since every inch of Los Perdidos is infested with zombies, the fear factor of this title is high (especially when you have to travel on foot). Climbing on top of a car to survey the amount of flesh-eaters that are on your ass is usually a sobering, if not chilling, experience.
#2: Day Z (Available Platform: PC) – Sure, zombies themselves are a scary thing to consider, but what really makes this game ‘frightening’ are the players. Noobies that are foolish enough to answer any ‘calls’ for help in ‘General’ chat usually end up massacred and their items stolen.
#1: Alien Isolation (Available Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, PC) – Alien Isolation makes it to #1 due to its paralyzingly shocking encounters that the game’s protagonist, Amanda, has with the pursing Xenomorph. Hiding usually does the trick; but the real ‘scare’ comes when you believe you have ‘fooled’ the creature into leaving. The Xenomorph will spring out of nowhere, rip the door off your hiding spot (which is usually a locker), stare you down briefly, and then proceed to chew a hole the size of a baseball in your head. Now if that doesn’t cause you to wet your pants, I don’t know what will.
These are our picks for Halloween 2014; what are yours?
