Source: Konami / Bloober Team / Silent Hill 2 / Scary Video Games
We couldn’t think of a better time to boot up some scary video games as we approach Halloween.
There are plenty of horror films you can watch to celebrate the spookiest time of the year, but if you want to mess with your nerves in the name of entertainment, plenty of scary video games can accomplish that for you.
From zombies, vampires, and psychopaths to raging space mutants, these video games won’t stop providing you with horrifying yet thrilling entertainment.
There is an extensive list of games you can play. Here are the top three we think you should play if you want to scare the living daylights out of yourself while having some fun.
Silent Hill 2 Remake
Source: Konami / Bloober Team / Silent Hill 2 Remake
Bloober Team did what many thought would be impossible, trying to bring back one of the original survival horror masterpieces with Silent Hill 2 Remake.
When first released in 2001, it quickly became the best entry in the franchise out of the numerous sequels and spinoffs.
Bloober Team had their work cut out for them when reimagining Masashi Tsuboyama’s terrifying creations for a new generation, and they knocked it out of the park.
Like in the original game, the player takes on the role of widowed writer James Sunderland, who finds himself in the accursed town of Silent Hill looking for his deceased wife.
It is daunting and, believe us, very scary. We challenge you to play this one under the lights with your noise-canceling gaming headset to immerse yourself entirely in the Silent Hill 2 Remake world.
Silent Hill 2 Remake is available now on PlayStation 5 and Steam for PC.
Dead Space Remake
Source: Motive Studio / Dead Space Remake
When Dead Space first arrived in 2008, it was a game-changer in the survival horror genre. It brought tension and fear to the one already terrifying place: space.
Fast-forward to 2023, and EA Motive decided to bring back the franchise with a remake of the 2008 game. This is the definitive way to play the game, even though the original game still holds up.
Dead Space Remake is a love letter to the survival horror genre and technical achievement on all fronts. EA Motive understood the assignment by taking a game that was already deemed perfect and somehow taking it to another level.
The fear and tension are ratcheted up to another level as you take control of Isaac Clarke, a ship system engineer whose mission to investigate the USG Ishimura’s communication failure becomes a nightmare.
Once onboard, you quickly learn the ship’s crew has turned into a bunch of mutated creatures thanks to an alien relic and are now haunting the halls of the ship. Armed with tools like a plasma cutter and other weapons, Isaac must literally chop off limbs to ensure his survival and solve the mystery.
In our review of the game, we wrote, “It’s a rare occasion when a remake of an already highly praised game is in the discussion for Game of The Year, but if the Dead Space remake is not on your list, you’re most definitely playing yourself.”
That remains to be the case. Dead Space Remake is available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PlayStation Plus.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Source: Capcom / Resident Evil 4
That’s right—another remake. Like Dead Space and Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil 4 is a beloved survival horror game.
When Resident Evil 4 arrived on the Nintendo Gamecube in 2005, it took the franchise that put the survival horror genre on the map and successfully turned it into an action game while keeping what makes it scary: the zombies and other grotesque abominations.
In Resident Evil 4, you again take control of Leon S. Kennedy, the hero from Resident Evil 2. He is no longer a rookie cop but a US Federal Agent on a mission to find the president’s kidnapped daughter.
The original game did present scares, but it never truly felt like the first three entries in the franchise in terms of giving you a sense of dread because you don’t have to ration bullets, health items, or ink ribbons.
With Resident Evil 4 Remake, the RE Engine makes the game look gorgeous and makes the Ganado, the crazed villagers controlled by the Las Plagas virus, even more terrifying, as they stalk you throughout the village and many other set pieces.
It also turned the game into Metal Gear Solid, with bioweapons trying to make your life a living hell.
Resident Evil 4 was another game we highly rated. In our review, we gave Capcom the crown for spinning the block because their remakes have been nothing short of exceptional.
Resident Evil 4 is available now on Xbox Series X, PS5, Steam and iPhone.
The list does not stop here. Hit the gallery below for more spooky game suggestions.
1. Resident Evil 7,2,3 – Next-gen
Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 7 biohazard are coming to new-generation consoles! These three masterpieces developed using the RE Engine are back with cutting–edge features including ray tracing, high frame rate and 3D audio for an enhanced gameplay experience.
2. RetroRealms: Double Feature
RetroRealms: Halloween & Ash vs Evil Dead are available now!
3. Phasmophobia
Phasmophobia, the genre defining horror game, is out now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2 and Xbox Series X|S. Just in time for Halloween!
Whether you’re playing solo or with up to three friends, it’s time to gather your equipment, investigate the paranormal and join the already almost 20 million player base on Steam, with cross play supported from day one.
4. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Willamette, CO.
Population: 53,594 and becoming more undead by the minute.
Freelance photojournalist Frank West heads to the unsuspecting mountain town in pursuit of a scoop and lands himself in the middle of a zombie outbreak. He quickly discovers that zombies aren’t the only threat in Willamette Parkview Mall. Unhinged Psychopaths lurk in every corner of the complex, each with their deadly sights set on anyone who seems suspicious. Can Frank uncover the truth about the outbreak, survive three days in Zombie Paradise, and escape Willamette unscathed?
5. Alien: Isolation
Discover the story of Amanda Ripley as she seeks to unlock the truth about her mother’s disappearance.
Aboard a decommissioned station, amongst a dwindling, frightened population, underpowered and underprepared, will she find the answers she’s looking for?
How will you survive?
6. Alan Wake 2
Ritualistic murders in a small town.
An FBI agent looking for answers, and a writer looking for an escape from the nightmare he is writing. Who is the victim, and who is the monster?
Play as the writer, Alan Wake, and the FBI agent, Saga Anderson. Explore two beautiful and terrifying realities, and solve a deadly mystery before it’s too late.
Alan Wake 2 is now available on PC on the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
7. Evil West
A dark menace consumes the American frontier. As one of the last agents in a top-secret vampire-hunting institute, you are the final line between humanity and a deep-rooted terror that now emerges from the shadows. Rise up to become a Wild West Superhero, eradicate the vampire threat and save the United States!
In visceral, explosive combat, unleash hell with your firearms, lightning-fueled gauntlet and gadgets. Kill bloodthirsty monstrosities in style as a lone hunter or in co-op with a friend.
Explore and fight in a narrative-driven campaign while upgrading your weapons and hunting tools. Unlock new perks to evolve your monster-slaying mastery, crafting your own playstyle to ultimately defeat the supernatural hordes.
Evil West is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
8. GHOSTBUSTERS: SPIRITS UNLEASHED
Hunting or haunting! 👻 The choice is yours in this asymmetrical Ghostbusters game from IllFonic, #Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. Play with up to four friends or solo on multiple platforms.
9. Aliens: Dark Descent
Aliens: Dark Descent, a strategic, real-time, squad-based, tactical action game set in the iconic Alien universe. This trailer leads the way for fans to learn more about the Xenomorph threat that lurks on Planet Lethe.
You are the commander. They are your weapon.
In Aliens: Dark Descent, you command a squad of hardened Colonial Marines as you attempt to stop a terrifying new threat on Planet Lethe. Led as one unit with intuitive controls on keyboard & mouse as well as on controller, the squad takes on real-time combat against iconic Xenomorphs, rogue operatives from the insatiable Weyland-Yutani, and a host of horrifying creatures new to the Alien universe.
Using a range of tactical abilities, you will unravel an authentic Alien narrative full of sinister secrets, diving in and exploring the horrors and wonders of a cinematic, narrative campaign.
As you infiltrate large open levels and annihilate enemies with your squad, use your comms to dispatch orders that are swiftly obeyed by the Marine best-equipped for the situation. You will need to use their wits to navigate the game’s expansive, persistent, reactive levels and complete objectives.
Being cautious and monitoring each Marines’ vitals is essential, for death is permanent for any who falls in combat.
Find refuge in your base — the stranded Otago spacecraft. There, you can customize your squad with a selection of different Marine classes. Level up and specialize each soldier with unique abilities and an arsenal of weapons, armor, and perks. You can also treat wounds and trauma, as well as research new tech to improve your squad even further.
10. Aliens: Fireteam Elite
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is NOW AVAILABLE! Play now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One or Steam.
Set in the iconic Alien universe, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a cooperative third-person survival shooter that drops your fireteam of hardened marines into a desperate fight to contain the evolving Xenomorph threat. Face off against waves of terrifying Xenomorph and Weyland-Yutani Synthetic foes alongside two players or AI teammates, as you and your fireteam desperately fight your way through four unique campaigns that introduce new storylines to the Alien universe.
Create and customize your own Colonial Marine, choosing from an extensive variety of classes, weapons, gear, and perks, battling overwhelming odds in this heart-pounding survival shooter experience.
11. Dead Island 2
Explore HELL-A – Dead Island 2 takes players across the most iconic locations of the City of Angels, now stained with horror, in an exciting pulp journey from the verdant suburbia of Beverly Hills to the quirky promenade of Venice Beach.
Brutal Melee Sandbox – Combat delivers the most intense, visceral and gory first person experience possible, with plenty of weapons and brutally tactical options to chew your way through the zombie horde. Whether you’re slicing, smashing, burning or ripping, we want you to truly feel it.
Be the Ultimate Zombie Slayer – There are six characters to choose from, each with their own unique personality and dialogues. You can fully customize the abilities of each Slayer, with our brand-new skill system allowing you to re-spec instantly and try out the craziest builds. Zombie Infestation – Ready to experience the most advanced dismemberment system in games? Our LA is crawling with zombies that look and react realistically.
These mutated wretches are the reanimated, rotten heart of Dead Island 2 with dozens of distinct zombie types, each with their own mutations, attacks and hundreds of visual LA-themed variants. Our monsters are relentless, challenging, and true Los Angelinos. Will you be able to survive? A Cinematic Co-op Adventure – As a proper RPG experience, Dead Island 2 offers plenty of exciting quests, a crazy cast of characters, and a thrilling pulp story, to truly immerse you in its twisted universe. Re-playability is guaranteed. Add an over-the-top co-op mode for up to three players, and you’ll stay in LA for a very long (and gory) trip.
12. El Paso, Elsewhere
Meet Djedefre, the resurrected son of Khufu, in this cinematic new story trailer for El Paso, Elsewhere. Debuted first exclusively in the IGN Summer of Gaming showcase. El Paso, Elsewhere is a new, third-person love letter to classic shooters coming to PC and Xbox, Fall 2023. Neo-noir never looked so good.
13. Resident Evil Village
Venture into the beautiful, yet terrifying village, and unravel all of its dark secrets when Resident Evil Village.
14. Until Dawn
“What’s in the mines, Sam?” Experience Until Dawn like never before on PS5 and PC.
15. Diablo IV
“Diablo IV is the newest incarnation of the genre defining ARPG players have come to know and love. Hellish new features, brutal challenges, and an indisputable return to darkness lie at the core of our hard work. Take a glimpse into the terror that awaits.”