Top 5 Games for Halloween

Top 5 Games for Halloween
By Alistair
For those of you who are new to the gaming scene (that includes through YouTubers!) and want a visceral thrill during this spooky season, here are several games that’s sure gonna’ have you shiver to the bones. But be prepared, some of these aren’t for the faint-hearted…
Until Dawn. A highly recommended game for those who enjoy a good plot. Don’t worry, this game has its fair share of horror and jump scares that will keep you at the edge of your seat! This game designed to be played multiple times, as players cannot see all content with a single play-through. What I love about this is game is the unique in-game ‘Butterfly Effect’ mechanics where any choice of action by the player may cause unforeseen consequences later on. And there are multiple endings one can explore, compared to many other horror games in which the algorithm is set to that one same ending. The gameplay is focused on exploration, quick-time events and discovering clues as well as making decisions. Throughout the game, players will make difficult decisions during ethical or moral dilemmas, such as sacrificing one character to save another. The ‘Butterfly Effect’ system blurs the line between right and wrong decisions and it is possible for players to keep all the characters alive as well as having all of them die, allowing for many different paths and scenarios as well as offering several different endings for each character. I personally find this game a damn near perfect game! The storyline kept me entertained and every scene just breathes horror on so many levels.
Rating: 4.9 stars
Requirements: Playstation 4
Amnesia: The Dark Descent. A classic horror game renowned in the YouTube community, with channels such as PewDiePie and Markiplier gaining household fame from playing this game and their variants. What follows is a tale told mostly in flashback as you’re beset by ghostly visions and uncover journal entries on dimly lit desks that tell of scientific expeditions that lead to the discovery of ancient terrors. By itself the plot is rather strong, and told effectively assuming you take the time to explore and pick up a majority of the notes. Yet what really adds a quality of unsettling authenticity to the tale is the unshakeable feeling of pursuit and inevitability of some kind of horrific climax. The sensation is created by a combination of implied and observable events. On the soundtrack, scratches, clicking and footsteps from unseen spaces imply an expanse of unknown rippling just beyond the limits of your perception. It contributes to a feeling of isolation and helplessness that adds to the sense of terror. The graphics aren’t as great compared to many upcoming horror games, but its gripping story and haunting ambience compensates for that.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Requirements: Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows. For the ‘otakus’ slash horror buffs! It’s a little more softcore than other horror games, being one of the few horror anime genres in roleplay gaming. But don’t be fooled by the anime appearance, I kid you not. The story is straightforward – it’s set in an elementary school that was torn down following the murders and disappearances of several of its staff and students. A modern day high school has been built over the elementary school site. One rainy night, after celebrating their school’s culture festival, a group of students are telling ghost stories when their class representative decides to perform a charm called Sachiko Ever After, which would allow them to remain friends for eternity. A sudden earthquake transports them to an alternate dimension where the old elementary school still exists and is haunted by the ghosts of the school’s murdered children. The students try to figure out the truth and mystery of the cursed school, in order to find their way home and try to survive the shadowy forces that haunt the school, but unfortunately some don’t make it, causing them to have a gruesome death. Corpse Party proves that a minimalistic approach can get some of the best results when it comes to horror. If a little blood gets you weak in the knees, this game is not for you. Awesome soundtrack and amazing voice acting!
Rating: 4.3 stars
Requirements: PlayStation Portable, iOS

Dreadout. It’s an Indonesian indie psychological survival horror game with interesting mechanics. The story isn’t very elaborative, but the scare factor is to be reckoned with. The player uses modern gadgets, such as smartphones and digital video cameras, to interact with (or fend off) various kinds of Indonesian mythical ghosts, and to help her solve various puzzles in a deserted town. I don’t heavily recommend this game if you’re focusing on storyline. However it’s pretty good for those wanting abrupt, realistic-looking scares.
Rating: 3.8 stars
Requirements: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux
Five Nights at Freddy’s (series).  No one can go wrong with these four games (FNAF, FNAF2, FNAF3, FNAF4), like seriously. The series is a frontrunner when I comes to terrifying jump scares. It’s nerve-wracking even before the real terror starts. The game is well aware of just how unsettling the bright multi-coloured fantasy objects we hoist onto children on a regular basis are in the right light, and your first look around at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza–empty, dimly lit, and derelict–is a little chilling. Before anything out of the ordinary even happens, every synapse in your brain is sending the message that you do not want to be here. Your job is to flit back and forth between the security cameras, ensuring all the wacky animatronic characters are where they’re supposed to be, which is in the back room. When they’re not–and the fear instinct that comes with realizing that will serve you well here–your job is simply self-preservation. Close the doors, turn on the lights outside your office, and wait for Freddy or one of the others to wander away. Iike how survival in this game is a matter of conservation, observation, and timing – it adds on to the distress of being jumpscared by one of the animatronics. Truly a different take on horror gaming, especially where your character aren’t able to move at all. Now I understand the fandom….
Rating: 4.7 stars
Requirements: Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, Windows Phone
 
An Extra Review to top the list…
Outlast. I can safely say that Outlast made me jump out of my chair more often in its four-hour descent into Hell than any other game ever has. It’s a tense, brutal trek that strips you of any power to defend yourself as you try to avoid the deranged mental patients that roam the halls of this horrifyingly gorgeous world. You’ll run, hide, and just generally be terrified as you discover the horrors that reside within Mount Massive Asylum. But in between the wealth of scares and beautiful environments, this game has a tendency to bog down via uninspired mission objectives and a few disappointing design choices. From the get-go, Outlast is one of the best-looking and sounding survival horror games to date. Everything from the dynamic lighting to a fantastic soundscape work together to keep you on edge every second of the experience. You’re ostensibly powerless in Outlast, meaning that your main tools for survival are running and hiding. Barrelling down a hallway with a beast right on your heels, bursting through a series of doors when you have no idea what’s on the other side, and eventually finding a closet to hide in and evade your pursuer provides a fantastic and terrifying thrill. And once enemies begin tearing apart rooms and opening closets in search of you – yep, you can imagine just how nerve-wracking this game gets.
Rating: 4.9 stars
Requirements: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4