Spooky season is here and the nights are drawing in. Now is the perfect time to turn down the lights, make a cup of hot chocolate, and snuggle down for some blood-curdling horror games. If you’re a subscriber to PlayStation Plus, you have lots to choose from for spooky games to play in between pumpkin carving and putting up scary decorations.
World War Z
Based on a film that was based on a book, World War Z can be played on your own or with a buddy. In fact, it’s a riot with a group of friends as this 4-player co-op, third-person shooter, is a chaotic experience when facing off against hundreds of swarming zombies. Imagine this as a linear experience that seems to always feature an arena standoff against the undead and you’ll be on the right track. It’s flesh-rippingly enjoyable.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Zombie Army 4 brings more zombies because gaming loves a shambling corpse. This is also another third-person shooter, this time inspired by the Sniper Elite series. Of course, things are a bit different here, but you’ll still be hunting Hitler’s soldiers. Gather your friends for some 4-player co-op and expect lots of gruesome X-ray shots of skulls exploding, brains being blasted and organs being punctured. Enjoy the zombies and the swathe of different occult enemies as you attempt to shut down the Axis' undead army.
The Evil Within 1 & 2
Okay, so I’m cheating by adding two for the price of one. Usually, I would recommend the sequel over the original as it expanded all the brilliant parts of the first game and pushed them further, but honestly, both are worth playing. The Evil Within series is a traditional survival horror, created by Shinji Mikami who was responsible for bringing us the Resident Evil series. With gorgeous backdrops, disgusting enemies, and a truly bonkers story, this one-two punch of horror will keep you going throughout the spooky month of October, and it’ll probably turn your stomach a few times too, so go easy on the Trick or Treat candy.
Resident Evil VII
The seventh installment of the legendary franchise took the series in a whole new direction using a first-person perspective for the action. Gone are the tank controls and isometric cameras, now we see everything from Ethan’s view, making for a more gory and claustrophobic experience. This iteration of Resident Evil keeps all the mysteries of previous games and builds on them in truly terrifying ways. The first half of the game is inspired more by Texas Chainsaw Massacre than Night of the Living Dead, but the traditional Resident Evil enemies and set pieces are thrown in too. Definitely play this one with the lights off.
Ghostwire Tokyo
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For the first few hours, Ghostwire Tokyo doesn’t feel like a horror game. Sure, there are ghosts and spirits populating the streets of Tokyo, but there’s never an oppressive feel to the game like you’d find with a survival horror. However, as the journey through rain-soaked Japan continues more and more Yokai (spirits) begin to emerge as more and more blood is spilled to run through the gutters. This is definitely a horror, but it leans towards anime fantasy as well. The Japanese always nail horror and some of the enemies here are honestly spooky enough to keep you awake at night.
Days Gone
Days Gone originally made waves in the horror genre due to the sheer number of infected citizens crammed onto the screen at once. There seems to always be a constant burbling and ever-growing group trying to kill our biker protagonist, Deacon. Set in an open-world in the years following a pandemic, it’s up to you to travel the state as a drifter and bounty hunter defeating high numbers of zombies freakers. There’s a lot to fear here, including some hilarious dialogue, but it’s Halloween, we’re only really here for the hordes of monsters.
FEAR
Scary, long-haired girls are a staple in horror. They’re known to menace adults with their supernatural powers and their dank hair. FEAR is a blast from the past; an FPS with psychological horror as a bedfellow. You play a government soldier who combats paranormal threats to the United States. You start to hallucinate a young girl in a red dress called Alma, a powerful psychic child who is out for revenge on those who experimented on her.
The Last of Us Remastered
Perhaps the defining zombie (they’re not really zombies) gaming masterpiece since Resident Evil 2? The Last of Us has become more than a video game. It’s a medium-defying juggernaut that started life as this brutal, emotional rollercoaster game that managed to soften the hearts of many. Now, it has inspired comic books, novelisations, and a brilliant TV show. This is your chance to see where it all started, with Joel and Ellie, and a world filled with danger and cruelty. The Last of Us Remastered is a lesson in world-building and storytelling - a game that will be forever lauded as one of the best horror experiences ever.
Dead By Daylight
Here’s one to play with your friends. Dead By Daylight pits four players against one - four survivors and one killer. Since its release, the game has gone through many updates and lots of DLC additions. With various maps to play, survivors must complete tasks without being caught and killed by the player hunting them. While there are plenty of original killers designed by the team, they’ve managed to bring several horror classic icons to play too.
Until Dawn
Until Dawn is the first ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ horror title from Supermassive Games. It’s a game that has since spawned several sequels and spin-offs which follow a similar formula. You can treat this like a movie where you get to choose what happens to the plucky cast as things go from bad to worse for them. You may choose a character whose fate is to be slain early on, or perhaps you’ll choose options that keep them alive until the finale. Whatever happens, it will be an edge-of-your-seat experience that can be replayed several times to watch the cast live or die. Get some popcorn for this one and see if you can keep your favourite alive.
Featured Image Credit: SonyTopics: PlayStation, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Playstation Plus