Immerse yourself in some horror gameplay with our look at the best Halloween games to play…
The Last of Us
When The Last of Us was released in 2013, it became the face of PlayStation and one of the best video games of all time. The Last of Us is a third-person action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog, which sees an outbreak turn its human hosts into creatures called ‘The Infected’. Taking place in 2033, The Last of Us centres on Joel, a survivor of the outbreak, who is tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States to find a cure. The pair must work together to survive their journey, as they fight against both human and infected alike. The story is fantastic, but the interaction between Joel and Ellie is the real star attraction. The voice acting is superb throughout, as the pair form a dysfunctional father-daughter relationship. The Last of Us is harrowingly beautiful and an overall tense gaming experience. The Last of Us Remastered is available on PlayStation 4.
Doom and Doom Eternal
If you ever needed to release some rage, Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal (2020) are the games for you. The Doom series is one of the most iconic series in gaming history, with the original game defining the first-person shooter genre. Doom and Doom Eternal take place in the year 2149. Set in a research facility on Mars, a solider called The Doom Slayer wakes up from his Sarcophagus and finds the facility overrun by demons. The player takes control of The Doom Slayer and effortlessly slaughters demons for fun with an array of firepower. Doom Eternal builds upon the 2016 edition, with the gameplay feeling faster and smoother than the previous entry. Both Doom and Doom Eternal are really fun games, you feel unstoppable whilst you rip open demon faces to heavy metal music. Doom and Doom Eternal are available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
Dead Space Series
The Dead Space series is a third-person survival horror game, set in the 26th century. Earth’s resources have run dry and humanity is on the brink of collapse. ‘The Concordance Extraction Corporation’ has built a space mining vessel (USG Ishimura) that pillages other planets’ resources. When the vessel goes missing, a small group is set out on a repair and rescue expedition. The mission fails, as the team crash lands on the Ishimura. The player takes control of Isaac Clarke, an engineer onboard the expedition. When Isaac tries to repair the ship, he becomes separated from the rest of the crew and discovers a sinister force, Necromorphs. These mutated corpses have ripped through the ship, leaving no sign of human life. Armed with a mining tool, the player must find out what has happened to the crew and stay alive. Dead Space leaves you constantly on edge and is definitely for those adrenaline junkies out there. Dead Space is available on PS3, Xbox 360, Steam and EA Access.
Call of Duty: Haunting of Verdansk
Haunting of Verdansk is the latest in-game event from the first-person shooter, Call of Duty: Warzone. Warzone is a free-to-play battle royale and like most other battle royale games, seasons are integrated into the game with new weapons, characters and more updating on a regular basis. Haunting of Verdansk transforms the map and is set at night time. The update brings different modes including, Nighttime Plunder and Battle Royale. However, my favourite mode is Zombie Royale. Instead of being sent to ‘Gulag’ when you die, the player is reborn as a zombie. Zombies are faster, stronger and have thermal vision. If the player manages to kill two players and collect their syringes as a zombie, the player has another chance to fight another day. This makes for a really tense gaming experience, as the player listens out for any sign of life or undead nearby. The update is available for a limited time only, with the event taking place between 20th October and the 3rd of November. Haunting of Verdansk also brings legendary horror movie-themed bundles to the game in the form of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Saw, but unfortunately, they are paid add-ons. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer also receives an update with new modes such as Onslaught-er mode and Halloween Mosh Pit added to the game. Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare are available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Alien Isolation
Alien Isolation is a single-player survival horror game and is not for the faint-hearted. The player takes control of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley. Taking place fifteen years after the original Alien film, the flight recorder of the Nostromo (Ellen’s ship), has been located. With the flight recorder being held aboard the Sevastopol, a small team including Amanda travel to Sevastopol to retrieve it. However, the station is damaged. When the team try to reach the Sevastopol via a spacewalk, the team become separated and Amanda enters the Sevastopol. Sound familiar yet? Inside, she discovers there is a deadly Alien lifeform on board, a Xenomorph. Armed with only a motion detector, Amanda’s journey is a fight for survival as you try to find your crew, retrieve the flight recorder and ultimately, stay alive. Sound really is the true hero of Alien Isolation. It enhances the gaming experience, making you feel truly alone as you wander through the abandoned ship. Once your motion tracker starts bleeping you better hide. Just remember, in space, nobody can hear you scream. Alien Isolation is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
Overcooked 2
This game has everything quintessential about Halloween: The Unbread, Magic, but ultimately fun. Overcooked 2 is a great party game for the whole family. A simple premise, in which you and up to four players race against time to serve different courses to your customers. However, it becomes challenging rather quickly. This is mainly due to the games fantastic level designs, with the levels constantly changing and moving, the player has to re-orientate themselves quickly. Overcooked 2 brings new challenges to the game that weren’t apparent in the first instalment, as you try to time your orders perfectly, avoiding as many obstacles as possible. Overcooked 2 is a must-have party game. It is a game of patience and skill that makes you keep coming back for more. Overcooked 2 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Left For Dead Series
The Left For Dead series is a cooperative survival horror game which sees up to four players fight off the infected. An infectious disease called ‘Green Flu’ wreaks havoc through humanity. The games are set in the USA, with the player taking control of different protagonists in each instalment. Left For Dead 2 takes place a week after the first game and introduces new types of infected. Teamwork is the aim of the game on this one, as you must work together in multiple scenarios to take on endless hordes, whilst keeping everyone alive. There is a single-player mode which is still good, but the game plays best when you team up. Teamwork is particularly needed when you take on harder enemies such as Tanks, but just remember, DON’T STARTLE THE WITCH. Still available on Xbox 360 and Steam, Left For Dead, had a community DLC update ‘Last Stand’ released earlier this year exclusively on Steam.
Bioshock: The Collection
BioShock: The Collection contains all three games within the BioShock series: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite. Published by 2K Games, the BioShock series is a first-person shooter that incorporates both futuristic and retro themes. BioShock takes places in the underwater, haunted city of Rapture. Created by Andrew Ryan, Rapture was built for individuals to live and prosper in, as the world’s governments became too oppressive. In Rapture, scientists have discovered ‘ADAM’, a substance found in sea slugs that can rearrange human genes, giving the individual psychokinetic powers. This has turned Rapture into a hell hole, as citizens have abused ‘ADAM’ and have gone insane.
The player takes control of Jack, a survivor of a plane crash who finds the underwater ‘Utopia.’ Jack must fight his way through Rapture to escape. The civilians are relentless and will not stop until Jack is dead. However, there are tougher forces at play here than jacked up civilians: Big Daddies and Little Sisters. Big Daddies were created to protect Little Sisters, who harvest ‘ADAM’. If not equipped properly, these are not to be messed with. BioShock isn’t your traditional horror game, but it fills you with dread as you walk through dimly lit corridors, waiting for something to jump out of the shadows. The BioShock series is one of the best game series of all time and it is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a third-person action role-playing game published by ‘CD Projekt Red’ (the team behind Cyberpunk 2077) and what a game it is. Based on The Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the third instalment in The Witcher video game series. The game takes place on the ‘Continent’, a fantasy world which is co-inhabited by humans, monsters, elves and other creatures. The player takes control of Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher. Witchers are monster hunters trained since childhood in combat, magic and tracking. Geralt is tasked with finding Ciri, the daughter of Emperor Emhyr and his former apprentice, before the Wild Hunt do. Along the way, Geralt comes into contact with many friends, foes and foul beasts. The combat is fantastic and is greatly rewarding. Using both sword and magic to take down your foes, Geralt feels like an unstoppable killing machine. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an immersive, authentic open-world experience and it doesn’t disappoint. It is visually breath-taking and there is so much to do that you can easily get lost off the beaten track. With ‘CD Projekt Red’s’ Cyberpunk 2077 release date fast approaching, what a way to spend your Halloween, by playing one of the best fantasy open-world games of all time. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Instead of watching Ghostbusters (2016) or Ghostbusters 2 this Halloween, just play Luigi’s Mansion 3. It is more fun and it is actually worth your time. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is the next instalment in the family action-adventure game from Nintendo. Released last Halloween, the game follows Luigi who explores a haunted hotel as he tries to rescue his friends from Ghosts. Luigi uses a vacuum backpack, very similar to the proton packs in Ghostbusters, to suck up ghosts. Even with the goofy plot, the game has a bit of everything that the whole family can enjoy. Luigi is a very fun character and he makes you smile throughout, as he anxiously searches the hotel. There are seventeen floors that include different bosses, puzzles and themes. The level design is fantastic, with puzzles becoming more challenging and intricate. You can also play the campaign cooperatively with a friend as well. Player two takes control of Gooigi, a clone of Luigi made from goo, who originally appeared in Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a fun addition to the Mario world, with the level design being the games standout moment. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is available on Nintendo Switch.
Let us know what you think are the perfect Halloween games and check out more gaming content from FinalBoss!