As we move through October, it comes time to get excited once again about haunted houses, spooky ghosts, horror films, and of course, Halloween video games. This article reviews the best Halloween games of all time.
Dead Space
Of all the original EA properties the company churned out over the years, with overpriced loot boxes and online-only mandates, one survival horror game truly stood the test of time.
That title is none other than Dead Space, a third-person shooter experience released in 2008 that spawned an entire trilogy, including a remake that gives the protagonist a voice, adds side quests, and improves the Zero-G sections.
Set in the 26th century, the story follows Isaac Clarke, a Systems Engineer, on a search and rescue mission for a crew that went radio-silent aboard the USG Ishimura.
When he goes poking around a broken shop floating in the middle of space, with nothing more to go on for evidence than a message from his girlfriend, the ship gets overrun with Necromorphs.
Gore is the name of the game, as Clarke must master an array of lasers and weapons to fight bloodthirsty savage beasts.
Alien: Isolation
Fans of the iconic trilogy of horror films that began with Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic will be delighted to play the gem known as Alien: Isolation. The game holds up incredibly well for its age and adds to the franchise that began with movies in a meaningful way.
Players take on the role of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen from the movies, who proceeds to investigate the disappearance of her mother. The story quickly evolves into an unforgettable survival tale once the Alien appears.
This game stands out for its interaction between the player character and the Xenomorph. If you are making noise when handling anything you encounter on the ship, the alien will come to seek you out. The ability to escape is a matter of luck and resource management.
Stealth is a genre that does not always appeal to everyone, but this game executes it perfectly in a way that enhances the tension.
DOOM: Eternal
DOOM: Eternal is the fifth core entry in the classic series and is perhaps the best by id Software. It combines nasty visuals with tight gameplay as players maneuver through enemies and levels alike.
Furthermore, the multiplayer mode lets players take control of either the demons or Slayers.
While this game is not horror in the traditional sense, the maniacal chaos that ensures and encourages players to become even more demonic than the creatures spewing out of hell itself cannot be understated.
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 managed to elevate the entire survival horror medium to a new level when it was released. It became so popular, that fans are finally getting a remake.
At the time, the graphics were unlike anything seen before. In addition, the story that follows protagonist James Suderland on his journey to find his deceased wife tells a terrifying tale of guilt.
The game’s atmosphere is meant to make you feel uneasy the whole way through, from the disturbing designs of the creatures to the implications of the narrative. While it’s a spectacular experience, it may be too much for certain people to handle. It’s this precise tone that makes Silent Hill 2 the best in the series.
Zombies (Call of Duty)
The classic game mode by developer Treyarch, first featured in 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War, has become a staple element of the Black Ops franchise and an all-time fan favorite in general.
This minigame features horde-mode style combat where 1-4 players must fight an endless wave of Nazi zombies. Players can collaborate with others and acquire funds for various perks and weapon upgrades as the onslaught gets increasingly overwhelming.
Over the years, Treyarch has refined the progression system and added significant story elements and easter eggs to make the experience more fulfilling.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) and Call of Duty Warzone (2021) introduced a Halloween-themed event known as the Haunting, with all the zombies wearing Jack-O-Lanterns on their heads.
Some of the pumpkins have a chance to drop off and, when looted, give you the ability to rapidly upgrade the quality of your weapons, equip better armor, and pack a punch all the way up to tier 3!
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
The Ghostbusters franchise became an instant pop culture phenomenon in the 1980s. It spawned a whole line of merchandise, from action figures to comic books to video games.
For the longest time, the fabled Ghostbusters III, the proposed sequel to the second film, was in development hell.
Society eventually got a third film in the form of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. However, from casting issues to the passing of Harold Ramis, leading to multiple revisions of the script, the original vision for Ghostbusters III never came to pass.
Enter Ghostbusters: The Video Game, a well-received third-person action-adventure game featuring all four of the classic actors who also lent their voices to the experience. It is a proper modern take on the franchise with a plot that even Dan Aykroyd himself confirmed was essentially the real third movie.
Although Ghostbusters had a slew of bad video game adaptations throughout much of its existence, this 2009 entry released on PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC was very well received. It was eventually remastered and made available for modern systems, including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
The Last of Us
Even if you’re not privy to horror-themed games, The Last of Us tells a powerful human tale that resonates with every kind of audience.
The cinematic cutscenes are still cutting edge to this day, pushing the limits of the PlayStation 3 to its maximum capabilities, and the game has top-notch voice acting to create the ultimate connection. Its ending opens the floodgates for polarizing fan discussion and perspectives.
It manages to engender the concept of scarcity in a video game perfectly without going overboard and making you feel helpless if you’re careful. While the experience is primarily linear, it offers you plenty of paths to strategize and develop tactics for taking on the zombie apocalypse.
This is the modern masterpiece of industry studio veteran Naughty Dog, the same geniuses who created the Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, and Uncharted franchises.
The Last of Us was a commercial success and was remastered for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. A sequel, The Last of Us Part II, was eventually made seven years after the release of the original.
Bloodborne
The popular Souls series by FromSoftware took a turn in the path for its 2014 entry in a long line of dark action fantasy role-playing games.
Bloodborne mixes the challenging third-person combat of Dark Souls with some of the best Lovecraftian and Gothic mythos in the history of the industry.
Those who own a PS4 should be mandated to pick up this outstanding exclusive title.
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Resident Evil 2 took everything that made the original entry so memorable and turned up the heat. The enhanced remake helped amplify and immortalize the setting and gore while maintaining the artistic integrity of the originals.
So many veterans have fond flashbacks of the first Resident Evil 2, and the remake delivers some of the best-looking zombies you’ll ever see in a video game.
In Resident Evil 2, players explore a fictitious city while fighting monsters and solving numerous puzzles. The limited ammunition to the scarce firearms adds a tactical side to the experience.
Corpse Party
One of the scariest and most despicably grotesque horror games to ever release that has stood the test of time, perhaps greater than anything, is Corpse Party. While it did have some poorly received remakes, the original 1996 classic is one that many find themselves returning to every Halloween.
This adventure features an insanely dark plot filled with dismemberment, skeletons, cannibalism, and child murder, all in a 2D anime package made with the simple power of the popular game engine known as RPG Maker.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Imagine that those creepy mascots parading around family establishments and kid parks was not actually a person underneath but instead a soulless machine that could go rogue.
That horror story is exactly what Five Nights at Freddy’s attempts to capture. You spend exactly five nerve-wracking nights as the owner of such a business. This highly successful indie title exploded into an entire media franchise with the success of the original 2014 entry.
Still, the first game’s legacy lives on in the hearts and souls of those who managed to survive its experience.
Costume Quest and Costume Quest 2
We saved the kid-friendly entry for last. Costume Quest and its direct sequel, Costume Quest 2, are by far the most age-accessible Halloween games that exist and tell a tale of a group of children on a trick-or-treat night that went horribly wrong.
When a pack of evil Grubbins attacks their peaceful neighborhood, one of two fraternal twin siblings must use the powers of their costume to fight in epic turn-based combat and save the other.
Using fun, quick-time events, and various costumes to take on different abilities, battles are addicting and fun. As you progress through the game, you’ll uncover all kinds of collectibles to get stronger and stronger.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
The infamous visual novel that took the Internet by storm in 2017, Doki Doki Literature Club is a visual novel initially distributed through itch.io. It tells a story from the perspective of a high school student who reluctantly becomes a member of the literature club and is given the option to romantically pursue three of the four female members.
Containing a plot structure with unlockable cutscenes and multiple endings, Doki Doki Literature Club comes across on the surface as a lighthearted dating sim. In actuality, it’s a psychological horror game that disturbingly breaks the fourth wall in many avenues.
The definitive edition of this bone-chilling experience is Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, which offers exclusive content and new features.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Mario’s younger, cowardly, though taller brother Luigi got his own standalone game for the first time (not counting Mario Is Missing!) with the 2001 classic Luigi’s Mansion. The game has the green-suited Italian plumber searching for Mario and battling with ghosts in a haunted mansion using a vacuum cleaner.
The latest entry in the franchise is none other than Luigi’s Mansion 3, with colorful modernization of gameplay and graphics on the Nintendo Switch, along with a set of multiplayer modes.
Cleverly designed puzzles and bosses make great use of the vacuum, now known as the Poltergust G-00. Fans of Ghostbusters will feel right at home with this family-friendly adventure, and you will constantly be motivated to explore every nook and cranny to uncover all the collectibles.