Video games, like fall, can offer people many different experiences. Parties are multiplayer, apple picking is a cooperative experience and riding your bike through a park is a single player adventure. Haunted houses are like boss levels, full of intense action that ends with sweaty palms and a pounding heart.
If you are someone who likes to be scared – blood, guts and heart-pounding anxiety-inducing insanity – these terrifying games are definitely for you. Turn off the lights and let the games begin.
“Alien: Isolation”
Released: Oct. 7 for PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC
“Aliens: Colonial Marines’” misleading press photos weren’t the only reason the game let down fans last year. A shooter full of potential and Xenomorphs should have been a slam-dunk for fans of Ridley Scott’s iconic 1979 film, Alien, and H.R. Giger’s sleek, black, killing machine. Alas, it was still a flop. Luckily, “Alien: Isolation” is here.
In a similar vein to the pulse-pounding and terrifying experience of “Outlast” – one of last year’s scariest games and arguably one of the scariest games ever made – “Isolation” places players at the mercy of the Xenomorph that stalks them, leaving them powerless.
Wit and resourcefulness isn’t just necessary to complete the objectives; they’re necessary for survival. The alien hunting the player can emerge at any turn, and it isn’t the only danger. Its presence forces the defenseless protagonist to quickly make their way to safety, or to find a cozy hiding spot. The tension of the alien’s presence is only highlighted by the game’s gritty, lonely and grim nature that perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere of Ridley Scott’s original film.
“The Evil Within”
Released: Oct. 14 for PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC
A game that never shies away from blood, gore and the grotesque may be the perfect game for any Halloween-inspired gaming marathon. Directed by “Resident Evil” creator, Shinji Mikami, a gruesome mass murder draws protagonist, Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his fellow officers into encountering an evil and menacing force.
After his fellow officers are brutally slain, Castellanos wakes up in an absurd world where monstrous creatures and characters wander about. His inner detective can’t stop Castellanos from searching for the truth behind the evil force, while he fights for his very survival. To fight or to flee becomes a crucial key for survival.
“The Last of Us: Remastered” or original
Released: June 14, 2013 for PS3, “Remastered” released July 29, 2014 for PS4.
“The Last of Us” is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time – both for PlayStation 3 with the original game’s release and now on the PS4 “Remastered” edition.
Few games in recent memory have accumulated as many game of the year awards or praise as the grueling and heart-wrenching tale of Joel and Ellie’s survival.
The “Remastered” edition takes the superlative experience to the next level. It harnesses the graphical abilities of the PS4 to bring the visceral, demanding and extremely violent post-apocalyptic world of “The Last of Us” to an even more detailed, polished and realistic conclusion.
The PS4 version also includes the prequel, “Left Behind,” a stand alone story that follows Ellie and her best friend Riley through a mall, between the events of “The Last of Us” and the comic book spin off, “American Dreams.” The combined experience of “Left Behind” and the original story creates an experience worth going through, even for those who battled their way through the game on PS3.
The game is full of pulse-pounding moments that might not be as scary as running from a Xenomorph, but are just as shocking.
“The Walking Dead: Season One and Two”
Release: Episodically released on various platforms with disc-based collections released at each season’s conclusion. Available on: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Ouya, PC, Mac OS, Kindle Fire, Android and iOS.
“The Walking Dead” might not be the scariest game on this list, but its repertoire certainly demands attention.
“The Walking Dead” has become a phenomenon for its printed pages in the monthly comics written by Robert Kirkman, the TV show and the episodically released and award-winning game.
Telltale Games produced two seasons of award winning content that stands alone from Rick Grimes’ adventures in the comics and TV series.
The games’ emphasis on deciding who lives and who dies perpetuate a game of choice and consequence that models the grueling reality of the TV show and comics.
Through the game's art direction, game play and emphasis on player choice, The Walking Dead embodies the popular comic book series by Robert Kirkman in its aesthetics, tone and ethics. “Season Two” follows Clementine, a young survivor who struggles to maintain her humanity and morality. In a world filled with zombies more trustworthy than the living, holding on to your humanity is as hard as staying alive.
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