Halloween on screen: Four classic horror games for PC and console

Halloween season is in full swing, and for those looking for a proper fright, there's nothing better than diving into some interactive horror through these four chilling games, which challenge you to stay alive – and sane.

Resident Evil 2's Leon is taking the time to do some community outreach and really get to know what people like Zombie Joe here want from their police force.
Resident Evil 2's Leon is taking the time to do some community outreach and really get to know what people like Zombie Joe here want from their police force.  © Image/CAPCOM

The first classic single player horror game for your skin-crawling pleasure is Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Released in 2010 by Frictional Games, Amnesia is a survival horror game that has no cutscenes or weapons or abilities.

All that you have is your wits and the trade-off between staying alive while trying not to lose your mind. The game's two health bars force you to balance safety and sanity, and sometimes staying alive means going a little bit insane. But that might be the better option, because the alternative is death.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is on sale on Steam as part of the Halloween sale, and if you have the urge to face your fears – or hide in a bunch of closets while pointedly not facing your fears – then this game is yours to have for a measly $2.

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Another favorite of the gaming community is third-person horror shooter Resident Evil 2, which originally came out in 1998. CAPCOM remade the game in 2019 and it's still one of the defining titles for the entire genre. The remake includes two campaigns, each with a different perspective on a company's bioweapon-gone-wrong.

The zombie apocalypse in Resident Evil 2 has a powerful character-driven plot, and an excellent balance of solid gameplay, puzzles, tension, and zombies, this game has everything you need for a story-driven horror game. Thanks to the Halloween sale, you can snag it for $16 on Steam.

Sci-fi horror

In Alien: Isolation, you play as Amanda Ripley, and surviving a mission to a hostile space station hinges on your ability to hide from the Alien on board.
In Alien: Isolation, you play as Amanda Ripley, and surviving a mission to a hostile space station hinges on your ability to hide from the Alien on board.  © Image/SEGA

Another old game that is still a community favorite is Dead Space, known for its new take on zombie-slaying, and renowned to this day for its exquisite sound design.

The game puts you into the engineer suit of Isaac Clarke, and then pits you against the remains of a massive spaceship's crew.

They shamble, run, and jump at you to try and break your suit, your resolve, and your sanity. And if you can take it, the game's sound design will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, from steady climbs to peaks of suspense, and adrenaline-pumping encounters with the murderous beings that fill the hallways of the broken spaceship.

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The developer team behind Dead Space crafted a masterpiece in sci-fi horror, and it is on sale for only $5 on Steam until October 31.

Alien: Isolation is another sci-fi horror title, but this entry to the genre does that cruel thing to you – making you defenseless and weak. You have to rely on your hiding and evasion skills, and some improvised tools and weapons, while a perfectly evolved hunter tries to make your insides your outsides.

The game isn't part of the Steam Halloween Sale, so it might be worth waiting until the price tag is a little lower, but if you have $40 you don't really enjoy having, this game could be yours.

Cover photo: Image/CAPCOM

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