This article may hit a little late, but fortunately for you, you can play scary games all year round. I just asked the fine folks at Gaming Nexus what is their favorite spooky or scary game to play. And I specifically asked for the favorite, not the scariest. I'll go first.
Joseph - Resident Evil VII: Biohazard
Let me start off with the fact that I do not play scary games. I hate them, because they scare me. In my early days of streaming, I played Resident Evil VII, super late, for the first time. There was no reason for this game to be as scary as it was. This was the introduction of Ethan Winters, and his girlfriend Mia, who was also half antagonist. Then you meet her family, and they're worse. This was also the first Resident Evil in first person, and though the Ethan Winters sequel Resident Evil: Village was toned down. the Bienviento House, was a return to Biohazard form, and I did not take it well.
Randy - Inside
Inside is a 2016 sequel to the black and white hit Limbo, where you die, and die again. The protagonist is silent through most of the game, and though most of it is puzzle and strategy based, the graphic deaths include drowning, getting mauled by dogs, and electrocution. Randy remembers that there was a preorder bonus of a human blob, courtesy of the Real Doll company. So there's that.
Randy has in fact played Inside, and penned one of the THREE reviews on this very site. He says "Inside was pretty much three hours of me shaking my head, clutching my chest, and realizing every few minutes that my mouth was hanging wide open. This is a game that will still be talked about five years from now—even 10 years from now.". And that was in 2016, so we're right smack dab in the middle. I've deleted the statement that Randy has never played the game.
Eric - Exorcist: Legion VR
Anything horror in VR, in my opinion, will always be scary. Of course, our editor in chief would choose Exorcist: Legion. Based on the the Exorcist III, the 2017 VR hit has been described as "truly terrifying". The game comes in chapters, and "tests your resolve and courage". Eric specifically brings up a scary church with a dead pig, possessed statues, and made him question if even playing the game was a good decision. I know I won't be playing it. There's crying babies in the trailer. No thank you.
Jason - The Last of Us Part 2
You may think The Last of Us Part 2 is an action adventure game that happens to have zombies in it, but I have to agree that it is a very scary, dare say horrifying experience. This game plays with your brain, and tugs at your heart, before ripping it out, only to put it back in. Then it rips your heart out again. There are scenes in the cinematics alone that are absolutely gut wrenching, and it doesn't help that there are even more infected in this game. I believe this is the one with the sneaky infected, who you have to hear coming out of nowhere, and that's terrifying. I have not played this since the first playthrough. I hope those who are watching the show are ready for season 2. It's not going to be pretty.
John - Half Life Alyx
Another VR immersive experience, Half Life Alyx is graphically stunning. Released in 2020, the visuals and levels are amazing to see in VR, but John picked out the "Jeff Level", which is chapter 7. Readily available via playthroughs online, the sounds alone creep me all the way out. I guess I would have to play it, to make it that far, but again, VR horror games are a no no. Jeff can't see you, but he can hear you, and that's all I need to say. Just think. Blind monster, chasing you, waiting on you to make a sound. No.
What is your favorite spooky game? I would say leave it in the comments below, but the internet doesn't know how to act, so if this gets shared to our other socials, consider yourself one of the good ones. Happy Halloween!
