5 More Great Games for Halloween
“It’s a trick, get an axe.”
-Ash. Housewares.
Here at Handsome Phantom, we’re just a bunch of spooky boys (and girls), who wait all year around for October so that we can be our spookiest selves. As September closes and Spooktober blooms in orange and black, I prep my hard drive to download my favorite games for the Halloween season. And, because I love all of you so damn much, I’m going to share a few of my favorites.
We did this a couple years ago, but I still recommend these other five games for Halloween too!
The Last of Us
To be sure, there are three reasons I’m recommending The Last of Us for this season’s celebrations. For onesies, the sequel is officially being released in February, and its time for those of you who haven’t gotten on the hype train to climb aboard. Even if you’re familiar with the game, its always fun to relive and replay such a great title. I didn’t play TLOU until just last year, and boy was I missing out on an incredible experience.
For twosies: If you subscribe to PlayStation Plus (and you should if you can), TLOU Remastered is going to be one of the free games for October. Free is the best price to pay for just about anything, so if you have been waiting to jump in, now is the perfect time. Or, if you owned the game on PS3, now is the time to see the improved performance.
Third: What an incredible atmosphere. I know a lot of people don’t like calling TLOU a zombie game but, at its heart, that’s what it is. And it does that genre better than just about any other title in any medium. A common theme in the genre is that the zombies are dangerous, but the people are the real monsters – which this game illustrates masterfully. The Last of Us takes us on a cross country trip through fall and winter that contains so many shades of moral gray that the vibrant world begins to lose color. I cannot wait for the follow up, and I hope taking the time to visit or revisit this title will make you feel the same way.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The popularity of Skyrim has turned from a sensation to a meme in the last eight years but, damn it, there’s a reason for that. Skyrim is a spell and sword simulator that really does not have a competitor that scratches quite the same itch. Whether you’re playing the updated remaster on current gen or PC, or jumping into VR, there’s always a bit more fun to have.
The autumnal trees, haunted houses, demonic spirits, and werewolves of the base game are a perfect way to get into the mood for Halloween. But there’s also the expanded content of Dawnguard, which offers players a whole vampire storyline to tear through, or the Dragonborn expansion which returns players to the mystical and slightly creepy isle of Solstheim from Morrowind. Also, one could use the building mechanics in the Hearthstone DLC to make their own haunted murder mansion. I don’t judge fam, I e n c o u r a g e. And if you’re playing on PlayStation 4, now might be the time to polish off that Platinum Trophy.
Doom (2016) or (1993) or (1994) or (2004) I mean, whatever
Doom is one of the core franchises of video games. Since 1993 players have picked up a trusty shotgun to blow the minions of hell to smithereens with fury and a bit of panache. Recently, this whole franchise came to current-gen, so whichever entry tickles your rage the best you can go and play it right-the-hell-now.
For me, 2016’s Doom is one of the best first-person shooters out there and, along with the new Wolfenstein games, has shown that these seminal franchises still have a lot to offer with the right team behind them. But I still have very fond memories of watching my brothers die repeatedly while playing Doom 2. I’ll also never forget playing Doom 3 in Texas with my best friend and being scared to death all along the way. Whether you’re looking for gory action, or something a little more grounded in horror, Doom has something for you.
Diablo III
Speaking of seminal franchises, Blizzard’s Diablo is certainly one of those too. My house was a Diablo house. My dad started with the first game and my brothers and I joined in on Diablo II. Now the tables have turned a bit, and I’ve spent the past few years convincing my dad to finally stop playing Diablo II and try out Diablo III. The third entry in the franchise has now received two content updates (including one adding the necromancer back into the mix), and is currently one of the most playable and fun dungeon crawlers on the market.
Diablo III has some beautifully spooky environments, fun and macabre character classes, and a pretty decent story mode that is really fun to play with a buddy. Whether you’re new to the series or ready to finish off that Platinum Trophy, hit up the Handsome Phantom crew on Twitter or Discord and we would love an excuse to grind out some Adventure Mode with a new friend.
Bloodborne
In many ways, Bloodborne fills a very specific aesthetic niche that I love. The game drips with a Lovecraftian atmosphere, with visual references to the 18th century in Europe (sort of a Brotherhood of the Wolf thing), and a distinctly Japanese sense of proportion that stands out with a beautiful, haunting vibe. I love the way the game looks, I love the lore teases and the writing, but holy shit I cannot get into it. Bloodborne has remained a game that I love from afar, or enjoy watching friends play.
So, while I’ve personally only made it as far as Father Gascoyne, I highly recommend players try out Bloodborne if only because it is so gorgeous and so well loved by so many people. While the visuals of the game will certainly fit into the Halloween aesthetic, the existential depression brought on by the constant failure to succeed might be a little too much for the season – just a warning.
There’s just a handful of games we like playing for Halloween. As always, we love hearing from you! Join us on Twitter, Reddit, or Discord and tell us what games get you into a spooky mood!
If you haven’t, think about reppin’ the brand with a Handsome Phantom t-shirt. Its kid tested, mom approved.
