Playing spooky horror games has become somewhat of a tradition for me around Halloween time. This all began in the digital age of video games. Multiple digital shops continue to gift us free monthly games. With the help of PS Plus and the Epic Games Store, I have constructed a massive library of digital games.

All October long, we have been watching scary movies, so I also decided to download a couple of spooky games from my PS library. I’ve mainly stuck to three games, two remakes of older games and one brand new game. The theme this year is survival horror, but each game has its own set of villains — Zombies, Shadow Creatures, and Monsters.

1 | Resident Evil 2 (Remake)

Today’s big gaming trend is watching others play games — or streaming. Instead of playing games themselves, many gamers choose to watch others play on Twitch and other platforms. I used to think of this as a strange pastime, but after playing a bit of the Resident Evil 2 remake from 2019, I remembered a time where I used to watch my friend play the original Resident Evil games — in person.

Back when I was a kid, I was even more terrified of horror games and scary stuff than I am today. My friend, on the other hand, was a huge fan. I watched him play through many Resident Evil games and others on the original PlayStation. I also remember not paying attention and looking away during scary parts.

Another big gaming trend today is the remake/remaster treatment. There are a few games that I have played both the original and remake/remaster of. The thing is, when you replay the game you remember certain beats and moments. You know exactly how to complete specific objectives.

When playing a remake of a game that I watched my friend play, I only remember the horrible moments. Not what to do to get past them, but the fear. When it comes to a horror game, like Resident Evil 2, I remember the scary monsters and jump scares that are now in high definition! 

It’s been a good time playing some of Resident Evil 2 on my own, and a bit nerve wracking. It’s also both nostalgic and a brand new experience all at once.

I myself didn’t get into playing Resident Evil games until Resident Evil 5 with local co-op. That’s when my buddy tossed me a controller, so I could help him take out the undead. Playing in local co-op takes away part of the fear factor. It beats playing a scary game while someone is watching you and you’re acting cool on the outside while totally freaking out on the inside.

2 | Alan Wake: Remastered

Alan Wake is a game that I first played on PC many years ago. I played almost every morning before work for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t make it very far. That was the original version. Once they announced a remaster was in the works, I decided to take a break.

I held out for a long time, but decided to finally restart Alan Wake earlier this year. I ended up taking another long break, but with the start of Halloween season it was time to get back to it. And this time I’m going to make it to the end.

I’ve always been drawn to Alan Wake as a character, since I am also a writer — or I consider myself one. It’s just a very cool and original story where his horror novel is coming to life right before his eyes. After playing a bit of Control (another Remedy game), it’s fun to see how this earlier game influenced that one — they also seem to take place in the same universe.

Alan Wake is the perfect level of spooky for me. I can play this game right before bedtime and still have a good night’s sleep. Some horror games become daylight games. I wouldn’t imagine playing them at night.

Of all of the spooky games I’ve played this season, I really want to make it to the end of this one. At some point I plan on finishing Control and later playing Alan Wake II, with all of its DLC.

3 | A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead

When it comes to video games based on film/TV franchises, I am usually a bit hesitant. What made me want to play A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is that it is an original story with brand new characters set in the same world as the movies. And what a world that is for a video game.

In this version you play as Alex (an asthmatic pregnant woman). The game also introduces the use of the PlayStation DualSense microphone, if you want it. I wasn’t able to test this out since I have a fat, hungry cat moving about and making noises all night — until he gets fed. In the world of A Quiet Place, Archer (the fat cat) and I would only last seconds.

The microphone feature sounds incredible for playing with a few friends huddled around the TV. While one person plays the whole group must remain quiet, or we all die.

My main problem with A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is the quietness of the world. In most horror games, you have to be sneaky, but there are also moments when you can run around and be quick — once you’ve cleared an area. In A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead you must sneak around, slowly and quietly, the whole time because the monsters are always listening. There are some environmental factors, like rain that allow you to move around quickly.

The more I played the more I liked the game though. I became Alex (the asthmatic pregnant lady) and I was worried for her, her baby, and myself the entire time. If I had been wearing my Apple Watch while playing this game I would have received a notification about my heartrate. Why’s your heart rate up? Aren’t you sitting on the couch? Even after playing the other night, I was still tense for a few minutes.

It’s quite an achievement for the development team to make the player nervous 100% of the time, even though the spooky stuff only happens less than 20% of the time. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead definitely keeps you at the edge of your seat — or couch.

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As I played these spooky games I also had a fun, silly game as a chaser, Astro Bot. If I’m going to be playing horror games right before bed, I need something to calm me down so I can go to sleep, especially after the intense A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead.

I’m excited to continue Alan Wake and possibly A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead. I see myself jumping into other Resident Evil games, or saving them for next year. I do know from previous years that the recent first-person Resident Evil games are not for me.

I also have a few less spooky, scary games to play. Maybe those will be my post-Halloween Horror Hangover Games.