It’s the perfect time of year to scare yourself stupid by playing some brilliant horror games – and now you won’t have to spend scary cash to do so.
Sony has been running a huge Halloween-themed sale filled with dozens upon dozens of PlayStation 4 games (not to mention a heap of PS3 favourites), and they range from recent blockbusters to immersive VR terrors and some enduringly frightening faves. And you’re running out of time to get yourself some digital scares for this weekend.
Need something new to play on a budget? These are the first 10 games we’d buy from Sony’s Halloween sale, which runs until 1 November on the PlayStation Store.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (R470)
Capcom’s reinvented horror legend is half off right now, and the shift to first-person action gives this classic franchise an entirely new kind of tension. You can even play it with PlayStation VR… if you’re up to it.
Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition (R380)
Dying Light’s zombie parkour game was a surprise hit and it’s still getting an awful lot of online, zombie-bashing, building-jumping play. The servers are bound to be busy this Halloween and the Enhanced Edition has all the bits you need to compete.
Alien: Isolation – The Collection (R160)
Arguably the best Alien creation since the second movie, Alien: Isolation is an incredibly intense experience, pitting you as a lone survivor against one of the crafty creatures. This bundle also includes the DLC featuring the original movie cast.
Prey (R400)
Just five months after release, Prey is already down to R400. Well, that’s your gain – assuming you like freakish aliens posing as common items, like a coffee cup or office chair. Those shape-shifters keep this epic, atmospheric shooter plenty interesting…
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (R90)
Telltale’s episodic approach has never been more scintillating than in The Walking Dead, which forces you to make tough, often life-or-death choices amidst the zombie uprising. The later seasons and the Michonne mini-series are also on sale.
Doom (R190)
Doom for under two hundred bucks? Yeah, we’ll take that deal. id Software’s pulse-pounding reboot keeps the incredible intensity of the FPS classic as you zip through corridors and open spaces alike, blasting imps and demons into puddles of gory goop. Delightful.
Dead Rising (R130)
Yes, the original Dead Rising is pretty clunky nowadays, but where else are you going to take down swarming zombies by whipping CDs or mannequin limbs at them? This Dawn of the Dead spoof is more silly than truly spooky, but it’s still a seasonal must-play.
Outlast (R100)
Outlast: it’s not only the game title but also your primary objective. You’ll need to survive the freakish beasts found within the darkened asylum. Oh, and you’re not able to attack: all you can do is run away as fast as you can through the twisting corridors. Good luck, then!
SOMA (R130)
Like Alien: Isolation, Frictional Games’ SOMA is heavy on atmosphere. You’re trapped in an underwater research facility, which is unsettling enough, but now the machines believe they’re people. Yes, that does sound quite a bit worse!
Resident Evil (R110)
We don’t want to make a Resi-packed list, but if you don’t dig the first-person twist of RE7, then you can check out this remade original for cheap. It’s the HD rendition of the old GameCube remake – and the old scares still haunt the familiar mansion.