Historically, Halloween has always been something of an underrate British holiday, with celebrations often dwarfed by events on the continent and in America. This year saw a shift in this trend, however, with British consumers estimated to have spent £460 million on celebrating the world’s scariest holiday. This level of expenditure means that Halloween has emerged as the UK’s second-biggest party night after New Years’ Eve, while it also drives home the fact that we all enjoy the thrill of being scared. There is no reason why this needs to stop with Halloween, however, especially with such a large range of scary films and games available to customers all year round.
Gamers have access to a particularly large selection of games, and here are five of the most thrilling to have it the market this autumn: –
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
This long-running J-horror franchise is also worthy of inclusion, not just for its longevity but also due to its unsettling and atmospheric imagery. You can play as three different protagonists throughout, as you explore they eerie Mount Hikami and the strangely high number of suicides that have occurred there over time. Cleverly paced and featuring sudden bouts of action against an army of the undead, this series one of the most unsettling in the genre.
Halloween Fortune
Rather like the third instalment of the famed Halloween film franchise, this game is something of an anomaly in our list. Halloween Fortune slot is an online adventure featuring five reels and a total of 20 pay lines. It deserves inclusion for its strong Halloween narrative and exceptional graphics, which elevate this slot game above and beyond its rivals. This game is a novel and intriguing scarefest, and not only for those who lose money!
Bloodborne
For those who remain fans of the incomparable horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, Bloodborne offers a modern incarnation of the great man’s literature. The successor to previous films Dark Souls and Demon Souls, this dark and foreboding thriller has more than a touch of the supernatural about it and sustains a level of tension that is largely unheard of in the modern gaming genre. This is definitely one for the purists, especially those with a passion for classic horror narratives.
F.E.A.R
Conversely, modern horror trends tend to focus in gore and blood-lust rather than psychological suspense. While this may deter some from the genre, it is extremely appealing to the younger generation of gamers and those who like to see the boundaries of gameplay pushed at all times. F.E.A.R embodies these trends perfectly, featuring psychics, vicious ghosts and the type of gruesome (not to mention imaginative) deaths usually reserved for film franchises such as Saw and Hostel.
Alan Wake
Back in the world of compelling psychological horror, we have the survival title Alan Wake. With a episodic format offering a new dimension to the typical horror gaming experience, you must undertake the role of a Stephen King-esque novelist who is suffering from writer’s block. As you travel to the mysterious town of Bright Falls, you encounter strange goings-on and must quickly learn to combat unseen supernatural forces to survive. Slow-burning and unrelenting in equal measure, this requires an investment of time for games but offers truly unique experience.
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