News
10 Games You Need To Play This Halloween
If you hadn’t noticed already, Halloween is just around the corner. Can you feel it? The air is crisp, the pumpkins are ripe, and the couch is calling. Around this time of year most people are either preparing their costumes for a night of trick or treating or getting geared up to hand out candy to the little strangers who knock on their door. Gamers on the other hand, are a different breed. This time of year means our patience has finally paid off as we finally get some seriously awesome and long awaited games. Unfortunately, after a handful of titles were pushed back to make room for the Modern Warfare 2 juggernaut, this year’s holiday lineup is a little sparser than we’re accustomed to.
That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s nothing big coming out because October certainly has a scattering of potentially amazing games like Brutal Legend and Borderlands still waiting to jump into the wide open arms of eager gamers. But if you’re like me than when you get in the Halloween mood you look for things to sustain that feeling. This usually means watching scary movies, exploring haunted houses, or investigating empty cemeteries in the dead of night. You may even want to pop in the occasional horror game, and while classic titles like Friday the 13th, Halloween, or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre might sound perfect for this time of year, I implore you to stay far far away from these games and instead take a look at some of the following suggestions. If you haven’t experienced any of these titles I promise you won’t leave disappointed.
This would certainly qualify as one of the many overlooked games of the last generation, made even more depressing for me because it’s actually an excellent survival horror game. If you like Resident Evil, Cold Fear’s semi-intelligent, bloodthirsty foes won’t disappoint and neither will its original story and gorgeous visuals. There are some very terrifying moments awaiting players brave enough to explore the deserted Russian whaler that most of the game takes place on. The addition of environmental traps like falling off the side of the violently rocking boat were a great touch and were more than enough motivation to keep you on your toes.
Clive Barker’s second foray into the world of pixels and sprites proved to be less successful than his first, a wonderfully bizarre game called Undying, but no less excessive in the gore department. However, where Jericho truly shines is with its enemies, which are some of the most grotesque creatures I’ve ever seen in a video game (or really anywhere for that matter). Barker’s brutal brand of gore found in his other works like the classic Hellraiser series has transferred well into the virtual world. I expected the occasional toxic blood-spewing dog from Hell with a mouth not unlike a twisted version of a woman’s lower half, but what I didn’t expect was for the gameplay to be so fun and different. Sure it’s basically a squad shooter set in the horror genre but the twist is that you play as the recently deceased leader of your team who gets the ability to jump between each member of the team at will. If you find someone you like (the Katana-wielding Church was my favorite) you can play as them until you get bored and decide to jump into someone else.
If you like unforgiving, occasionally frustrating survival horror games with a very Japanese story and incredibly weak lead characters, the original Siren is something you need to look out for next time you visit your local game shop. Luckily Sony recognized how awesome Siren was and gave it a revamp now available on the PSN. Blood Curse plays better, and has much improved visuals and gameplay than the original while still maintaining a strong feeling of helplessness for the player. At no time while playing this game will you feel overpowered or even terribly sure of yourself because this is definitely a game for the type of player who doesn’t mind fleeing rather than fighting. If you know nothing of Siren you wouldn’t know about the clever and particularly useful Sightjack skill that allows you to tune in to the eyes of the foes that surround you. This can be a highly useful and sometimes terrifying mechanic to have at your disposal. Though on more than one occasion I sat in what I thought was a great hiding spot before entering Sightjack only to see an enemy coming up behind me.
Ah, yes. Resident Evil 4 was the pinnacle of the survival horror genre last generation and easily one of my favorite games of all time so it had to make the list. If I had my way this would take the number one spot on every list of great games but because the actual element of horror in this game has taken a backseat to the overall experience I was hesitant to put it near the top. Even though RE4 might not necessarily wow in the scares department, it does have more than a few suspenseful moments. No matter how many times I play this game (and I’ve played it often) every time I hear that bag-headed guy rev up his chainsaw I pee myself a little. Just a little though, I am a man after all.
Not quite brave enough to play one of these games alone? How about playing one with a friend? I’ll admit I have a very unhealthy obsession with this game because it is terribly addicting. Unlike other zombie games Left 4 Dead’s 28 Days Later inspired curb-stomp happy infected are actually faster than you are (especially if you’re wounded). Because you’re playing with others the game is rarely scary, but always intense. If zombies, crying chicks, and tumor-ridden fat guys get you in the Halloween spirit, this is definitely the best gaming has to offer.
I like to be on the edge of my seat, and I especially love the occasionally successful cheap scare (for example: a sudden surprise paired with a loud noise) and Bloodshot has those in spades. I won’t ever forget a certain section that takes place in a cabin hidden deep within a frozen forest. You go there after your plane crashes and realize its full of the corpses of military guys, so obviously what killed them must’ve been pretty badass, right? It’s when you realize the culprit is still in the house where the shit-your-pants section begins. Bloodshot took all of my issues with Criminal Origins and fixed them than took what that game did right and improved it in almost every way The only downside is the story gets a little outlandish near the end, but that’s forgivable since the rest of the game is fantastic.
“Look at you, hacker. A pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?” System Shock 2 holds a very special place in my heart as it’s one of the first horror games I ever played. It also contains one of the best antagonists in the history of video games, the computer program SHODAN, who continually tries to intimidate you with lines like the one above. Her fluctuating, discordant speech and unwavering belief that she is perfect and actually devine makes her one of the best villains I’ve ever had the opportunity to vanquish. This game also helped set the stage for the stunning ‘genetically enhanced shooter’ BioShock.
I actually missed Crimson Butterfly when it first came out (I was probably too busy playing Silent Hill 3 and Siren that came out the same year), forcing me to go back to experience the game. I was not let down. I never played the first Fatal Frame and missed the third so Crimson Butterfly served as my introduction to this beautiful world of ghosts and spiritually bonded twins. The combat in Fatal Frame is refreshing because instead of a metal pipe or nearly empty handgun you’re armed with a camera. Your enemies consist of various types of ghosts and ghouls that can be sent packing with a shot from said camera. This means you have to get a little closer than you’d probably feel comfortable getting so the shot can have the greatest effect. The story and atmosphere in this game are also second to none, well, except for number two.
One of the most influential and successful survival horror series hit its stride in 2001 with Silent Hill 2. The original introduced us to the constantly changing and atmospheric world of fog and twisted demons, and the second gave us more than enough incentive to return. This game got it all right: the oddly beautiful foggy town inhabited by countless hellish creatures, an immersive story, and one of the most unnerving soundtracks I’ve ever heard. Unfortunately Silent Hill 3 was the last great game in the series as The Room, Origins, and Homecoming have all fallen short of expectations. If you want to remember the better times this game is easily the apex of the series, though I am desperately trying to keep the hope alive with the upcoming Shattered Memories, which is a ‘reimagining’ of the first game (don’t say remake or someone from Konami will take you down.)
I had high hopes for Dead Space because I’ve found the survival horror genre this generation a bit lacking. Resident Evil’s strayed from having any real horror, Fatal Frame IV won’t be coming to the US, and the degrading quality of the Silent Hill series brought me to the point where I was jonesing for a truly exceptional horror experience. Luckily, Isaac Clarke came in and swooped me off my feet before tossing me into a pile of amputated limbs. EA knew how to hook me, all they had to do was seductively whisper two words in my ear: Strategic Dismemberment, and I was more than ready to go. Dead Space has everything a rabid horror fan needs: buckets of gore, amazing visuals, some of the best sound design I’ve ever heard, and tons of scares. I’m being totally honest when I say that Dead Space scared the crap out of me, abused me, and left me desperately wanting more. This is coming from someone who watched A Nightmare on Elm Street at the age of six, so horror has been a very prominent thing in my life for the last fifteen years. At this point very few things scare me and with each new day I get to happily mark new items off the list of things that terrify me. I wait for the day when I can finally cross out clowns, though that day still seems far away.
We are now one full month into Spring 2024, which kicked off on Tuesday, March 19 and comes to an end with the start of Summer on Thursday, June 20. This year’s summer movie season has a whole bunch of exciting horror highlights, including A Quiet Place: Day One, MaXXXine, and Alien: Romulus, but let’s hold that particular thought until June rolls around.
We’re here today to talk about Spring 2024 and the many horrors we still have left before the weather gets warmer and we find ourselves in the heat of one hell of a spooky summer.
Here are 12 horror movies you don’t want to miss in Spring 2024!
STING – April 12
Two words: SPIDER HORROR. Writer/Director Kiah Roache-Turner (Wyrmwood) hopes to induce eight-legged terror with his brand new horror movie Sting, only in theaters April 12.
Of particular note, Sting features practical spider effects from 5-time Academy Award Winner Weta Workshop, with the spider in this one inspired by H.R. Giger’s Xenomorph!
In Sting, “One cold, stormy night in New York City, a mysterious object falls from the sky and smashes through the window of a rundown apartment building. It is an egg, and from this egg emerges a strange little spider. The creature is discovered by Charlotte, a rebellious 12-year-old girl obsessed with comic books. Keeping it as a secret pet, she names it Sting.
“But as Charlotte’s fascination with Sting increases, so does its size. Growing at a monstrous rate, Sting’s appetite for blood becomes insatiable.”
BLACKOUT – APRIL 12
Indie darling Larry Fessenden is back with new horror movie Blackout this Spring, Fessenden’s third movie – following Habit and Depraved – to put his own spin on classic monsters.
While Habit was centered on vampires and Depraved was a fresh take on Frankenstein’s Monster, Larry Fessenden’s Blackout is the filmmaker’s contribution to werewolf cinema.
The film follows Charley, an artist whose drinking binges blur with his sneaking suspicion that he might be a werewolf. He distances himself from those he loves and sinks deeper into solitude, his flashes of memory of his nighttime grisly acts manifested through his artwork.
ARCADIAN – APRIL 12
If Nicolas Cage is covered in blood, you better believe we’re going to be watching. Cage gets his own A Quiet Place with Arcadian, a new creature feature coming to theaters April 12.
In Arcadian, which also comes to Shudder later this year, “After a catastrophic event depopulates the world, a father (Nicolas Cage) and his two sons must survive their dystopian environment while being threatened by mysterious creatures that emerge at night.”
Jaeden Martell (IT 2017) also stars in the post apocalyptic monster movie.
ABIGAIL – APRIL 19
If you’re bummed about Melissa Barrera being fired from the Scream franchise, you’ll definitely want to get out to your local theater this month to support Abigail, the new VAMPIRE BALLERINA horror movie from Scream and Scream VI directors Radio Silence.
Barrera stars alongside fellow horror favorite Kathryn Newton (Freaky) in Abigail, which is actually the latest horror movie in Universal’s relaunched Universal Monsters Universe.
In the film, “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.”
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL – APRIL 19
One of the most talked about horror movies of Spring 2024 has been the Halloween 1977-set Late Night With the Devil, which has been playing in theaters since its premiere on March 22.
Late Night with the Devil will begin streaming at home on April 19, 2024, less than one month after arriving in theaters. Shudder will be the exclusive streaming home of the movie.
David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Suicide Squad) stars as the host of a late-night talk show that descends into a nightmare in Late Night with the Devil, set on Halloween 1977.
In the found footage-style film that captures a period aesthetic, “A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.”
INFESTED – APRIL 26
Spring 2024 is all about SPIDERS – sorry, arachnophobes! – with the previously mentioned Sting being followed by the French creature feature Infested (Vermines) later this month.
What’s particularly exciting about Infested is that its director, Sébastien Vaniček, has been hired to direct the next installment in the Evil Dead film franchise, so this will be our first taste of what Vaniček is capable of within the genre. And the buzz for this one is strong.
In his review out of Fantastic Fest last year, for starters, Bloody Disgusting’s own critic Trace Thurman raved that Infested is “one of the best spider attack movies in years.”
In the upcoming horror film, “Fascinated by exotic animals, Kaleb finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap.”
HUMANE – APRIL 26
The daughter of horror master David Cronenberg, Caitlin Cronenberg is making her own mark in the genre filmmaking space with IFC Films’ Humane, coming to theaters this month.
The film is described as “a dystopian satire taking place over a single day, months after a global ecological collapse has forced world leaders to reduce the earth’s population.”
The wild premise? 20% of the world’s population must VOLUNTEER TO DIE!
“In a wealthy enclave, a recently retired newsman has invited his grown children to dinner to announce his intentions to enlist in the nation’s new euthanasia program. But when the father’s plan goes horribly awry, tensions flare and chaos erupts among his children.”
I SAW THE TV GLOW – MAY 3
Fresh off the haunting and singularly creepy indie We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Jane Schoenbrun is back with A24‘s I Saw the TV Glow, releasing only in theaters this May.
Meagan Navarro wrote in her Sundance review for BD, “I Saw the TV Glow offers a layered and authentic portrait of identity, wrapped in ’90s nostalgia and surreal imagery that embeds itself deep into your psyche.” Meagan continues, “Schoenbrun delivers a singular vision of arthouse horror that entrances for its fevered dream style and insanely cool imagery.”
In A24’s latest, “Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.”
TAROT – MAY 3
Originally titled Horrorscope, a much better title if you’re asking me, Screen Gems returns to the big screen with studio horror movie Tarot this Spring, a Tarot-card themed spookshow.
When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings – never use someone else’s deck – they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards in the upcoming Screen Gems horror movie Tarot. One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death to escape the future foretold in their readings.
The hook for this one? Artist Trevor Henderson designed the film’s eight monsters!
THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 – MAY 17
Bryan Bertino’s 2008 home invasion classic The Strangers spawns a brand new reboot trilogy this year, with first film The Strangers: Chapter 1 kicking things off in theaters on May 17.
The Strangers: Chapter 2 is expected to follow in Fall 2024.
Madelaine Petsch is the lead of the new reboot trilogy, playing a character who drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest.
When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.
IN A VIOLENT NATURE – MAY 31
Slasher fans who have been hungry for a new Friday the 13th movie won’t want to miss In a Violent Nature, which plays out like a Friday movie… entirely from Jason’s perspective!
IFC Films will release In a Violent Nature exclusively in theaters on May 31.
In the film, “When a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year old crime, his body is resurrected and becomes hellbent on retrieving it. The undead golem hones in on the group of vacationing teens responsible for the theft and proceeds to methodically slaughter them one by one in his mission to get it back – along with anyone in his way.”
Meagan Navarro wrote in her Sundance review for Bloody Disgusting, “In a Violent Nature may offer slasher thrills and a delightfully gory rampage across the wilderness, but the approach captures the carnage through ambient realism. It results in a fascinating arthouse horror experiment that plays more like a minimalist slice-of-life feature with a grim twist.”
THE WATCHERS – JUNE 14
M. Night Shyamalan returns with the new thriller Trap this coming August, but the road to that film’s release will be paved by the feature debut of his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan.
Ishana Night directed The Watchers, in theaters from WB/New Line on June 14.
The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
Which Spring 2024 horror movies are YOU most looking forward to?
4 New Horror Movies Releasing This Week Including ‘Late Night with the Devil’ at Home
Spring 2024 Horror Preview: 12 Horror Movies You Don’t Want to Miss
The ‘Scary Movie’ Spoof Franchise Is Getting a Reboot at Paramount!
‘Ready or Not’: Radio Silence Filmmakers Tease the “Absolute Banger” of a Sequel That’s Taking Shape
“We Built Every Creature” – ‘Alien: Romulus’ Goes Heavy on the Old School Practical Effects!
You must be logged in to post a comment.