Halloween is fast approaching and at Enemy Slime we have decided to join in the festivities by having some of our editors recommend their favorite horror (or close to horror) games to play.
I am quite easily the biggest wimp here at Enemy Slime. I have a gentle disposition and it doesn’t take much for a horror game to get under my skin. Horror movies have never been an issue, I can watch all the gore you can throw onto a screen, but the second I’m in control of the action I tend to not fare so well. Jump scares are probably my biggest weakness. Doom 3 was essentially a maze full of jump scares with some gun/flashlight juggling in between and I only made it a few hours in before I decided it would be better for my health if I just forgot the whole thing.
That’s why for the most part the games I’ve picked will probably prove tamer than anyone else’s suggestions will be and nowhere is that more obvious than with my first selection:
Kentucky Route Zero (PC)
So we’ll start things off with a game that could probably never be classified as horror. Kentucky Route Zero is an indie point and click adventure game by the lovely folks at Cardboard Computer. It’s split into five parts, two of which have been released so far.
The game follows the adventures of Conway, a middle aged delivery man working for an antique shop. Conway has been tasked with delivering a package to the address 5 Dogwood Drive. The catch? That address doesn’t seem to exist. After spending some time with the locals Conway learns that the only way to get to Dogwood drive is by navigating a mysterious and secret road known as the Route Zero.
I would never go so far as to say Kentucky Route Zero is scary, it does however have an incredible ambiance to it. The minimalist soundtrack drones in perfect harmony with the abandoned homes and dimly lit set pieces that you visit. This isn’t an “edge of your seat” action packed adventure, it’s a noir soaked story that unfolds slowly and works best with the lights off and three fingers of whisky within arms reach.
Year Walk (iOS)
When you think about scary games you’re probably not imagining playing them on your phone or iPad but there are some pretty effective titles available on the platform, especially if you turn out the lights and dig out some headphones. Year Walk is just such a game. It’s a puzzle / adventure game steeped in Scandinavian mythology.
The game follows a man named Daniel who has set out on a traditional Year Walk. The Year Walk is a journey alone through the forest and Daniel specifically hopes that his journey will end with a glimpse into the future. Along the way you’ll encounter strange and frightening creatures and some really tricky puzzles. A word of advice before you start, keep a pen and paper handy, you will definitely need it. I don’t usually enjoy games with such in-depth puzzles but the game has a delightfully creepy premise and mystery to it that made pushing through some of the harder stuff well worth it.
Like Kentucky Route Zero before it Year Walk has an exceptional atmosphere to it. The creatures are grotesque and creepy to look at, the music is just right when it kicks in, but the game is sometimes most unsettling when you’re all alone in the empty woods with only the sound of your footsteps crunching in the snow.
Year Walk actually comes in two parts, you can download the game itself but you can also obtain a companion app that serves kind of like an encyclopedia and adds some much needed context to the events of the game. It’s worth looking through the app just to take in some of the deep lore that’s been shoved into the game but it’s also a necessity if you want to see the game’s “true” ending.
Dead Space 2 (PS3, 360, PC)
For all my talk of not handling survival horror games well I can generally put aside my fears for the Dead Space franchise. The Dead Space series follows Isaac Clarke, an engineer who gets into a pretty nasty tangle with some ancient artifacts and a religious cult that worships them.
Horror aficionados generally prefer Dead Space 1 and if by some weird chance you’ve never played any of the series it’s pretty much a mandatory place to start. The first game is claustrophobic, very tightly focused, and easily has the best scares out of the series to date. As the series has progressed it has slowly transitioned from horror to action game. Dead Space 3’s crafting system and co-op pretty much wrung the last few drops of horror from the franchise but 2, for me at least, is definitely when the series really hit its stride.
Whereas Dead Space 1 is all about navigating corridors and seeing what’s around the corner to jump out at you, Dead Space 2 feels much more intense and action packed. You begin the game trapped in a straight jacket running from a collection of enemies that you have no means to defend yourself against. Those opening moments set the pace for the rest of the game and in my opinion it’s the perfect balance of scares and action to keep me going. Dead Space 2 is not just a great horror game, I would say it’s also one of the best games of this generation.
Keep an eye on Enemy Slime up until Halloween to see other editor’s picks.
