Konami and Bloober Team’s remake of Silent Hill 2 released this week and is likely the most high-profile new horror game to launch in October. It has been receiving stellar reviews from fans and critics alike and is perfect for both longtime Silent Hill fans and those who might be less familiar with the franchise. By all means, it’s the one “must-play” horror title of October and will get you in the mood for Halloween and all of the spookiness that comes with it.
If you’ve already played Silent Hill 2, however, there are a litany of other horror games available right now that are very much worth checking out. Here are the five games outside of Silent Hill 2 that we think should be on your radar if you’re looking for a good scare this month.
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Dead Space
Yet another remake, EA’s 2023 version of Dead Space is fantastic. It perfectly encapsulates what made the original Dead Space so special while modernizing its controls and visuals. It’s arguably the best game in the franchise’s history and could be the first step in EA working on more Dead Space titles in the future.
The main reason that Dead Space should be targeted this month is because it can be obtained for “free” by a number of PlayStation users. In case you didn’t already know, Dead Space is part of October 2024’s lineup of free games on PlayStation Plus and can be downloaded at no cost whatsoever. So if you happen to be a PS Plus member and haven’t grabbed Dead Space yet, there’s no reason that you shouldn’t.
Alien: Isolation
Sticking with sci-fi horror, Alien: Isolation just turned 10 years old but is still one of the best games in its genre. Developer Creative Assembly perfectly captures the spirit of the Alien films and traps players on a space station with a bloodthirsty Xenomorph that is out to get them. When it comes to horror-focused Alien games, Isolation is likely the best that has ever been released.
Alien: Isolation is also relevant at the moment for two big reasons which makes it even more worth playing or revisiting. The first is Alien: Romulus, which is the latest movie in the storied franchise. Romulus releases digitally this month and, without spoiling anything, has some direct ties to Alien: Isolation that further deepens the series’ lore.
Outside of this, Creative Assembly also recently announced that it’s early in development on a sequel to Alien: Isolation. Details on this follow-up are still incredibly sparse, but it’s clear that Isolation is going to be more relevant than ever in the years ahead. Play it now so you’re ready for Alien: Isolation 2 whenever it arrives.
Alan Wake 2
One of the most acclaimed games of 2023, Alan Wake II is also one of the best survival-horror titles of this generation. Despite building upon the events of the original Alan Wake and Control, Alan Wake II still stands on its own and is a great jumping-on point for new fans. Like Silent Hill 2, it’s incredibly psychological and atmospheric in its approach to horror but still has plenty of jump-scares in tow to frighten players at unexpected moments.
Alan Wake II is even more relevant this month as its final piece of DLC, The Lake House, is set to arrive at some point before October comes to a close. It will be released in tandem with physical versions of the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S that contain all previous expansions as well. So if you haven’t already played Alan Wake II, there really hasn’t been a better time to hop in.
Crow Country
Crow Country is likely the least-known game of the bunch on this list but it’s also one of the best. It borrows heavily from old-school horror games like Resident Evil and the original Silent Hill while still bringing plenty of its own innovations to the genre. Crow Country has also quietly been one of the most well-received games of the year on Steam and has an impressive “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating from players, which is the highest such designation a game can get.
Best of all, Crow Country is also getting a wider release this month just in time for Halloween. While it has been on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC since earlier in 2024, it will finally be coming to PS4 and Nintendo Switch next week on October 16th.
Dino Crisis
Despite being over 20 years old, Dino Crisis still hasn’t been played enough. Developed by the same team at Capcom that created Resident Evil, Dino Crisis replaces zombies with monstrous dinosaurs and traps players in an environment where the prehistoric beasts are running rampant. By modern standards, Dino Crisis likely isn’t the scariest game on this list, but it’s still worth revisiting, particular for those who grew up in the PS1 era.
The real reason that Dino Crisis should be played this October, though, is because it’s about to be re-released on PS5 and PS4. As PlayStation’s latest PS1 port, this new version of Dino Crisis will feature enhanced visuals, quick saves, and a new rewind feature. It’s set to launch next week on October 15th and will be “free” for those with PlayStation Plus Premium memberships. It will also be sold individually on the PS Store, likely for a price of $9.99.