Yeah, we know. The holidays are fast approaching, and you’ve probably gotten your gifts. But for those still looking for gifts (or wanting to gift yourself), and because it’s that thing websites do these days, we’ve compiled a list of horror games and game-related memorabilia that you might want to consider.
No, it’s not our top games of the year (Neil handled that one already), but come on, you know that some of them are going to be on here…
Control
Case in point. Really, a game that’s this gorgeous and enveloping in its story and characters demands to be played. Plus, as hinted at in next year’s DLC, we might see something of a crossover with another Remedy property in Alan Wake. Frankly, that alone is enough to warrant snagging this one. As an added bonus for those who snagged one of NVidia’s shiny new RTX cards, Control is enhanced to take advantage of card, resulting in some amazing lighting.
Dead By Daylight: Nightmare Edition
Sure, Behaviour Interactive’s asymmetrical multiplayer game has been out for a few years now, but this latest edition takes the base game for PS4 and Xbox One owners, and bundles it with several of the DLC (including the Stranger Things crossover Chapter) as a nice way of getting you started. Plus, its price point of $39.99 makes up for what you would normally pay for the game and the individual DLC included in this edition.
Capcom Home Arcade
Despite only being available in Europe (for now), for those who long for Capcom’s arcade glory days (and don’t mind importing), this plug-and-play emulation station features 16 titles from Capcom’s arcade library, including the awesome Alien vs. Predator, Ghouls ‘N Ghosts and Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors. The emulation is quite good, and in spite of the questionable aesthetics of a giant Capcom logo for the unit, the quality of the joysticks and buttons are top notch. If you don’t mind the price point, this is absolutely a must-have for arcade fans.
Resident Evil 2
Come on, this is a no brainer. Part of Capcom’s revival was due in no small part to Resident Evil. And much like Resident Evil VII in 2017, the long-awaited remake of Resident Evil 2 was definitely worth it. Our review laid it out perfectly as to why the game demands your money. Not only that, but PC players have tinkered with the game to create some amazing (and horrifying) mods. With the remake of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis on the horizon, what better way (if you haven’t plunked down money) than to get you hyped than Resident Evil 2?
Laced Records’ Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X Vinyl Soundtracks
Speaking of Resident Evil 2, Laced Records has been quietly releasing (and will release) soundtracks to past RE games. The latest ones up for pre-order have Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X and Resident Evil 0 in very stylish packages. They join REmake and the original Resident Evil 2 soundtracks already out there. They still have the limited edition vinyl sets for Veronica X and RE0 available for you to pre-order, plus Laced Records ships to North America.
Sega Genesis Mini
After the disappointment of Sony’s attempts at cashing in on nostalgia, as well as Sega’s own farming out to third parties, the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Mini is a welcome reprieve. With development handled by Sega’s own M2, the Mini features spot-on emulation, a great library of classics including Eternal Champions, Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Golden Axe, Contra: Hard Corps and more. The lack of a rewind feature might annoy some, as will the lack of the six-button controller (though 8bitdo offer a compatible six-button). But honestly, this collection rivals what we got with the SNES classic two years ago, and is a reminder of just how plain awesome the 16-bit era was.
Bloodstained: Ritual of The Night
Konami doesn’t seem interested in giving Castlevania fans the love they deserve (unless you like mobile games), so it was up to the mind behind the Metroidvanias, Koji Igarashi, to step in with Bloodstained: Ritual of The Night. And honestly, while it’s not quite Castlevania, it’s pretty damn close. The gameplay, music and some of the visuals are all reminiscent of Symphony of The Night, and if you’re a fan, it won’t take much to get you sucked in. More DLC is expected in the new year, so once you do finish the game, you can expect more on the horizon.
Blasphemous
We’d covered Blasphemous since its Kickstarter launched, and the amount of detail in the sprite work and art is nothing short of awesome. Yeah, it’s another Souls-like game. But the lore, coupled with the strange and often horrific creature design, gameplay that requires dedication and patience to master, and haunting soundtrack make Blasphemous a challenging yet rewarding game.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
It’s not the outright pure horror some may prefer (unless you’re terrified of rats). However, A Plague Tale’s atmosphere and storytelling paint a bleak picture that presents a very different type of horror that is genuinely just as effective at playing with your emotions. As Mark detailed in his review, developer Asobo Studio credits Naughty Dog and The Last of Us as being the inspiration for A Plague Tale’s story-driven gameplay, and it doesn’t take much to see why. The Last of Us Part II arrives in May 2020 (not to mention A Plague Tale reportedly getting a sequel itself), so if that’s any indication as to why you should check this one out, then definitely do so.
