1) Resident Evil
Play it on: GameCube
Was there ever any doubt? The quintessential Halloween video game experience is none other than Capcom’s GameCube remake of Resident Evil. While perhaps not as technically impressive as Resident Evil 4, there’s no debating that the original is scarier. Much scarier. Naysayers like to claim that Resident Evil is cliched and quaint by today’s standards, but that’s like saying The Maltese Falcon is trite because Truman Capote came along and wrote In Cold Blood. Resident Evil defined survival-horror for years, and when someone plays this chilling first installment, they’ll understand why.
Resident Evil is all about creating terror through scarcity and pressure. Every bullet is precious, healing herbs are in short supply, and the zombies always feel like they’re within inches of overcoming the player. The sense of tension and dread rounding a corner is palpable, as the player never knows what’s coming. Zombie dogs? Giant spiders? The possibilities are frighteningly endless. This GCN version of Resident Evil is special, though, as it introduced a couple of new threats that weren’t present in the original version. Scarlet-topped Crimson Head zombies that move with alarming speed add a new element to worry about besides the typical shuffle. Worse still is the abomination Lisa Trevor, an experiment gone wrong hellbent on killing anything in her reach. It might be a legend and industry landmark, but Resident Evil‘s age has done nothing to diminish it as an intense, chilling experience that any gamer owes themselves a chance to play. Resident Evil is the stuff of nightmares, and on Halloween, what more could you want?
Moon is my favorite DS game. Great recommendation.
Great list of games!
Dead Space: Extraction (Wii) was my October “scary game” of choice… and it succeeded in totally creeping me out more than once. Another great title for Nintendo horror fans to check out, even if Halloween has already gone by.