In Costume Quest players take on the role of four children as they go trick or treating in their neighbourhood. Along the way they have to defend themselves against monsters called Repugians. — dpa
No appetite for facing November weather, fake blood and grumpy neighbours who don't understand Halloween? If so, a creepy atmosphere can also be achieved in your own home with horror-themed games for PCs and consoles. We look at four of them.
Trick or treating in a scary neighbourhood
Who says Halloween-themed games always have to be scary and brutal? In Costume Quest players take on the role of four children as they go trick or treating in their neighbourhood. Along the way they have to defend themselves against monsters called Repugians.
Players can choose from three different neighbourhood scenarios in a game that offers humorous dialogue, entertaining tasks and playful graphics.
This role-playing adventure and its sequel Costume Quest 2 are available from the Steam platform for around US$10 (RM42). As well as PCs it's also available for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
Surviving in a forest full of cannibals
Less peaceful is the survival horror title The Forest. The protagonist and his son find themselves on an island after a plane crash and then the son is kidnapped by a horrible creature.
Up to seven players can play online in this struggle for survival against the various threats on the island, the main one being a clan of mutated cannibals. Players can actively interact with the environment by cutting down trees, catching fish, setting traps and even building fortresses.
If the normal version isn't scary enough for you, there's a special VR version with support for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. This horror shocker costs around US$20 (RM83) on Steam and there's also a version for the Playstation 4. The age rating is 18 and older.
Battling demons in a post-apocalyptic world
Grim Dawn takes players into a post-apocalyptic world where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance after a demon invasion. Five character classes are available in the basic version, two of which the player can configure according to their desires.
The gameplay and graphics are very much in line with genre colleague Diablo, with the emphasis on close combat, magic, training and gaining experience requiring a lot of mouse button use.
In addition to the single-player mode, there is an online multiplayer mode. Grim Dawn costs about US$8 (RM33) on Steam with additional content costing the same again.
Fighting together against zombie hordes
The zombie shooter Left 4 Dead 2 is a classic horror title. A nasty virus has hit mankind and turned the infected into restless zombies. Players have to make their way through levels of zombie hordes without getting infected themselves.
Although there's a single player mode, the game's special charm is in co-op mode where up to four zombie hunters can fight together online.
Around 20 weapons from a simple iron bar to a chainsaw are available to players. This tale of zombie butchery is not for the faint-hearted and is only suitable for players aged 18 and older. Left 4 Dead 2 is available for around US$10 as a download on Steam. – dpa
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