Greetings all you goblins and ghouls! Yup, spooky season is here, so as you can well imagine, this particular edition of our monthly 5 VR games series is suitably Halloween themed! Usually we look at upcoming games, but today we’ve picked out some horror VR games, both currently available and upcoming, that you absolutely have to play this Halloween! We don’t want to keep you waiting, so let’s dive straight into these terrifying VR experiences that’ll surely send shivers down your spine…
Afterlife
First up on today’s fiendish list is Afterlife from Split Light Studio. The plot is pretty simple: you assume the role of Adam Bernhard, a rookie cop who gets a call while on a routine night patrol. Needless to say, things quickly slide downhill from there as you decide to investigate the Black Rose mental hospital. Out of interest, was the name of the place not a huge red flag for DO NOT ENTER, EVER?
The game is made to scare the pants off of you, and if floating girls, disappearing nurses and cloaked skeletons lurking in the darkness don’t do that, well then, you’re a braver (and probably crazier) person than I am! In Afterlife you’ll need to use all the tools at your disposal to get to the bottom of the mystery behind Black Rose, and you’ll definitely be firing off rounds at all kinds of spectral monstrosities. I’m hoping guns are good enough to, uh, “kill” ghosts, but even if bullets just make them disappear for a while, that’s pretty good too.
Afterlife released last month but has already received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam (at least so far). While the plot in most horror games is never really very original, it’s hardly an issue here since the ominous environments, labyrinthian corridors and stress-inducing encounters more than make up for it.
Afterlife isn’t for the faint of heart and promises to deliver some real scares. One thing for sure is that if you’re a horror fan, this one’s an absolute must for this month!
Devour
Devour by Straight Back Games isn’t new by any means, but despite being nearly two years old , it’s racked up plenty of praise and is regarded by many as one of the most horrific VR experiences around. Devour is a co-op survival horror game for between 1 and 4 players. You take on the role of a cult member and work with your fellow cultists to evade some seriously scary possessed cultists who are hellbent (see what I did there?) on dragging you off to hell.
If you actually hope to survive Devour, you’ll need every wit you have about you. One misstep and it’s off to the pits of hell you go. No two playthroughs of Devour are ever the same with a single session lasting up to an hour at a time. You can run, you can hide, but whatever you do, just DO. NOT. GET. CAUGHT!
If Afterlife isn’t for the faint of heart, then Devour is really for those horror fans with nerves of steel and patience to match. The environments are poorly lit, rain falls from the sky and terrifying adversaries lurk behind virtually every corner. This is probably the closest to what something like this would be in real life, so you’d better take every necessary precaution to make sure you make it through.
The cool thing about Devour is that they run a special Halloween Event every year. From September 29 to November 1 2022, players will be able to access special rewards and items including special Halloween robes, pets, new outfits and more. So what are you waiting for? Get Devour off Steam and prepare to fight for your very soul!
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution
So this is a big one that hasn’t released yet , but it should be out before the year is over. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution follows on from the first game and sees you continue your tour of walker-infested New Orleans.
This time around there are more items, locations and enemies to face off against, so you’ll have plenty to keep you busy. Oh, and speaking of enemies, there’s this guy called “The Axeman” you’re going to want to stay well clear of. If you’re unfortunate enough to meet him, you’ll either have to run as far away as you can or fight with every bit of strength and determination you have to survive. Let’s hope you make it long enough to find out who they are, otherwise it’s pretty much guaranteed to be curtains for you.
The great thing about this latest installment is that it looks even better than its predecessor and offers players the ability to craft their own weapons to deal with enemies. And of course you can choose to be a Saint or Sinner, meaning you can either be a “good guy” or a “bad guy.” Yup, you can be as polite and kind as you like, or a real bastard if that’s your preferred approach. Whatever you choose, this latest offering from Skydance Interactive is sure to please players from all walk(er)s of life…
Phasmophobia - Apocalypse
Now what Halloween VR gaming list would be complete without the inimitable Phasmophobia ? Yup, this is definitely one of the top horror titles in VR, and for good reason too. In this 4-player co-op psychological horror game, you’ll need to use a bunch of different tools to solve the mystery behind the rise in paranormal activity across a range of different environments. So yeah, you’ll use CCTV cameras, motion sensors and various other gadgets to take on some rather frightening ghosts and get the evidence you need to get a ghost removal team to take care of business.
Phasmophobia is technically still in early access , but it’s proven to be highly popular among VR gamers. Every time you play Phasmophobia, the experience is different, so you’re never totally sure of what’s coming next. What’s also great about this game is that you can take on a more active role or chill in your team’s truck and do what you can to help your friends catch those spooky ghosts!
What’s awesome about Phasmophobia is how the devs keep working on the game to bring new frightening experiences to players. In fact, their latest Apocalypse update (which dropped about a week ago) does just that with new locations including Sunny Meadows Mental Institution and the Friday the 13th-esque Camp Woodwind. The latest update has also seen the abilities of ghosts tweaked so that players have a more enjoyable and challenging time when taking them on.
Phasmophobia is just top tier stuff, and with an ever-expanding player base and brand new environments, this Halloween promises to be more horrifying than ever before. If you haven’t played Phasmophobia yet, do yourself a favor and download it. If you’re a true horror fan, this is one VR experience you’re sure to never forget.
Fractured Sanity
Last but not least on this list is the upcoming Fractured Sanity from United Games . This Brazilian-based indie game studio claims that Fractured Sanity is heavily inspired by award-winning franchises such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill . That certainly sounds promising, and with influences like those, this one promises to be a real pulsepounding experience.
In Fractured Sanity, you wake up in a cell in the Triton Institute, a mental asylum that uses “experimental” approaches to helping its patients that’s headed up by the illustrious psychologist Dr. Matthew Simmons. As you might have guessed, things aren’t all that great at Triton, and some staff members have apparently gone missing. You’ll need to find a way out of your cell, solve a bunch of different puzzles and find a way to survive as you work to escape the nefarious Dr. Simmons and the confines of the Triton Institute.
While it may not be the longest VR game around, Fractured Sanity promises to push you to your limits as you look for clues, solve puzzles and avoid the bad guys as you work to escape the cursed asylum. As with the other games on this list, Fractured Sanity is definitely not for those who don’t have a fervent love for horror. This mentally and psychologically demanding game may be on the shorter side, but with its mindbending visuals and puzzles, you’re definitely not in for a smooth, comfortable ride. Fractured Sanity is definitely a noteworthy offering and one you should check out when it releases on Halloween!
The slated Release Date for Fractured Sanity is October 31 2022
Thrills, Chills and Spills This Halloween!
That wraps up this horror VR gaming rundown. Also worth mentioning is Requisition VR which was supposed to release last month but is now slated to come out on October 20 2022. To give you a brief rundown, it’s a 4-player zombie survival horror game where you can craft weapons and work together to take out those zeds that want so desperately to eat your brains! Trust me when I say this one’s definitely worth checking out.
Check out our article 5 Upcoming VR Games to Check Out in September 2022! by clicking here.
There are plenty of awesome titles and experiences to choose from this October, so if you’re a horror junkie who happens to love VR, then these picks won’t disappoint.
So what do you think of this list? Are these the top VR horror games everyone has to play? Or are there some other titles you think should be here that we missed for some reason? Let us know your thoughts!
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