Spring is upon us, which means one thing for horror fans: There are still 7 more months until Halloween.
Luckily, game developers are offering a steady stream of monsters, gore, and spookiness to keep the scares going all year round to keep fright fans sleeping with the lights on and trembling behind their controllers. Here are some of the horror titles we can’t wait to play this year.
Resident Evil 2 (Out now)
Capcom’s remake of the classic Resident Evil 2 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One goes above and beyond the typical upscaled re-release. This revamped version of the landmark 1998 game has graphics and gameplay boosts thanks to the RE Engine, which is the same system the developer used to make the super-creepy and extra grimy Resident Evil 7.
Even fans of the first version will find some surprises in the remake, since Capcom has remixed the plot and added new puzzles. The Raccoon City Police Department is also darker and more crowded with zombies than before, and tougher enemies and tighter hallways mean that we’ll probably spend more time running away than fighting.
One Leaves (Out Now)
Featured Sponsored Content. A free download on Xbox and PC, One Leaves is a mysterious new title that pits you against three other NPC characters as you race to be the first to escape its abandoned hospitals, eerily quiet classrooms, murky black sewers, and more. As you race through a mind-bending labyrinth in first-person and solve puzzles, a creepy narrator guides you through a maze that isn’t what it seems. You can download One Leaves free at oneleaves.com.
Devil May Cry 5 (Out Now)
The latest in developer Capcom’s stylish action series reunites heroic hunters Dante and Nero as they investigate a series of demon attacks that, as usual, threaten to destroy the world. Devil May Cry 5 looks like it will have all the over-the-top stunts and fighting as its predecessors and some new surprises. For one thing, Dante’s motorcycle will be a weapon of its own, and he won’t just use it to run enemies over. It will also break into two melee weapons, which is exactly the kind of amazing nonsense we’ve come to expect from the series. Look for this one on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
The Walking Dead: The Final Season, Episode 3 (Out Now) and Episode 4 (March 26)
We weren’t sure we were going to get an end to developer Telltale Games’ zombie-pocalypse saga because the studio suddenly shuttered this fall. But luckily, The Walking Dead comics writer Robert Kirkman stepped in with his production company to complete the four-chapter conclusion to heroine Clementine’s story. Both Episodes 3 and 4 should be out this year for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Days Gone (April 26)
Days Gone is a long-awaited open-world title exclusive to PlayStation 4. It stars Sam Witwer as Deacon St. John, a drifter making his way through a blighted wilderness. He’s not alone, however; he’ll go up against human enemies as well as “Freakers,” monsters that evolved from the plague that killed most of the planet’s population. The monsters attack in huge swarms, which means survival is more about crowd management and running away than straight-up fighting. Some mutated enemies are even animals, like wolves and bears, which is not something we’re used to seeing in our zombie games.
The Sinking City (June 27)
Gamers who like their terrors more creeping will want to check out The Sinking City. It’s an H.P. Lovecraft-inspired mystery title coming out in March for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One that puts players in the role of a private investigator who’s trying to discover the source of mysterious flooding in New England that has driven locals to madness. It won’t be that easy, however, because the insanity plaguing the residents threatens to take hold of the hero, too.
Control (TBA)
Control, the latest from Remedy Entertainment (makers of Alan Wake) takes its cues from sci-fi/horror series like The X-Files and Fringe. This sure-to-be-weird action title for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One takes place in The Oldest House, a constantly shifting skyscraper that contains a variety of cursed and paranormal objects. It may also have some weird, Lovecraftian horror in the basement; we wouldn’t be surprised.
Players will fight off enemies using a shapeshifting pistol as well as powerful, telekinetic abilities. Like a lot of Remedy’s other projects, Control is a tough one to explain. But that’s all part of the fun.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (TBA)
Bloodstained doesn’t have as high of a profile as some of the horror titles coming out in 2019, but it does have one of the best pedigrees. Its producer is Koji Igarashi, who is a former lead on developer Konami’s Castlevania franchise. He worked on Symphony of the Night, one of the most popular titles in the series, and he intends Bloodstained as a successor to his work there. Players will control Miriam, who ventures into a castle to fight monsters and stop an evil lord before he can summon an army of demons to destroy the world. It sounds pretty familiar, really, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Bloodstained will be available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch.
AI: The Somnium Files (TBA)
This adventure title for PC, PlayStation 4, and Switch will task players with tracking down a serial killer. The twist is that the player character has a technologically advanced computer in his eye that lets him enter witness’ memories to gain information and discover clues. This is probably one of the weirder games coming out this year, but that’s why we can’t wait to play it.
Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (TBA)
PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One title Man of Medan is the first installment of the Dark Pictures Anthology, the new project from developer Supermassive Games. They’re best known for interactive horror movie Until Dawn for the PS4, and Medan looks like it’ll be a hit with people who couldn’t stop playing the earlier title until they’d saved all the hapless teenagers in the cast. This story is about a new group of potential victims exploring a spooky ghost ship that may be haunted because that’s typically how these things go.
