Welcome to our October selection of games on the PlayStation Subscription Service. For this month, we have selected a theme of Horror. We couldn’t really do a themed Game selection, without addressing a Horror theme for October as it is the perfect time to get into one of those spooky adventures you have been holding off, but here are some entries that you might not have thought of trying this time of year. Here are some Must-Play Games on PS Premium and Extra for October 2023.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Re-enter the nightmare of the Second World War from an occult twist. The Zombie Army, an army of undead horrors at the German’s command is picked up a year after the end of the Zombie Army Trilogy where our band of heroes find that killing Hitler is more trouble than it seems.
Play as memorable characters or a special sniper from the sister franchise to take on the legions of the dead in a brand-new adventure and once again take down Hitler and his war machine. The game continues where the trilogy ends after a year, and the team of heroes has returned to the front to lay waste to yet more undead beings, their ultimate goal is finally to put an end to the evil ruler once and for all. Having only banished Hitler to hell in the trilogy’s conclusion, this time the team needs to end this nightmare for good and ends up confronting the revived ruler before putting him down for good. Since the release of the Zombie Army Trilogy, Dead War has had so many updates that are worth checking out, including new enemies, interesting ambient life, and of course the showdown of the century.
Developed by Rebellion Developments and released in 2020, this (at present) conclusion to the fantastic adventure into the zombified Second World War is just as impressive as its prequel. Full of interesting sequences, and a fantastic multiplayer to team up with your friends. One of the most memorable sequences, as with Sniper Elite, is the X-Ray Kill Cams. These in Sniper were impressive, however in Dead War it is something else. If want more check this out, and need an idea of what the trophies are like why not check out our guide?
Call Of Cthulhu
Enter the Psychological Horror story inspired by the Dark Fantasy author HP Lovecraft. One of Lovecraft’s, if not the best known of his works, the Old God Cthulhu is something that can be argued to have inspired a lot of what we know today. Now to see a video game based around the Cthulhu Mythos and based on the first works amply titled “The Call Of Cthulhu” published in 1928.
Set on Darkwater Island, off the coast of Boston, in 1924, Private investigator Edward Pierce is pulled into a thrilling adventure in a hunt to find out what happened to the Hawkins family whose deaths seem mysterious. Along the way, he uncovers a darker conspiracy of the Macabre nature leading him deeper down the rabbit hole to find the truth. Eventually, it ends in events that can even summon the Old God, Cthulhu, and awaken him from his slumber causing Madness and death in the wake of the oldest of the Pantheon.
Developed by Cyanide and published by Focus Home Interactive in 2018, this take on the Cthulhu mythos is good probably as good as you can get. The vibes the game gives off make it feel like a horror to be worth the time to enjoy and being set in one of the darkest fantastical creations of the past century just adds to the feeling of despair at times. Additionally not knowing what might be around the next corner has never had more of an impact than in this game. The way that Cyanide utilises the power of the Unreal Engine to bring the Cthulhu Mythos to life is something else, some of the game really makes you feel you are Edward rather than the gamer.
Ghostbuster: The Video Game Remastered
“Don’t cross the Stream’s Ray!“
Come on, we couldn’t leave one of the most Iconic franchises out of a horror selection. The dynamic of the Ghostbusters Video Game is just as good as the movies between all 6 members of the team and the way the developers incorporate a new recruit, who the gamer controls, is a really nice change.
Taking place two years after the events of the second film, the Ghostbusters are thrown right into the centre of a supernatural plot. Ivor Shandor. After pulling on a new recruit when the game starts, the team are sent to iconic locations to confront memorable adversaries and even some new places. Places like the Famous Sedgwick Hotel, and the Library, return to have important roles in the unfolding plot, which Ray soon realises is a Mandala. A device to empower a being like Gozor the Destroyer who the Ghostbusters toasted at the end of the first film. Adversaries such as Slimer, The Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man, and the Gray Lady return as key enemies who drive the story.
Originally released in 2009 for all major systems and developed by Terminal Reality, this game saw a return a decade later in 2019 gracing the PS4, XBox One and Nintendo Switch thanks to Saber Interactive. The game also features both the likeness and voice of the original cast of the films and has all the comical features you have come to know from the films. Lines like “We eat Gods For Breakfast“, and “I’ve Been Slimed” are way more impactful when the viewer is made an active part of the action rather then sitting watching a film.
Control
Step back into the world of Alan Wake like never before. Take control of the newly appointed Federal Bureau of Control’s (FBC) director, Jesse Faden. If you were expecting a straightforward story like Alan Wake you would be neatly surprised as Control is a little more extra-ordinary.
At it’s heart, Control is not too different to Alan Wake, in regards, the story is almost about owning up to mistakes and protecting loved ones. The rest of the game takes you on an adventure into supernatural theories, like defying the laws of Spacetime. Overall this is a fantastic successor to Alan Wake and even references back to it in the second DLC, which is included in the Subscription. Not only would you get the base game for both PS4 and PS5, featuring separate trophy lists but you would also gain access to both DLC packs, The Foundation and AWE.
Developed by Remedy and released in 2019 this descent into the paranormal is a fascinating story. As previously stated, you get the full package with your subscription and the DLC is well worth the price of admission as you get some expanded story, new areas, and even some nice cameo appearances from famous author Alan Wake.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood
What is Halloween without a Werewolf? We have had Zombies and Supernatural adventures but what is horror without a classic monster of the night? Granted we left out Vampires but Werewolves are something we couldn’t make an exception for. So Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, You play as Eco-Terrorist Cahal in a world based on the World Of Darkness Tabletop game by White Wolf Publishing. In the game, you have the ability to take on one of 3 forms, Human, Wolf, or Werewolf, which enables the progression of missions and exploration.
Your overall goal, although it takes a back seat to Cahal’s responsibilities later in the game, is to protect Gaia from the entity known as the Wyrm. The lore is that Gaia is the creator, and the Wyrm is the destroyer, in this respect, it is not much different than the world that Guerrilla Games built for the Horizon games. The difference with Werewolf is that it is what feels like an ancient battle between forces of good, the warriors of Gaia, and the forces of evil, Endron and the Wyrm. Where you stand as a defender of nature, and to all intents and purposes, someone who wants the natural beauty of the planet to shine, Cahal’s devotion to Gaia wavers once his closest friend and brother-in-law is killed. From this point on his goal shifts to protecting the only family he has left, his daughter. This would not be uncharacteristic of the protagonist you play, what is surprising is his actions towards the rest of the warriors. For example, you would expect a Kratos-like person who would devastate everything in his way to save the person, however, Cahal is more calm until the end of the game.
Developed by Cyanide and published by Nacon in 2021, this adventure into the primal forces is an experience. Honestly, we probably wouldn’t have picked it up if not for another game, if you have ever heard of the yet-to-be-released game Leshy, which is a PC-only release, this is what we saw in Werewolf. Where Leshy you play as the guardian of the forest from Slavic Myth, and in Werewolf you play as a shifter who can turn into one of three forms to protect Gaia, both have the same underlying principle of protecting the planet from something. The bottom line is Werewolf was a nice diversion from the normal Horror stereotype where you are in something like a Resident Evil setting fighting off countless foes with a firearm in close third or first person.
Honorable Mention
Unlike our previous months, we have a single honorable mention. This is due to the selection that we had made being removed, although we didn’t want to replace it, as it is fantastic. We wanted to have it made aware that this selection is equally as good a game as others on the list but you are against a pretty tight time constraint.
The Medium (Leaving PS Extra 17th Oct 2023)
Concluding our selection for this month is the supernatural game that started on Xbox by Bloober Team. Taking a trip to the spirit realm hasn’t really had as much of an impact as it does with this gem, there have been plenty of games out there where this concept has been applied, Dragon Age, Murdered: Soul Suspect, and even Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered. None of these have measured up to the events that are depicted within The Medium!
The story takes place in 1999 in a post-Communism Poland where death is all around, Let’s face it with a game titled “The Medium” We weren’t expecting anything like fluffy bunnies and rainbows right? Players control Marianne, a spirit medium who, by nature, helps the souls who are still lingering with unfinished business to finally rest. Although at first glance the game doesn’t look like it would be something fascinating, it really has a draw. One of the biggest factors is that you have a split screen effect in some parts of the game where you see the events in both the real and the spirit world, and you play as both at the same time. This might sound like some mind trap or something, like how can I control two characters with a single controller but each world is built differently and the way the game helps you to navigate and interact is something else.
Developed by Bloober Team and released in 2021 this marvel of a game really shows what its got with every sequence. The camera angles remind me of the original God Of War games with static tracking cameras, and the mechanics remind me of games like Alan Wake and Silent Hill. I found myself abandoning the story and not paying attention, not because it was not good, it’s just because everything else was so meticulously crafted it was easy to lose yourself in the adventure.
If you enjoyed this article and want to discover more must-play games, be sure to check out our other game lists. With a variety of game genres and platforms to choose from, you’re sure to find your next favorite game. Keep your gaming experience exciting and fresh by exploring our selection of games to play.
