Play these 4 horror games in the PlayStation Plus game catalog this Halloween

Halloween approaches, and the spooky season is in full swing. It's the perfect time to download and play many of the games that fill up the horror genre and provide plenty of scares for every kind of player out there. Luckily for PlayStation console owners, there's a ton of great games to browse through and play for the spooky holiday. Whether you want something to scare the pants off you, or just something that can have tons of ghouls around, there's no shortage of horror-themed games to dive into.

But with Halloween so close, what are some great recommendations for PlayStation Plus subscribers to start with? Some of the recent additions to the service help bring more suspense and horror vibes to the PlayStation Plus catalog of games. So if you're a subscriber to PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra, then you'll have a number of games waiting for you already. Just be sure to have a light nearby to flick on, just in case things get too intense. Here are four horror games within the PlayStation Plus game catalog that you'll want to check out for this Halloween.

Silent Hill 2 (2024 remake)

Returning to the creepy town

When it comes to survival horror games, one of the few franchises to give Capcom's Resident Evil series some real competition is the Silent Hill games from Konami. While it has multiple entries across different PLayStation consoles, most fans agree that Silent Hill 2 is the best entry in the series. It's the one that received the most praise when it originally released in 2001 on the PlayStation 2. This is why when Konami announced that Bloober Team would be developing a remake of the horror classic for the PlayStation 5, many people were excited. Capcom had previously remade multiple entries in the Resident Evil series, with Resident Evil 2 being the most well-received game from the remakes. Fans were curious how a modern day remake of Silent Hill 2 would be on current generation consoles.

The Silent Hill 2 remake has the same plot as the original game, following the story of James Sunderland, a man who recently lost his wife to a degenerative disease. One day, James receives a letter from his late wife, claiming to be waiting for him in the town of Silent Hill. Driven by his grief and the possibility of seeing her again, James goes to see if what the letter claims is true, but what he finds there is something horrific and otherworldly. Popular aspects of the original game are given a complete facelift in graphics, with things looking more scary than ever before.

The gameplay of Silent Hill 2 is a little different from the original, with a third-person perspective that puts the camera over the shoulder of James as players control him while exploring or in combat. While the horror aspects of the game are the same, so too are the puzzle elements that drove progression before. The monster Pyramid Head looks horrifying every time James encounters it, and some of the iconic moments from the original release look even better with the graphical upgrade. As one of the newer additions to the PlayStation Plus catalog, Silent Hill 2 is definitely worth checking out for anyone who missed out on the first release.

Until Dawn

Rebuilt horror flick

Another great horror game that PlayStation owners have been able to experience for a while is Until Dawn. Originally released as a PlayStation 4 game in 2015, Until Dawn is a horror game with elements of narrative drama that change based on the decisions made during gameplay. It's a game that is inspired by many of the classic horror movies from the 80s and 90s, which were often known as slashers and involved a group of teens encountering a killer. A remake of the game was done in 2024, which rebuilt the experience for PlayStation 5, giving players better visuals and other additions to its presentation, as well as a new third-person perspective and other quality-of-life changes.

The gameplay for Until Dawn was originally conceived to use the PlayStation Move controller, but that feature was removed when the game originally released on PlayStation 4. While taking control of different teens that appear in the story, players can explore locations to find clues and other important info related to the plot. The action sequences are done with quick time events that are suspenseful, adding to the horror movie-like quality of the experience. Depending on what decisions are made during these sequences, different characters can die or survive, which impacts the outcomes of events in the story. Sometimes, even the smallest decisions can have major consequences for the fate of certain characters, which can also change the ending.

Those who played Until Dawn enjoyed the overall concept. The original game was successful enough for another game called Until Dawn: Rush of Blood was released on the PlayStation 4, which was a virtual reality shooter that worked with PlayStation VR. The remake in 2024 had a positive reception as well, despite some performance issues at launch. Since then, a live-action movie based on the game was released in theaters, which is loosely based on the events of the game, but has a few differences that change the overall concept of the story.

Doom Eternal

Fight back against the demons

Stories that are horrifying often involve characters that are helpless in the face of danger, usually from the threat of a monster or legion of evil beings. But what if you could fight back, and take the battle straight to the forces of hell in epic fashion? That's the power fantasy of the Doom series, which is considered one of the most legendary first-person shooters of all-time. The reboot of Doom in 2016 kickstarted a spin-off series that further built out the legacy of the franchise, bringing the FPS action to the modern day with a new presentation and even more gore. Doom Eternal is the sequel that took things even further, bringing new meaning to the phrase hell on Earth, while also empowering players with even more reason to rip and tear through legions of demons.

Although not a typical horror game in the traditional sense, there are many aspects of Doom and Doom Eternal that make it a very fun game to play for the genre. It has horrific demons with amazing designs, demonic locations that scream everything fire and brimstone, and all the blood and gore that comes from shooting at the many enemies that try to kill you. The story of Doom Eternal continues the plot from the previous game, with the Doom Slayer continuing to battle the demons that emerge from Hell, but takes on even more powerful weaponry for him to do so. The monsters get bigger and badder, but so too does the arsenal of the Doom Slayer in many ways.

Things are fast and fierce in Doom Eternal, with everything becoming chaotic the deeper you get into it. Players will have to blast their way through demons that appear suddenly, with forces of demonic power trying everything they can to stop you. But with a little help from the BFG-9000 and many other powerful guns to switch between, the only horror in the game will be the one that the demons need to fear, and that's you.

Bloodborne

The horror of failure

There are very few things that can install fear into players more so than the Soulsbourne genre. Games made by FromSoftware are challenging and brutal in many ways, leading many people to rage about how difficult they can be. But while they can be punishing in many ways, FromSoftware games can also have amazing visuals and a phenomenal presentation to go along with the craziness. One of those games is Bloodborne, a 2015 action-RPG that has many horror themes to it that fans of the genre really love. To some people, Bloodborne is considered one of the best Soulsborne games ever released, and arguably one of the best action-RPG titles of all-time.

Like many other games that FromSoftware has released, Bloodborne forces players to adapt and overcome constant failure. Every time you die, you have the chance to try something new with your approach to a tough fight, or get around obstacles very differently. The game is filled with all kinds of horrific monsters, gruesome beasts, creepy characters, and aura-filled settings that give you a bad feeling about approaching them. And all of it will make players feel uncomfortable for very good reason, because around every corner is something willing and ready to send you to the afterlife.

Combat during gameplay is similar to the Dark Souls series, with a created character using a variety of weapons and abilities to fight enemies and collect blood echoes. Leveling up different stats can increase attributes like health and stamina, which in turn help in combat. Anyone that has experienced the level of fear that Soulsborne games can instill in someone when approaching a foggy barrier knows very well that it almost always ends with a vicious and terrifying battle. It may not be the kind of horror game you're used to seeing, but it will definitely scare the hell out of you each and every time you play it.

The frights are on PlayStation Plus

As Halloween draws closer, there is no shortage of games available to play to get into the spirit of the holiday. The PlayStation Plus catalog has many great games that are horror themed, whether you're looking to be scared or just get into the mood for something wicked that comes your way. Subscribers of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium can browse through the game catalog and classics for something that will be right to play in time for Halloween. Having some good candy, a hot drink, and a collection of games for the horror season to play at night may be the perfect way to enjoy this year's Halloween.