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[Drizzlehell]

In the spirit of the Halloween season, let's talk about your favorite action games with a mood that's appropriate for the season. Keep in mind, these don't have to be horror games per se, but more like action games with a spooky mood or a horror-like vibe to them.

Think stuff like:
Darkwatch
Bloodrayne
The Suffering
Dead Space
etc.

Genre, time of release, and other stuff don't matter. You can even post an RTS game if you want, provided that you can actually find a horror themed RTS.

 

[Banjo64]

Only really have experience with From games so DeS or Bloodborne.

 

[Beer Baelly]

Condemned

 

[GymWolf]

Condemned1.

 

[Beer Baelly]

And FEAR ofcourse

 

[The Cockatrice]

Prey

 

[mrmustard]

Rather a shooter than an action game but it is Blood.

 

[John Bilbo]

Alan Wake is good in atmosphere but lacking in the shooting mechanics. I like how easy it is to play with a controller though.

RE4 is great overall.

 

[darkangel-212559]

Everyone says SH series but man I gotta go with Fatal Frame/Project Zero 1-3 and Forbidden Siren. Hardcore stuff.

 

[SJRB]

System Shock, Prey 2017.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Rather a shooter than an action game but it is Blood.

What's a shooter if not an action game, lol

 

[mrmustard]

What's a shooter if not an action game, lol

You can call any game an action game after all, but to me it is a first person shooter in the first place.

 

[TikiLagoonSam]

Costume Quest, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario Bros Wonder, Luigi’s Mansion, Brutal Legend

 

[Con-Z-epT]

I usually attempt a playthrough of DOOM3.

 

[Drizzlehell]

You can call any game an action game after all, but to me it is a first person shooter in the first place.

I usually use "action game" as an umbrella term for any game where combat is featured as a primary gameplay loop and it takes place in real-time, so shooters, brawlers, Metroidvanias, etc. It's more of a mental shortcut than any official designation, though. It's easier to just say "action" when talking about a mood or a theme for games such as Devil May Cry and Doom 3, even though they're nothing alike in terms of gameplay.

 

[jufonuk]

Luigi’s mansion. I can play it with my kids.

Other than that resident evil games.
Alan wake
Dead space
Doom 3 Doom series as well.
Alien isolation (what I have played of it) only play it on my bros PS5
Fear

 

[CuteFaceJay]

Loogii's mansion is a solid pick.

 

[Davesky]

When my daughter hits 6 or 7 years old this will be first on her play list.

 

[SmokedMeat]

 

[RagnarokIV]

Blood Omen

 

[GymWolf]

Costume Quest, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario Bros Wonder, Luigi’s Mansion, Brutal Legend

How do you even sleep at night after playing those?

 

[killatopak]

Play Doom with the My House custom map pack.

 

[yansolo]

some good ones mentioned here, shame i cant bring myself to play horror games anymore too stressful

 

[crackajack]

Since the criteria seem rather loose: Vampire Bloodlines? Not necessarily action, but definitely fitting Halloween.

Until Dawn Blood Rush, if you have VR, is really fun if you don't mind on rails stuff.

And I just completed Ghostbuster The Video Game Remaster. I liked it. Practically Ghostbuster 3, with books flying in a library, Slimer, Gozer, Marshmallow Man, Bill Murray being a creep... That's definitely action and spooky.

 

[Putyouinmyoven]

Luigi’s Mansion

 

[Robb]

Luigi’s Mansion is my go-to Halloween game.

 

[TikiLagoonSam]

How do you even sleep at night after playing those?

Very soundly . The spirit of halloween is very prevalent in those games. To me, halloween is that feeling of when you were a child, and would go trick or treating in the neighborhood while seeing all the decorations on the houses and the whole neighborhood out in the street doing the same. Costume Quest is the most literal version of that feeling but the others give me that warm, fuzzy feeling in a undertone (like Majoras Mask)

 

[GymWolf]

Very soundly . The spirit of halloween is very prevalent in those games. To me, halloween is that feeling of when you were a child, and would go trick or treating in the neighborhood while seeing all the decorations on the houses and the whole neighborhood out in the street doing the same. Costume Quest is the most literal version of that feeling but the others give me that warm, fuzzy feeling in a undertone (like Majoras Mask)

We don't have halloween in italy so we had to wait christmas for all that good shit

 

[EverydayBeast]

 

[Marcinkowski]

Dead Space
Dead Space 2
The Darkness
F.E.A.R.
RE4
Doom 3

 

[LordOfChaos]

Bloodborne got psychologically daunting at times

The first FEAR is classic of course

 

[Drizzlehell]

Bloodborne got psychologically daunting at times

Yeah, that game went places I didn't expect it to. And it's one of the things that make it so amazing.

 

[violence]

I always enjoy a play through of resident evil 1 remake.

I haven’t played it but this is probably a good time to get into red dead undead nightmare

 

[Labolas]

Resident Evil 2
Bloodborne
DOOM (2016)
FEAR

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

DMC1
RE4 og
Luigi's Mansion

 

[marjo]

Not sure if they qualify as 'action games', but System Shock 2, Thief, and Thief 2 would be my picks.

 

[Killer8]

In addition to the stereotypical horror choices, there's a few other games which are fitting for this time of year.

Batman: Arkham Asyulm is very atmospheric due to its moody backdrop of a rainy night with the huge moon hanging in the sky.

I recently revisited Quake HD and some of the levels in that are extremely unsettling due in no small part to Trent Reznor's amazing OST:





I will never miss an opportunity to plug Manhunt. The atmosphere in that is incredible, John Carpenter-esque hell, and it does basically devolve from a stealth game into a straight-up shooter by the end:



I am also eternally thankful that Shadows of the Damned is getting a remaster next year. Top tier 'spooky' action game with one of my favorite Akira Yamaoka themes heard in this trailer:



I mean just look at the main menu:

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

In addition to the stereotypical horror choices, there's a few other games which are fitting for this time of year.

Batman: Arkham Asyulm is very atmospheric due to its moody backdrop of a rainy night with the huge moon hanging in the sky.

I recently revisited Quake HD and some of the levels in that are extremely unsettling due in no small part to Trent Reznor's amazing OST:





I will never miss an opportunity to plug Manhunt. The atmosphere in that is incredible, John Carpenter-esque hell, and it does basically devolve from a stealth game into a straight-up shooter by the end:



I am also eternally thankful that Shadows of the Damned is getting a remaster next year. Top tier 'spooky' action game with one of my favorite Akira Yamaoka themes heard in this trailer:



I mean just look at the main menu:

Manhunt and Quake 1 are excellent picks. Manhunt was actually way ahead of its time with paying serious homage to Carpenter. That game is seriously atmospheric and well-crafted. Dark as fuck.

Quake 1 on high difficulty is legit intimidating. The low poly and ultra-surreal sound design gives it some sort of accidental level of artfulness, like an abstract painting of hell. The level design feels like one of those nightmares where everything is out to get you but makes no logical sense.

My personal vote:

This game is way underrated as far as I'm concerned. The gameplay loop is solid and fun albeit firmly AA but it has some special sauce that puts it above its weight class. There's a heavy sense of mounting dread and the kindergarden building is one of the scariest fucking things I've ever played.

PS: Ignore the dumb cover. Also, while the WiiU version is the best, the PS4 version is still a great game.

 

[abstract alien]

Condemned

The shopping mall freaked me the hell out

 

[TheGreatMusashi]

Clive Barker‘s Jericho is good if you’re on Xbox, look up some cheat codes turn on invincible health and ammo, run through the game and get every achievement.

 

[Killer8]

My personal vote:

This game is way underrated as far as I'm concerned. The gameplay loop is solid and fun albeit firmly AA but it has some special sauce that puts it above its weight class. There's a heavy sense of mounting dread and the kindergarden building is one of the scariest fucking things I've ever played.

PS: Ignore the dumb cover. Also, while the WiiU version is the best, the PS4 version is still a great game.

The Wii U version of Zombi U is one of my favorite horror experiences ever. It's one of the few games on the system where the gamepad feels like an integral part of the game. For example when you're trying to keep your eyes on zombies sneaking up behind you on the TV while you're looting a corpse on the gamepad screen. The fact you can be killed in a couple of hits adds a lot to the tension. The nursery level is one of the best in the game:



My Wii U recently died and losing access to that version of Zombi U has made it all the more painful.

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

The Wii U version of Zombi U is one of my favorite horror experiences ever. It's one of the few games on the system where the gamepad feels like an integral part of the game. For example when you're trying to keep your eyes on zombies sneaking up behind you on the TV while you're looting a corpse on the gamepad screen. The fact you can be killed in a couple of hits adds a lot to the tension. The nursery level is one of the best in the game:



My Wii U recently died and losing access to that version of Zombi U has made it all the more painful.

Yea this game is awesome in general. The survivor mechanic is great. I would get kind of attached to a character, get rekt and get all bummed about it.

I will say though while the WiiU version is superior, I also bought it on PS4/PS5 and it's still great. I've seen some people say that version sucks now but nah. Game still rules.

Nursery made my butthole pucker in terror.

 

[brian0057]

Thief: Deadly Shadows.

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

Thief: Deadly Shadows.

Never played a Thief game. Do these hold up and are they readiky available to play anywhere?? Looks killer...

 

[Evil Calvin]

Until Dawn
Shadowman

 

[brian0057]

Never played a Thief game. Do these hold up and are they readiky available to play anywhere?? Looks killer...

The entire Thief trilogy is available on GOG (and Steam, but I recommend the former) and they're often on sale for dirt cheap.
And they're worth playing even today. Unrivalled masterpieces.

Thief™ Gold

Having received training from an enigmatic organization known as the Keepers, Garrett lea

www.gog.com

Thief™ 2: The Metal Age

Thief™ II: The Metal Age gives you a chance to revisit the dark streets of the City, now

www.gog.com

Thief™ 3: Deadly Shadows

In the third installment of the Thief™ series, master-thief Garrett is contacted by Keepe

www.gog.com

For more info on how to get the definitive experience out these absolute bangers, go here: https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150989

 

[Mister Wolf]

 

[Arsic]

Evil Within.

The GOAT of pants poop simulator.

 

[Azelover]

Enemy Zero for the Saturn. It's not for everyone, but it's really scary. Not because of the story, but because of the gameplay and overall atmosphere..

 

[VeganElduderino]

Night in the woods, has a Auntumn/Halloween feel to it, melancholy feeling.