The spookiest time of the year is almost here! With the weather finally cooling down and the summer lights fading, publishers are much more keen on releasing their big video games with the holiday season right around the corner. Sony and Microsoft may be in the giving mood too, eager to show off their online services (PS Plus and Games with Gold, respectively) so as to encourage more people to jump in. Keeping this in mind, the following is a list of games that either company may be willing to include as free offerings for the month of October.
October Games with Gold and PS Plus Predictions: The Big Ones
Seeing as how Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was featured in last year’s October offerings for PS Plus and how Destiny 2 has just been offered for the month of September, it isn’t too out of the question for Sony to enlist 2014’s Alien Isolation in its next free games slate. The triple-A horror experience continues the impressive precedent while keeping in line with the holiday festivities.
Alien Isolation boasts one of the best—if not the best—interpretation of Ridley Scott’s twisted, macabre sci-fi universe. Xenomorphs are incredibly intelligent and impossible to kill, making them one of the most intimidating enemies this console generation has seen so far. Microsoft and Sony need to bring the title to their services at one point, just to have more people experience all the scares it has to offer. The game has DLC that could potential net publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly some extra money for their next projects if players feel enticed to play more Isolation.
The Evil Within is another great horror game that Microsoft and Sony could offer. Also released back in 2014, the game was created by Resident Evil mastermind Shinji Mikami and serves as a hallmark of the genre in modernity. With a sequel already out and plenty of DLC available for purchase, The Evil Within feels like a no-brainer, especially with everyone in the Halloween spirit.
Speaking of Resident Evil, Resident Evil 0 Remaster and Resident Evil: Revelations 2 are also fair game, considering how the recent Resident Evil HD Remake was once free on PS Plus. Only time will tell whether or not fans will ever see another game in the franchise show up on either service, though October seems like the most likely month for these titles to appear.
October Games with Gold and PS Plus Predictions: The Indies
With three DLC levels released since its launch last year, Little Nightmares seems poised for either service come this October. This “cute” platformer is as accessible as it is daunting, as a little girl by the name of Six must escape the clutches of several hungry giants lest she be eaten or destroyed like all the children before her. The game’s atmosphere and sound design work together to immerse players in its terrible, run-down world, where the threat of being devoured constantly looms over the entire experience. It’s the perfect indie title to play in one or two sittings on a lonely night in late October.
Layers of Fear could also fit the bill for either company’s monthly service. Players take on the role of a painter who is about to complete his magnum opus but suffers from intermittent episodes of schizophrenia. The puzzle and exploration-driven narrative often leaves players to their own devices as they try their best to keep cool while trapped within the confines of a decrepit Victorian mansion. Layers of Fear offers a horror experience that onlookers can enjoy, too, as the action onscreen unfolds just as in movies. To top it all off, the game also features DLC content that serves as a follow-up to the narrative found within the first game.
The Wolf Among Us may make for a good fit in October if Sony decides to tone down the horror a little bit. The developer may be willing to give the game to subscribers for free to increase awareness for the latest horror story. The Wolf Among Us on PS Plus may get people hyped for the series’ second season next year. That’s what happened when it arrived on Games with Gold in April 2016, after all.
Whatever Sony and Microsoft decide to offer for October, there’s certainly no shortage of quality horror experiences to be found on the PS4 and Xbox One. Even if either company decides to ignore the holiday festivities in favor of introducing games from other genres next month, the spooky titles remain should they ever want to go back and offer a frightening experience at their own leisure. For many of us, Halloween runs year-round anyway.
