It's almost that spooky time of Halloween, and we have been bringing you weekly recommendations on some of the best horror games you should be playing this month. Next week is our grand finale on Halloween's eve, but before that, we have a few more hair-raising recommendations for you. This time, we're diving into the wonderfully twisted world of H.P. Lovecraft, exploring two of the best video games to rock the market in the Lovecraftian sub-genre - and one Silent Hill game that we think deserves your second playthrough. Let's dive into the madness of Bloodborne, the drenched psychological terror of Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, and the disjointedness of Silent Hill 4: The Room.

Bloodborne


Many might not even consider this a horror game, but it fits the bill in being absolutely terrifying nonetheless. It's no secret that From Software's generation-defining RPG, Bloodborne, lifted a lot of its inspiration from Lovecraft's mythos to produce a nightmare-fueled world of cosmic horrors and ancient celestial beings. The central premise of Bloodborne actually revolves around the dark town of Yharnam on the night of a purge - that's to say, hunters taking to the monster-infested streets of the Gothic Victorian town to indulge in some monster slaying. A scourge has crippled Yharnam, causing the town to become overrun by infected citizens of a deadly mutigent that may or may not have been brought on by a corrupt Healing Church, using the blood of cosmic beings as a "cure".

Bloodborne is actually textbook Lovecraftian horror. Cosmic beings living on Earth? Check. A corrupt cult-like organization at its center? Check. More body horror than you can possibly imagine? Check. Tentacles? Check and check. Bloodborne is filled to the brim with nightmares, cleverly realized with fantastically grotesque enemy designs. Lycanthropes, mad villagers, gigantic beasts, mutated monstrosities, transformations, and more; Bloodborne nails its horrific setting and creates an atmosphere of absolute dread and uncertainty that just seeps through your screen. Some might say it's scarier than many pure horror games on the principal of its punishing difficulty alone, letting players know the severity of this situation and overbearing world they find themselves thrown into.


Tim Burton would be proud.

At its core, though, Bloodborne is actually a phenomenally engaging masterpiece. It sinks its teeth into you and never lets go until the final, fittingly cosmic conclusion. Many still view Bloodborne as From Software's true magnum opus, and deservedly so. In my opinion, it still stands tall as the Japanese studio's crowning achievement in gaming - yes, even above the Dark Souls series that defined them. The game's eerie, off-kilter vibe and magnificent creature designs is just the icing on this bloody cake. Bloodborne may not technically be "horror", but it rings up enough unsettling and downright disturbing scares leagues above its predecessors to warrant that status.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth


Leaving Lovecraftian-inspired games and looking at ones that directly adapt their source material, Bethesda's and developer Headfirst Productions' Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is about as perfect as you can get for direct Lovecraft video games. Adapting The Shadow Over Innsmouth with elements of The Call of Cthulhu and many of Lovecraft's other short horror stories, Dark Corners of the Earth creates an unnerving survival horror experience in tandem with an absorbing mystery/thriller. You play as a detective who just served some time in the looney bin, but is back in the fray solving a mystery involving cults and the worship of strange cosmic deities - all the while unravelling a greater mystery about your past.

Headfirst Productions took everything that worked about the words of Lovecraft and threw them into a visual representation that's almost unrivalled in gaming. Sure, one could argue that Lovecraft's works were never meant to be visual experiences as readers often filled in the blanks with their own imagination, giving his stories their unique edge, but Dark Corners of the Earth respects this psychological angle enough to still leave plenty open to interpretation while trying to bring the cosmic monstrosities to life in ways that still shock you. Yes, these monstrous encounters are brief, but they make a massive impact in a game that's a cut above your average detective thriller. Instead, much of the "survival" aspects has you fending off against cultists and various, let's just say "other" enemies that get thrown at you in sections of the game.


Backwards Cthulhu cultists be like, "I know a place"

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth today feels a bit dated in its design. The controls can feel a tad bit clunky and combat flows with all the smoothness of a janky steamroller. However, what keeps you invested is the story and atmosphere (I use the word "atmosphere" a lot because that's absolutely pivotal in nailing Lovecraft's themes and unfathomable suggestive horror). This game proudly excels at that, despite coming out fifteen years ago. It delivers an authentic, if dated, descent into madness that perfectly encapsulates its source material. If you haven't played this yet, and are in the market for Lovecraftian terror, look no further.

Silent Hill 4: The Room


We'll end today's feature on a different note than everything previously discussed about Lovecraft - but make no mistake, Konami's Silent Hill series still has some firm roots in Lovecraftian horror. Silent Hill 4: The Room was the biggest deviation from Team Silent's signature style of their series - in that it doesn't actually take place in Silent Hill. Instead, we find ourselves in the seemingly haunted apartment of Henry Townsend, who is having strange visions and remains convinced that something strange is going on. That strangeness comes to fruition when he finds a mysterious hole in his bathroom that teleports him to some bizarre places. Hence, the horror of The Room (you're tearing me apart, Lisa!) begins.


Actual image of where Konami keeps all their IPs

Silent Hill 4: The Room isn't the most well-received game in the series according to the fan base, but in my opinion, it was a great change of pace that Silent Hill desperately needed at the time. Before then, we got three games all set in the fictional town, so seeing Team Silent step out of their comfort zone to experiment with other ideas was a rejuvenating shot of inspiration that could've carried the series a long way had they stayed on as the key developers. Alas, that would never happen, but The Room still presents its own set of fiendishly brilliant and often overlooked ideas. The monster design is incredible here, and the vibe is unsettling in all the right ways. Furthermore, it's actually a genuinely frightening game. Next to Silent Hill 3, many fans still agree that, despite its shortcomings, The Room is the second scariest of the series. I can't say any more than what has already been said about this title, but it is a personal horror gem in my eyes that mostly nailed its ambition.

What games are you playing this Halloween? Let us know in the comments below.

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Nexus' Month of Horror Gaming Part 3
Nexus' Month of Horror Gaming Part 5