Although spooky season is over, the scares don’t have to stop. Players will find plenty of horror in video games year-round. In fact, some of the best titles this year have been horror games. Here’s a quick look at recent releases that have murder, mayhem and monsters.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” — After a disappointing outing last year, the best-selling franchise returns to form this year thanks to Treyarch and Raven Software. Taking place during the first Gulf War in the 1990s, the story campaign expertly sets the latest chapter amid an intriguing time of espionage and has the mission design chops to bolster the narrative. Meanwhile, the multiplayer benefits from the new omnidirectional movement mechanics that let players sprint, dive and slide in any direction. Now, players can pull off more spectacular moves when they remember to use it.
The horror from “Black Ops 6” comes from its Zombies mode, which again returns with the campy fun and fast-paced co-op action that fans have come to love. Players can tackle two large maps called Terminus and Liberty Falls. Players will have to survive waves of the undead and worse monstrosities as they build up their arsenal using essence from the falled undead hordes. It’s a classic formula that has gotten bigger and better with each iteration.
“Redacted” — Striking Distance Studios, the San Ramon-based video game developer, drew praise for “Callisto Protocol” when the sci-fi survival horror game was released in 2022. Now, the developers have crafted a spinoff based in the same universe. “Redacted” takes place in the same Black Iron Prison on the Jovian moon, but this time players take on the role of multiple people trying to escape the compound amid an outbreak of a bug that turns humans into monsters.
It’s essentially a rogue-lite that appears inspired by “Hades.” As a prison guard, players gather weapons and resources as they enter different rooms and slaughter enemies. They grow more powerful with rewards collected from each room, and as players delve deeper into Black Iron Prison, the gameplay grows more nerve-racking because dying in the game means players have to start over again without their firearms or perks acquired along the way.
Thankfully, players can collect resources that carry over to the next guard so that even players aren’t fully starting from zero. They can use Contraband, Security IDs and other resources to gain permanent power-ups that will help them survive. It gives players a feeling of progress and hope as they face brutally difficult challenges.
“Emio — The Smiling man: Famicom Detective Club” is the latest entry to the series that began in the 1980s. The visual novel is thrilling if you give it a chance. (Nintendo)
“Emio — The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club” — This entry to the famed visual novel series is the first new chapter since 1997. It again follows the teenage protagonist, which players name, his partner Ayumi Tachibana and his boss, Shunsuke Utsugi. The three are investigating a mysterious murder, in which the victim was found with a paper bag over his head.
Like other entries, this is a slower-paced game that requires players to think and puzzle over where to look for clues in the case. For better or worse, “Emio” still retains the main gameplay elements that made the previous remake frustrating and worthwhile. Players can sometimes see, which response will advance the plot, but sometimes what to do next gets lost in the gameplay, and players have to essentially test every interaction to get ahead.
One of the better parts of “Emio” is the art this time around. It’s more gorgeous and it seems as if there’s more animation built into conversations and interactions. That leads the campaign to feel more updated than past experiences. It feels more vibrant even though the genre isn’t action-heavy.
The strength of a visual novel like “Emio” is how it can suck players into its world with solid voice acting and a compelling story. With a few twists and turns, “Emio” is an enthralling experience even if it may not take place at the speed of modern games.
