It’s the most wonderful time of the year – spooky season. That’s right, folks, it’s October, and that means I will be doing nothing but watching scary movies, terrorising strangers while dressed as Goro Majima,and if I can find the emotional strength, playing Alan Wake 2while trying not to cry or throw my controller across the room. Coincidentally, the latest Steam Next Fest is also here, which means there is an absolute feast of new demos to try. There’s a lot of very cool stuff to try, but in keeping with the spirit of Halloween, I’ve picked out the ones that are most likely to horrify you. Godspeed, gamers.
The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication
I am Asian, so I find any kind of Asian horror immeasurably more frightening than Western horror. I can’t help it, terrifying folklore has embedded itself in the Asian cultural consciousness. The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication is a standalone sequel to The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation, a Taiwanese horror game released in 2022. This first-person survival horror game is played from the perspective of several characters and is set in the real-life Wen Hua University, also known as the Chinese Culture University in Taipei. It follows a group of students who are holding a Carnival of Horror in one of the school’s most haunted buildings in an attempt to attract new members to the film club. Simultaneously, a reporter arrives on campus in hopes of solving a cold missing person case. Obviously, shit hits the fan. This stealth horror game has you trying to escape the terrors that pursue you, while highlighting things I love about Taiwan – its architecture, lifestyle, and environments.
Try The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication’s demo on Steamhere.
Hollow Cocoon
Yes, yes, I know, it’s more Asian horror. Hollow Cocoon, also a first-person horror game, is set in 1980s Japan and follows Minato Jinba, a college student who returns to his mother’s rural hometown after learning that his grandmother is in critical condition. This gorgeous game has faithfully recreated Japanese settings dripping with sunlight, four unique endings and branching paths, and a terrifying creature with too-long limbs that chases you through a house. Solve puzzles, make choices, and survive.
Try Hollow Cocoon’s demo on Steamhere.
The Last Faith
This game bills itself as a dark, gothic, gory mix of Metroidvania and Soulslike gameplay, focusing on precise combat, a plethora of weapons to choose from, and magic powers to use against your enemies. Its art style is stunning, rendering its dungeons, castles, and forest settings in beautiful pixel-shaded detail. Play as Eryk, an amnesiac in a ‘race against time’ as his mental state begins to deteriorate. Create a blood-filled path through The Last Faith’s world, kill monsters, cross paths with ‘ancient religions and divinities’, and save yourself.
Try The Last Faith’s demo on Steamhere.
Forgive Me Father 2
This successor to the flawed but unique 2020 game Forgive Me Father is just as much of a visual delight as the first, leaning into its unique comic book art style and strong sense of atmosphere. You play the Priest from the first installment, fighting through mobs of Lovecraftian horrors on your path to salvation. You have a ton of weapons at your disposal, and many types of enemies to use them against, each of which evolves into different, more twisted versions of themselves. Fight madness, or embrace it and use the power-ups it gives you to strengthen yourself. If the sequel manages to improve on its predecessor’s flaws, we could have a real winner on our hands.
Try Forgive Me Father 2’s demo on Steamhere.
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