Outlast II is perfect: It is also definitely not for everyone. But for what the developers are setting out to accomplish, the game is just flawless in my opinion. From the airtight controls to the jaw dropping graphics (really pushing Nintendo’s aging little hybrid console and flexing it’s capabilities), here we have a truly terrifying experience with tense mechanics, a beyond unsettling narrative and…

..well, I could just go on and on about this one!

Layers of Fear: Legacy is one of those “psychological” horror games where your mind occasionally “plays tricks” on you. It’s the kind of experience intending to immerse players in an atmosphere where you’re forced to “question” your own “sanity.” Sort of a distant relative of Eternal Darkness for the GameCube in that regard: Plenty of environmental puzzles offered within a spooky setting. It’s also one of very few non first party Switch titles that I burned right through upon starting, compelled to completion amongst a ridiculous backlog of games.

That means I sure liked it!

You couldn’t really go wrong with just about any entry in this series but I’ve chosen the high definition remaster of the iconic remake that originally released on the Gamecube back in 2002 to single out. Actually it was specifically a toss up between either this or the remaster of RE4. But as much as I do love that fourth *ahem* game changing installment, it leans harder toward the action genre than this, the original, the classic, the great Resident Evil.

I find it highly likely that were Tim Burton to continue directing Michael Keaton as Batman in a third installment, Halloween would have featured as a prominent setting. Y’know just like Christmas did in Returns. Unfortunately, we don’t live in the timeline where such a scenario occurred but Batman Forever still wound up being the (to date) only live action Dark Knight cinematic adventure to take place during the spooky season. Isn’t that weird!? Time to join Rob and Ray as we yap about Joel Schumacher’s 1995 take on the caped crusader!

Click here to listen!

Released in 1981 (nearly one year to the day after the first film) Friday the 13th Part 2 was yet another big box office success for Paramount Pictures. Once again shot on the tiniest of budgets, the film easily earned well over it’s money back and a formula was now in place. Though it could have been dismissed as a quick cash in project, fans clearly filled the theater seats and wanted more. This is the one that really laid the groundwork for the series moving forward, while also firmly establishing the franchise’s dominance in horror. Rising to the top as an annual must see event for genre fans swimming in an ocean of imitators.

This is the one where Jason arrives.

You could say that around here, there’s a whiff of excitement in the air about there being a Friday the 13th during the month of October. It’s like getting two Halloweens!! With that in mind, you can probably guess what tomorrow’s Friday Night Fright will bring. But until then, I thought I’d share some snaps taken earlier today of the The Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood Jason Voorhees action figure. By far and away my favorite design of the guy from any of the films!

Now that you’ve finished cleaning up that drink you just spat across the screen, yes I know this is a licensed game “based” on a total box office failure. One starring a certain TCruise that was meant to kick off a ahem, Universal Monsters cinematic universe *crickets*. But stick with me here for a second, as the connection to that film is loose at best. Really what this is is a rock solid Metroid-like 16-bit style sidescrolling shooter developed by WayForward (Contra 4, Duck Tales: Remastered, The Shantae Series). And it totally stands on it’s own as a really fun game.

Honest!

Slender: The Arrival has a lot in common with the original Blair Witch Project and first Paranormal Activity. All low budget ventures using a clever, simple concept out of necessity to mass effect resulting in genuine scares. I am a devout fan of this approach, so upon finally getting the chance to play this game which had been around for a while before hitting the Wii U (and eventually Switch), what a surprise!

It actually scared me.

The dynamic chemistry of the cast, needle drops, editing, special effects, dialogue and structure on display in From Dusk Till Dawn are all things that can really do it for a teenager back in the 90’s as well as an…older person here in 2023. So it was clearly the go to inaugural selection for a Halloween themed yap over at Comic Book Heroes Podcast back when we first started recording. Rob and I both have very dear feelings for this film which becomes quite clear, quite quickly!

Click here to listen!

And here we are a week into October and it already feels like the Halloween season is just going by way too fast. It’s time to really kick this thing into gear and be in the moment with as many scary movies, television specials or spooky somethings as possible until the end of the month.

This is serious business, people. We are IN IT.

For those of you who have been following, the theme of this year’s list of Friday Night Frights has consisted of Horror Movie Part 2’s (in one case, a Two). And tonight’s entry is arguably no different. I say arguably because some may find it a bit sacrilege that anyone could consider this 1985 film to be an actual follow up to the 1939 cinematic musical original The Wizard of Oz. A movie that is a timeless, child friendly and magical stone cold classic held dearly by many generations including yours truly. And it’s one that I ahem return to annually. The other arguable aspect is whether or not Return to Oz could be considered a horror movie.

Well my friends, here we are with some arguments.

Before you ask, no it did not occur to me to cheat this whole countdown thing and consider Castlevania Anniversary Collection as games #8-#1. Well, I mean I guess just typing that means it did but either way you must have seen this one coming: A compilation of 7 classic titles (as well as the never before released Kid Dracula), in both their North American and Japanese incarnations, along with a cool History of Castlevania digital "book.” All at a pretty great price and ready to be played on the big screen or in handheld mode during those private moments. Sounds pretty rad, c’mon ever since the NES original, Simon Belmont cracking that whip across the foreheads of countless mummies, bats, fishmen, ghouls and old man Drac himself has been a go to staple for players looking for a spooky fix. So this collection must be an absolutely essential, perfect way to play these legendary titles during the Halloween season right?

Essential? I’d say yes. Perfect, mmm…not quite.

This ten games to play on Switch Halloween Countdown isn’t necessarily a ranking from worst to best. But if it were, Friday the 13th: The Game would have likely taken the top spot at #1. However here we are, getting to it ASAP as a result of two types of highly sensitive time uh…sensitivities. The first is the unfortunate reality that the meat of this game relies on an online component which will be shutting down at the end of this calendar year, December 31st, 2023. But the second is the exciting (and arguably more crucial) fact that we have an actual Friday the 13th to look forward to this Halloween season!

That’s less than two weeks away!