Halloween is almost here. So of course, we at Sidearc have put together a list of Games, Manga, anime and movies for all the nerds out there who may need a little help getting into that spooky spirit!
In the list below you will find a wide variety of degrees of horror. Some more classic and some with odd elements of horror. Whether you are looking to be scared stiff or to have something a little less intense, there should be something for you down below-
Manga–
Berserk-
Berserk, oh man. If you havent read it, please start with the Golden Age arc, this will haunt your dreams for sure when you get to the latter chapters. While most the manga is not pure horror, the end pay off is amazing.
Uzamaki-
Do you like your horror with an odd spin. Well than Uzamaki is perfect for you! This manga is downright weird and will twist you up with its freakish visuals and good pacing.
Gyo-
While a bit stranger than your average horror, Gyo does offer a good degree of creepiness that has left fans discussing it for years since its release.
For real though, this one is pretty dang odd.
Gantz-
Gantz is disturbing, it is a odd tale of aliens and how entirely horrible human beings are. It is not for the weak of heart. It is messed up.
Tokyo Ghoul-
Vampire creatures, cannibalism and tons of dark and gritty art. What about that doesn’t scream Halloween? The series isnt a constant barrage of terror. But when it goes there it doesnt hold back.
Naoki Urasawas Monster-
If you are looking for something with a bit less shock value and ‘mature’ content than go no further! Monster is a psychological thriller that doesn’t rely on jump scares or grotesque visuals. Instead it ops for legit real world creepiness.
Games-
Berserk millennium falcon-
Well, there are a few Berserk games out there and I figured it was creepy enough with its tory and visuals to be worth an add to this list. For this one you will need a modded PS2 or PS3 as it never came out of Japan.
Demons Souls-
Demons Souls is one creepy dang game, it is by no means a pure horror title. But in all honesty this game scared me more than any other game has. The intense combat only adds to the games disturbing atmosphere which will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Until Dawn-
Now this is a straight up horror game. It is basically a love song to all those classic horror movies out there. Alone it is fun, but with a group it is amazing.
BloodBorne-
Carrying a similar theme from Demons, this title is something of a Cosmic horror title. The bleak world is full of despair and hardships, the more you dive in the creepier it gets.
Halo:CE–
For Halo:CE you need to go and replay some of those good ol Flood levels. They do horror better than most horror games could ever imagine.They are intense and fun, definitely worth the time.
P.T–
If you are lucky enough to have it, you have what could have been an amazing mind bending horror game that would force you into discomfort through abstract means and tedious stressful puzzles. The game while dead will always live on within manys PlayStation 4’s.
Final Fantasy Tactics–
Many don’t consider Final Fantasy Tactics when they think of scary or creepy games. But in all truth Tactics is a dark tragic game full of elements of horror and betrayal. While the gameplay lacks the typical tropes of horror games, the games dark story sure makes up for it with all its twists and turns.
Ico–
While not super scary, the game does have some light horror for those who are not into the disturbing or more frightening horror titles. The horror of the title is largely in the disturbing worlds lore is and how intense some moments can be. None the less, for the easily scarred this game is a good option.
Friday The 13th–
Well, it is based off the classic horror franchise. This title is a Multi-player games and leads to some nice scares for those who are the victims.
Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask-
Despite being made by Nintendo this game was and is still dang creepy. Whoever came up with this wanted to do something different with Zelda, and that resulted in this eerie and disturbing title. While the game does have many light hearted moments it often delves into some strange and crazed nightmare fuel on a regular basis.
Luigi’s mansion-
Got some kids who want to play a scary game? Well, this should do the trick, while it isnt really scary for adults it should give your kids and you something nice to play together. or just yourself if that is how you roll.
Anime-
Vampire Hunter D: BloodLust–
Nothing says Halloween like Vampires and that is just what this beautiful anime movie is about. D is a Vampire Hunter is a strange and eerie movie that should be on everyones Halloween time watchlist.
Note- Try to avoid the first movie, it is not so good.
Berserk ( 1998 )-
Yes, Berserk is here once again! For this entry you should skip the first episode as it is just a pilot that does not mesh well at all. None the less, like the manga recommendation, the payoff for watching it all is amazing for Halloween.
Cowboy Bebop- Toys in the Attic/ Pierrot le fou/ The movie-
First off the Episode Toys in the Attic is just a hilarious parody of horror, it is worth the watch. There of course is another episode that creeped many people out with its just strange departure from the normal episodes,that episode of course being Pierrot le fou, the less said the better for this one. Last but not least is the fantastic Cowboy Bebop movie, it takes place on Halloween! I mean how perfect is that, it isnt scary but hey, there is lots of Halloween stuff in the film.
High School of the Dead-
Highschool of the Dead is one of those shows you almost can’t recommend…. It would have been a genre classic if it were not so dang skanky. Every couple years I go back and rewatch it and I think “holy crap there was this much fanservice?” So it gets a qualified recommendation if you can tolerate a near constant barrage of bouncing breasts, panty shots and butt shots at even the most inappropriate moments.
What’s interesting about it is the story unfolds during the initial outbreak and its centers on surprisingly competent and intelligent (or maybe more accurately not movie stupid?) teens as they try to band together, find their families and figure out how to survive .If you can, well this zombie action drama may be for you.-Leon Evelake
Ghost Hunt–
The series sees Mai Taniyama a high school student who after inadvertently causing some damage to some equipment belonging to a paranormal investigator (as well as his assistant) is drafted to work for him to make it up. Now Mai works alongside a somewhat eccentric group of investigators and exorcists on cases ranging from fraud to possessions.
The series is fairly light a lot of the time but varies by arc sometimes it kicks into high gear with the horror unexpectedly or throws unexpectedly depressing Christmas episodes at you.-Leon
Naoki Urasawas Monster–
Yes there is an anime too! Filled with great visuals, wonderful voice acting and a ton of tension to bring you some nice unease!
Hellsing/Hellsing Ultimate-
Both series start out the same Series Victoria encounters and is saved by the vampire Alucard and ends up working with the Hellsing organization to fight vampires. The original Hellsing was produced before the comic finished its story and came up with its own later half. It’s less intense, less grotesque and less brutal.
Hellsing Ultimate follows the comic much more closely has much higher production values and is a much more extreme experience. The heros are more ambiguous and do some really unpleasant stuff and the fights are more gruesome. The final conflict in the streets of london is a hellish spectacle. It’s the show for people who think vampires have lost their edge in pop culture.
Both series actually have their strong points and interesting scenes it’s really a matter of what you are looking for. Either way if it’s called Hellsing Octobers a good time to watch it.-Leon
Castlevania
After the people of Wallachia burnt his wife at the stake Dracula promises one year’s reprieve before he ends the life of every single person in the land. Once the year’s time past he begins making good on his promise unleashing demons on the land. Amidst the horrors as the people are trying to figure out how to survive the demons at their walls and the corruption inside their cities, Trevor Belmont the last member of a disgraced family of monster hunters saunters into town.-Leon
Books-
Vampire Hunter D series.-
There is a lot to choose from when looking at all the Vampire Hunter D books, some are more frightening than others but none are bad choice.
IT-
A bit more disturbing and far more graphic than the movies, it is still considered a classic. It also has a lot more history and character moments, so that is nice.
Movies-
Godzilla/Shin Godzilla-
For this one we get two titles for Godzilla, the two being the original Godzilla in all it old majesty and the later being the new controversial Shin Godzilla. Both these titles are by no means typical horror movies but both do leave an interesting feeling of terror behind once they leave.
IT-
I mean this movie is a given, breaking all the records for horror movies in a row this movie is somewhat a phenomenon. To top it off the movie is just good too.
Tremors-
Not your typical monster movie, this one is a bit redneck. This of course works for the best and makes the film a blast to watch. There are also sequels if you dig that.
Gantz 0-
This one is pretty strange, full of some weird crap and just downright crazy monsters. Gantz 0 has a good degree of action and characters and pulls from Japanese mythology for some if its horror. Definitely worth a watch.
Big Trouble Little China-
This one is a pardoy of many classic horror movies and Kung Fu movies. It is simply amazing. It is also made by the legend John Carpenter starring Kurt Russell. Just watch it.
The Burbs-
While slightly comedic, this show actually does have some eerie creepiness to it. It is definitely a parody of classic horror films, but it oddly enough does a good job at being a horror film its self. It has a lot of similarities to King Of the Hill.
Star Trek First Contact (1996)
Easily the beast of the Next Generation Star Trek movies, First Contact takes the Borg a major recurring threat from the tv series and plays them for horror.
Unrelenting, hard to kill, adaptive to conventional weaponry and able to add your fallen comrades to bolster their numbers it plays out akin to zombies in space.. If zombies had a driving force unifying them.-Leon