October 2023 is still months away, yet the month is already stacked for horror fans looking forward to the spooky season.Halloween being in Octobermakes it a popular month for film studios and video game publishers to release their horror-centric games, though it doesn’t usually start stacking up this early.
Thanks to some recent release date announcements, though, it’s clear that October 2023 is going to be one to remember for fans of the horror genre. Not only are there currently two AAA horror games scheduled to launch in October, but there are also three major horror films currently scheduled to release that month as well. And of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There will likely be even more horror games andhorror moviesreleasing in October that have yet to be revealed.
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Even if nothing else isannounced for October 2023, though, it looks like horror fans will be kept plenty busy this upcoming Halloween season.
New Horror Games Releasing in October 2023
2023 has already been an especially strong year for the horror genre. Things were kicked off with the release of theDead Spaceremake in January, followed up by the critically-acclaimedResident Evil 4remake in March. As far as brand-new horror games go,VR gamePropagation: Paradise Hotelhas been very well-received, and Frictional Games is set to releaseAmnesia: The Bunkerin the very near future.
While 2023 has already been a great year for the horror genre, there’s even more to look forward to in the months ahead, with October particularly stacked. Come October 2023, horror fans can look forward to two major new horror game releases, both of which are new entries in popular franchises. FirstAlan Wake 2will release for PC on the Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X on October 17, and then theAlone in the Darkremake will follow on October 25.
Alan Wake 2is coming over a decade after the release of the originalAlan Wakegame. In it,FBI agent Saga Andersonis investigating some mysterious murders in the town of Bright Falls. Her investigation sees her crossing paths with the titular Alan Wake, who is trapped in a twisted version of New York City. Remedy is aiming forAlan Wake 2to push the envelope when it comes to graphics, and based on what’s been shown so far, it should have no problem achieving that goal.
Gameplay-wise,Alan Wake 2looks like it’s taking a page out of Capcom’s playbook.Alan Wake 2uses an over-the-shoulder, third-person viewpoint alaResident Evil 4, and so it’s a safe bet that it will appeal to fans of Capcom’s survival-horror franchise when it releases this October for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
TheAlone in the Darkremake seems to be taking a great deal of inspiration fromResident Evilas well, also employing an over-the-shoulder camera. TheAlone in the Darkremake is looking to modernize the classic horror story for today’s audience, with vastly improved graphics, new story beats, and gameplay elements.It stars David Harbour and Jodie Comeras the main characters and looks like a classic survival-horror experience. TheAlone in the Darkfranchise has been dormant even longer thanAlan Wake, so it will be interesting to see if it can make its well-deserved comeback later this year.
New Horror Movies Releasing in October 2023
Horror game fans will have plenty to play this October, but there will be some major new horror movies to see in theaters this year as well.First up isThe Exorcist: Believeron October 13, a new installment in the long-running horror franchise that will serve as a direct sequel to the original film. It’s bringing back Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, and the filmmakers hope that it’s the start of a new trilogy ofExorcistfilms.
Then on October 27, horror fans have two major new releases to check out in theaters - thelong-awaitedFive Nights at Freddy’sfilm adaptationandSaw 10.Five Nights at Freddy’sstands a good chance of being one of the biggest hits at the box office this year, if pre-release hype is any indication. It serves as an adaptation of Scott Cawthon’s ultra-popularFive Nights at Freddy’shorror games, where a security guard at a Chuck E. Cheese-equivalent restaurant is terrorized by animatronics that come to life.
Saw 10, meanwhile, is the latest installment in the body horror franchise that has firmly established itself as one of the genre’s most financially successful franchises ever. TheSawmoviesvary greatly in terms of quality, but even the bad ones offer shocking plot twists and imaginative special effects, so it will be interesting to see how the new one fares, especially when it’s going toe-to-toe withFive Nights at Freddy’sat the box office.
