We rarely get a video game with Halloween as a backdrop. In fact, I can think of four off of the top of my head “HAUNTED: Halloween ’85,” “Costume Quest,” and their sequels “HAUNTED: Halloween ’86,” and “Costume Quest 2.” So when developer Olaf Dudek reached out to me about his game “Sinister Halloween,” I was intrigued.Dudek is one-half of the two-person team behind Canadian indie developer Celeritas Games, and last Halloween, they released their PC/VR game “Sinister Halloween.” “Sinister Halloween” is played as a single-player traditional first-person shooter on PC, or as an interactive horror VR experience using the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.In the game’s campaign mode, you experience a Halloween night in Mountain Peaks, Northern Canada. Famous for its Horror Festival, you and your friends celebrate with a night of trick or treating and haunted houses on your way to the big party, but this year’s holiday of the afterlife brings with it something sinister.As you explore the town of Mountain Peaks, you’ll be able to collect treats and also play a few tricks like knocking things over or breaking windows. You’ll also come across several books that, when opened, share different bits of trivia about the Halloween holiday, but when you reach each of the nine locations to explore around town, the fun quickly turns to fright.As you make your way through the town, you’ll be able to explore locations like an abandoned house, slaughterhouse, barn, and cemetery. Each area houses its own set of monsters, including werewolves, ghosts, mummies, and chainsaw-wielding maniacs. To fend them off, you’ll discover a variety of weapons that range from a torch to a shotgun. As you make your way through each location, you’ll rely both on brute as well as brains as you’ll not only need to fight off monsters but find a means of escape, whether that means breaking through some loose boards or locating a key to a locked gate.As you escape each location, you’ll quickly find yourself immersed in another. Each location more terrifying than the last and quickly making you question what’s a Halloween prop and what’s an actual monster lurking in the shadows, especially in sections where you’re forced to rely on a flashlight to find your way.In the end you’ll be forced to rescue your friends, lead them to safety, and defeat the Soul Reaper making it a Halloween night you’ll not soon forget.The game also features a survival mode where you can choose to play through one of eight different survival maps. In each map, you arm yourself and fend off area monsters while trying to find an escape. Your exit isn’t always obvious, and sometimes you’ll need to find a key, or light a candle to make your way to the next location, but if you make your way to the exit without dying to a swarm of enemies you win.No matter what game mode you play, Sinister Halloween’s haunting atmosphere and mix of jump scares will keep you on edge throughout, which is something I think makes for part of the experience. While some of the character models are a bit rough, particularly with the trick or treaters and some of the ghosts, the game’s environments and monsters are strong and are realistic enough to add to the fear factor while you play. My only gripes about the game are that there are some uneven audio levels during player dialogue in campaign mode and the occasional clunky fighting experience (I hate the torch).What I loved most about this game is that even playing on PC, I found myself feeling a similar level of anxiousness that I would feel making my way through real-life Halloween haunts and mazes. I can only imagine how amplified that would be if I were playing on VR. For the best experience, I recommend playing with headphones, even if you’re on PC, as I think it immerses you in the experience that much more. Playing through your speakers, I feel, takes away some of the atmosphere of the game. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Halloween at home this year, this could really be a fun way to do it. It’s got the perfect Halloween vibe and even some decent scares like at your local haunted house. “Sinister Halloween” is just $9.99 on Steam, but I have a bit of a Halloween treat for All Hallows Geek readers. Celeritas Games gave me four “Sinister Halloween” game keys to give away. If you want a shot at one, comment below and share your scariest Halloween night memory. Want a bonus entry? Head over to the All Hallows Geek Instagram and comment on the giveaway post there as well. Giveaway ends Sunday, August 16, and I’ll be notifying winners on Monday, August 17.
