Death Simulator: Halloween

Halloween is all about scary stories and creepy costumes, although everything is done in the name of fun. On the other hand, video games allow us to feel frightened every day of the year, especially now that we have access to virtual reality. Thanks to devices like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, it should be easier than ever to put a bit of strain on your pacemaker.

Death Simulator: Halloween is a short horror game in which your only purpose is to watch as someone murders you, while trying not to flinch or get too terrified. Obviously, the whole experience is accentuated by the fact that it is designed to be enjoyed in virtual reality, so you’ll need an Oculus Rift headset in order to get the most out of the game.

You start in the middle of a dark forest, next to a couple of fires and a guy without a shirt that is obviously not going to help you or anything. Your character is bound tight, which means that the only thing you can do is watch. Before the murderous psycho does anything to you, on the other hand, you’ll have to watch out for a few forest-specific creatures, such as spiders and bats.

Well, you can’t, actually. It’s quite exciting to see something coming toward you, and your natural body reflex is to try and dodge it. On top of that, it’s also pretty difficult not to blink when one of the blades comes for your face. You can even look around and see the knives in your belly, although the camera changes to a fixed third person perspective once the final scene approaches.

As far as the graphics are concerned, the game looks pretty nice, but there’s not much to see anyway. Everything is either dark or glowing from the fire, and the blood effects when you are being stabbed are actually quite disappointing. It should be fairly easy to get in tune with the atmosphere, on the other hand, especially if you are easily scared.

All things considered, Death Simulator: Halloween is a bit too short to leave any kind of mark on the players, but it’s quite the thrill nonetheless. It’s a very personal experience, unlike most horror games out there.