A solid portion of the PS Plus Extra games for October 2023 are either horror titles, horror-adjacent titles, or Halloween-oriented titles that make great selections for the current “spooky season.” Indeed, it’s nice to see Sony going so heavy on this aspect of the industry, given that many gaming services tend to be season/holiday agnostic. In fact, thePS Plus Extraselection is just doubling down on the first set of games given away this month.
ThePS Plus free games for October 2023includeThe Callisto Protocol, a horror game;Farming Simulator 22, which is tied to the autumn harvest; andWeird West, which focuses on the supernatural—a big part of every Halloween. Of course, not every single one of the PS Plus Extra games this month is clearly connected to the season, but given that fans get 11 games on PS Plus Extra and 4 on PS Plus Premium (Ape Escape Academy, IQ Final, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, and Tekken 6), that’s understandable.
PS Plus Extra Games: Horror or Halloween/Horror-Adjacent
Looking at the selection of PS Plus Extra games makes the connections obvious.Alien: Isolationis a beloved survival horror gamethat’s perfect for the season, but if someone wants just a touch of horror without the scares, thenDead Island: Definitive Editionfeels that role. Players can smack away at zombies to their heart’s content, and there’s nothing more associated with horror and Halloween than zombies.Gotham Knightscounts as Halloween-adjacent as well, given the popularity of superhero costumes, and thenOutlast 2brings back the real horror experience as players investigate Temple Gate. AndThe Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashesputs players in control of choices as the characters become trapped in a Mesopotamian temple.
5 out of 11games on the PS Plus Extra listbeing clearly connected to the “spooky season” is pretty significant, but to be fair, that envelope can also be pushed forward.Rokiis by no means associated with the spooky season, but this indie adventure game has moments that stand out. It’s set in a snowcapped wilderness complete with mysteries and monsters right out of Halloween’s playbook, whileGungrave GORE’s general aesthetic fits right in with Halloween, despite being an action game. There are a couple of loose connections among this selection, enough to show that Halloween and horror were a serious consideration during the selection process.
The result is a really strong month across the board for PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium. Even wherePS Plus doesn’t lean into the Halloween season, it chooses some really strong games to complement its focus, and while there are still a few months in the year, it seems like October could be considered one of its best months this year.
