Our October issue is coming soon, which is the perfect opportunity to highlight the flourishing horror genre. If you’re a fan of scares, it’s hard to think of a better time to play games. Our latest issue features exclusive hands-on previews of two of the most eagerly anticipated horror games: The Evil Within and Alien: Isolation. While their approaches and presentation couldn’t be more different, they’re unified by their aim of elevating your heart rate and making you reach for the light switch.

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The Evil Within marks Shinji Mikami’s return to classic survival horror, the genre he defined as creator of the PlayStation classic Resident Evil. His latest game, which is being developed by his Tango Gameworks studio, skillfully blends elements of survival horror and psychological thrills, which we saw in action during our hands-on time with the game’s first five chapters. While the overarching story remains a mystery, the game is filled with tension and is masterfully paced. If you’re a longtime devotee to Resident Evil, you’ll notice a few nods to that series as well.

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The Creative Assembly is poised to bring something unusual to games – a sci-fi horror game that isn’t reliant on dumping crates of ammo at anything that moves. Instead, Alien: Isolation maintains the methodical buildup of Ridley Scott’s 1979 film, Alien. If recent games based on the franchise have tarnished your memories, this could be the game to wipe everything clean. After spending a day playing Alien: Isolation, we’ve learned to fear the creature all over again. Our second extended preview in the October issue is loaded with exclusive details on the game, its terrifying setting, and much more.

Those are just the start of the horror happenings. In addition to those features, we’re digging into the past, present, and future of the horror genre. We’ve rounded up the 25 best horror games of all time, which should give you plenty of recommendations for the next month – if you dare. We’re also looking at the horizon, with six pages of horror game previews including Konami’s recently announced Silent Hills.

If you’re on the squeamish side, you don’t have to sit this issue out. Ben Reeves brings you exclusive details on Ori and the Blind Forest, which includes a fascinating look at the indie game’s multinational development. And you didn’t think a little death could keep Johnny Gat down, did you? Take a look at Joe Juba’s Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell feature to learn how Disney musicals helped inspire the standalone expansion.

Print subscribers should see their issues arriving in the next week or two, but it's available later today if you subscribe digitally (available on PC/Mac, iPad, Android, and Google Play). You can also get the latest issue through third-party apps on Nook, Kindle, and Zinio starting tomorrow. To switch your print subscription to digital, click here, or to create a new subscription to the digital edition, click here.

We have a full month of horror-themed coverage set up for gameinformer.com, complete with video features and more. Be sure to visit our hub throughout the month for a steady stream of updates.