Despite my fair share of complaints from the ninth console generation in general, a lack of fantastic horror games isn't nearly one of them. Between RE8 and the remake for 4, along with Silent Hill 2's incredible remake, Alan Wake 2, we've had some major AAA survival horror games absolutely nail it, and things don't seem to be slowing down one bit, either.

It isn't even Halloween month yet, and we've already got 4 major horror games coming up in September that definitely need to be in your wishlist if they aren't already. Talk about a stacked release slate — September's shaping up to be an all-out onslaught of horror, with each of these games pulling the genre in its own twisted direction.

Hell is Us — September 04

A horror-soaked Soulslike experience like no other

I'll admit something upfront — I'm about as tired of Soulslikes as the next jaded gamer. They're everywhere, and it's hard to get excited about another stamina meter and cheeky parry window, but then, there's Hell is Us. The demo hit my screen, and suddenly, I found myself wondering if this was the exception I'd been waiting for. Plus, to its credit, it isn't like your average Soulslike, either. Instead, it's dripping in a coat of horror-adventure. You're dropped into a war-ravaged country, hunting for your parents in a reality warped by supernatural horrors, and all you have is a sword and a drone.

Combat in Hell is Us feels Soulslike in its deliberate, heavy pace, and while it could certainly do with some more polish, the real magic (and terror) comes from the absence of HUD clutter. You've got to trust your instincts in this surreal nightmare, and is there any bigger horror than that? The short demo for the game captured me with its atmosphere and tension, and Hell is Us, with its oppressive dread and minimalist design, is one horror game I simply cannot wait to try out fully.

Cronos: The New Dawn — September 05

Cosmic horror meets third-person survival

Due out in the next two weeks, Cronos: The New Dawn has Bloober Team behind it, and in the horror game space, that is one good name. The minds behind The Medium, Blair Witch, and the incredible Silent Hill 2 remake from last year, Bloober Team is now coming out with Cronos: The New Dawn, and boy does that look like an incredibly polished contender for horror game of the year. Time travel meets psychological horror in this upcoming third-person survival horror game, and it even taps into the best kind of horror — the cosmic kind.

The vibes here are incredibly that of SOMA and Dead Space, but definitely with a heavier emphasis on slow-burn terror and eeriness. Clearly more about the oppressive atmosphere rather than jump scares from all the trailers and gameplay out so far, Cronos: The New Dawn is shaping up to be exactly the kind of horror that sticks. If it manages to nail the execution of balancing survival horror gameplay with existential cosmic dread, we may very well have a defining horror experience for this generation.

Dying Light: The Beast — September 19

Kyle Crane is finally back

As someone who has played the original Dying Light seven times over and the sequel just once, I couldn't believe what I was looking at when Kyle Crane's return was announced for Dying Light: The Beast. Very few games have succeeded in doing something as new as the Dying Light franchise as it brilliantly merges first-person parkour with zombie horror and plenty of gore.

With The Beast, which recently faced a delay and will now come out September 19, Kyle Crane (and the franchise) looks to be returning to form, with a flashy (or fleshy?) new layer system for the zombies, which determines how much of their body parts are going to go flying off according to where and how hard you hit. Of course, Roger Craig Smith is coming back to voice Crane, and I've already put my pre-order in.

Dying Light has never shied away from going completely horror when night falls, and in Dying Light: The Beast, it's going to be very interesting to see how Techland delivers the series' trademark scares while making you play as a man who can literally transform into a powerful volatile.

Silent Hill F — September 25

An interesting new direction for the franchise

I remember it feeling like Christmas when Konami revealed not one, but multiple Silent Hill projects. After all, the series had been laying dormant for well over a decade, and now, we were going to be eating good. Silent Hill F is the first game on the cards, and a month from now, we're going to finally have it in our libraries. Set in 1960s Japan, this genuinely looks to be the boldest and most original of the lot.

The tone is immediately unsettling, because it's bright and vibrant while grotesque and creepy at the same time. This is exactly the kind of surreal nightmare Silent Hill was always known for, yet with a fresh cultural twist that could open new storytelling doors. The best part, inarguably, is how instead of continuing the series chronologically in the same Silent Hill we've always known, Konami is veering off the beaten path and carving out a new identity. Now, it just needs to nail the writing and pacing for this psychological horror the way they did for the fantastic Silent Hill 2 remake, and this could easily become an unforgettable comeback for the franchise.

Horror gaming is no longer a seasonal genre to dust off for Halloween

Oh boy, September is going to be one good month for horror gaming fans. It's such a great thing, too, because horror games today aren't just a seasonal genre we dust off for Halloween. Instead, we get fantastic AAA, AA, and indie horror games all year-round, all of them with their own art style and direction, which is just incredibly amazing for the genre and its future.

At this point, it's impossible not to feel spoiled already by the September horror game release slate, and I can't wait to block out my weekends, close the curtains, and sink into all sorts of darkness.