If you’re planning a night in this Halloween, here are some games that will have you cowering behind the sofa
August 3, 2007. An American television crew arrives to investigate the legend of Hanuda – a village where human sacrifices are said to have taken place 30 years ago. They soon discover that they are not welcome and the investigation turns into a blood-soaked nightmare. The Japanese are renowned for their unique brand of psychological horror and Siren: Blood Curse brings this tradition to PLAYSTATION 3 in 12 gruesome episodes.F.E.A.R, is another scary game influenced by Japanese horror. The main character has recently been inducted into F.E.A.R, a special force set up by the US Government to deal with paranormal threats. And before long, threats are coming thick and fast as you try to take down an army of clones and a ghostly little girl called Alma.
One of the game’s creepiest features is its audio. The developer, Monolith, used methods such as dragging metal across unusual surfaces to generate sound effects that unsettle and surprise the player. The soundtrack, composed in reaction to the game’s main action scenes, heightens tension by bursting into crescendo when you least expect it.
Sticking with psychological horror and hostile locals, the critically acclaimed Bioshock is another game to look out for.
Set in Rapture – an underwater dystopian city built by business magnate, Andrew Ryan – it pits the players against hordes of human-like creatures that Ryan controls using pheromones. What makes Bioshock so unnerving is the atmosphere and the tangible sense of isolation as you try to survive your underwater nightmare.
From under the sea to Outer Space, the protagonist in Dead Space is another loner trying to stay alive amidst legions of fearsome creatures. It’s a game that sends your stomach into your throat as multi-limbed monsters jump out at you from ventilation shafts. The only way to kill them is to strategically dismember their bodies, which makes for particularly gruesome action.
If you’re not a fan of gore, Monster Madness: Grave Danger is a supernatural shooter with its tongue in its cheek. It follows four American school kids on a quest for survival as their sleepy town is overrun by werewolves, witches, vampires, and other nefarious creatures. If you have friends coming over, it’s a blast to play in four player co-operative mode.
If you can still brave the outside world after all that horror, there are plenty of frights to be had on PSP. Silent Hill: Origins takes you back to that eerie lakeside town that caused so many sleepless nights when it debuted on PlayStation in 1999.
Infected also brings its share of shocks to the handheld. New York City is in the grip of a zombie epidemic, three weeks before Christmas, and the only cure is in your bloodstream. If you can gun down enough zombies to survive, you might just be able to find someone who can harvest an antidote and save the city.
For PlayStation 2 fans, there are dozens of creepy classics worth checking out, from monster hits, such as Resident Evil 4 and Alone in the Dark, to cult classics including Clock Tower 3 and Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly.
The original Clock Tower was a point and click adventure on PlayStation; its second sequel gives the player direct control over Alyssa Hamilton as she searches for her missing mother and is transported back in time to a gruesome murder scene in London during World War II.
If you had to help two helpless Japanese schoolgirls escape a haunted village, which weapons would you choose? A camera obscura may not be the first on your list, but that’s all you have in Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly. Fortunately, it’s a magic camera; you can switch to the lens view at the press of a button and the longer you keep your ghostly enemies in the frame, the more damage you inflict on them.
Nothing gets the heart racing like a good scary game and this selection should keep you going throughout the spooky season.
