Metro 2033 came out as a pleasant surprise for survival horror lovers, as it managed to quite successfully build on the genre’s traditional elements, while putting the entire game in a fresh setting and introducing some new concepts that spiced up the gameplay quite successfully.

And even though it didn’t manage to build up much of a hype and was only talked about for a few months, some gamers are probably still firing it up for a new play-through, as it always offers something new each time you play it.

Gameplay

The game’s plot is largely based on the novel with the same name written by Dmitry Glukhovsky. The story revolves around a post-apocalyptic world, poisoned with radiation, and the player takes the role of Artyom, the main protagonist, who has been born and raised in the subway systems of a ruined Moscow.

Most of the actual gameplay takes place inside the subway systems, though there are some levels which take the player upwards and above surface, mainly when looking for goods. However, don’t expect to be spending a lot of time outside of the tunnels, as the surface has been heavily poisoned with radiation, and even wearing a gas mask won’t allow you to survive for long.

The gameplay takes on the survival genre very strongly. The atmosphere is very grim and tense, and a lot of the HUD elements traditional for shooters have been removed. For example, you never know exactly how much health you have, as there’s no indicator for that – you can only make a guess based on how fast your heartrate is. While using a gas mask, you’ll have to be careful and replace its filter often.

Also, the developers have used an interesting idea for a money system – ammunition is used as a currency, as it’s quite rare yet very useful to everyone you’ll meet. You’ll get even better deals if you manage to find original pre-war ammunition (as opposed to the standard cartridges made by other underground dwellers), though you may also be tempted to save it for yourself as it can get you out of a lot of trouble.

Graphics and System Requirements

The engine used is quite capable, and it offers some of the best visual effects to date. It should be noted that the developers went through some legal disputes with the folks from GSC Game World (authors of STALKER), as the latter claimed that Metro 2033′s engine is actually based on their X-Ray one, though this was never proven.

Regardless, it offers complete DirectX 11 support, as well as PhysX-enhanced ragdolls and cloth simulation. Even though most of the game takes place in underground tunnels, all of the levels still manage to look remarkably unique and varied, and you’ll never get the feeling that you’ve played a particular place before.

The game does have some demanding system requirements though, so you’ll have to prepare yourself with a good machine before buying it. On Windows XP, you’ll need at least a dual core processor and 1 GB of RAM, as well as a video card that supports DX9.

Other

If you ever feel the need to see more of the game’s world (and you probably will), rest assured that a sequel has been planned, though no specific release date has been set yet.

Conclusion

Metro 2033 is one of the best thriller/horror experiences in late times, so if you’re a true fan of the genre, you can’t allow yourself to miss out on this one.

Considering the way the original BioShock ended, hardly anyone expected to see a sequel – yet here we are with BioShock 2. Set several years after the first game, BioShock 2 shows what happened to Rapture after the first game ended. The gameplay was changed quite a bit, including the new perspective from which the story is seen – the player now takes on the role of one of their greatest enemies from the original BioShock.

Gameplay

In BioShock 2, the player controls an early prototype for the “Big Daddies”, the primary antagonist force for the player in the original game. For those of you unfamiliar with the firs title, Big Daddies were represented by gigantic robot-like creatures sworn to protect the “Little Sisters”, girls who were tasked with harvesting resources from the city’s ruins. The protagonist in BioShock 2 has lost contact of the Little Sister he was paired with, and finding her plays a major part in the game’s plot.

If you think that putting you in the role of a Big Daddy precludes you from coming up against the horrendous creatures in this title though, you’re wrong – Big Daddies are back as your enemies and they’re tougher than ever. You can attack other the other Big Daddies you encounter, and a successful fight will give you the option of either killing their assigned Little Sisters, or adopting them in order to receive some quick guidance around the levels.

You’ll be using the Big Daddy’s original weapons as your arsenal, including their iconig gigantic drill. An addition to the gameplay which was very well-received by fans was the ability to use weapons alongside Plasmids without having to switch between the two all the time – this opens up the road to some very interesting combinations.

Graphics and System Requirements

Interestingly, BioShock still uses the same version of the Unreal Engine that its predecessor did – 2.5. We’re saying this is interesting because if you take a brief look at the market right now, UE’s version 3 seems to be dominating the shooter genre. Still, the developers have spiced up the engine quite well, throwing in higher resolution textures and better-defined models, as well as making some improvements to the lighting.

A good by-product of sticking with the old version of the engine is the fact that the game’s system requirements haven’t gone up that much – you’ll need 1 extra gigabyte of RAM as opposed to the first game, as well as a slightly more powerful processor (a Core 2 Duo running at 2.2 GHz should be just fine). As for the video card, a 8800GT or Radeon HD4830 will get the game running smoothly.

Other

Multiplayer isn’t just an extra option this time, it has been developed quite extensively and features several different gamemodes as well as a very balanced gameplay. Make sure you give it a try!

Conclusion

It’s hard to jump over a bar as high as the one BioShock set, but BioShock 2′s developers somehow managed to pull it off – and with great success!

Even though the developers of Alan Wake didn’t manage to push the game out on the PC market as they had initially hoped, this didn’t stop them from striking huge success with the Xbox 360 crowd which got the exclusive chance to play the newest title by Remedy. Alan Wake is a unique game, with a deep plot that keeps you guessing until the very end – and as a whole, this game is a perfect example of pretty much everything a good psychological thriller should have.

Gameplay

The game’s story follows the exploits of Alan Wake, a writer who’s trying to cope with a severe case of writer’s block, and visits a remote town with a small community, accompanied by his wife. Soon after arriving, Alan is engaged in a mysterious plot which pits him against the villagers who had just greeted him a few hours prior, who’re now all possessed by a strange force. There’s no actual combat in the game, as instead you’ll have to make use of any light sources you can find in order to defeat your enemies.

This includes both your flashlight as well as stationary lights such as light bulbs and candles on the walls, and in some cases you’ll have to come up with creative ways to lure your enemies into a trap and shine them with a “blast” of light. A very innovative element of Alan Wake’s gameplay involves the player discovering pages of a manuscript, which is apparently written by Alan himself in some spots, though he has no recollection of it. The manuscript will at times describe events that are about to occur, letting you prepare accordingly if you manage to decipher the message.

Graphics and System Requirements

The game features a very dark theme with a grim art style applied over everything. The style is not 100% realistic, as there are some noticeable exaggerations in some spots – but it manages to create the perfect eerie sensation that you’ll come to expect from a quality horror title. For best effect, we’d advise you to play this in the dark with your headphones on – which is valid for pretty much any good horror title, too.

It’s especially commendable how well the developers have handled the game’s physics – taking the Havok engine and pushing it a bit forward, they’ve created a very robust system which simulates many elements of the game’s world, from you and your enemies to pieces of your surroundings which are normally static.

Other

You may have heard some rumors that there’s a planned PC version coming up – don’t get your hopes up, these are sadly false. As we mentioned earlier in the article, the developers at Remedy were indeed planning to release the game to the PC crowd as well, but this project was cancelled due to lack of manpower on the development team. Sadly, Remedy assured the crowds that they no longer have any intentions of finishing that project.

Conclusion

Alan Wake is an experience you definitely must give yourself, regardless if you like thriller games or not. The game is full of food for thought, and has a storyline that goes far deeper than your standard video game would ever bother.

You can hardly have an excuse for not having heard of the Resident Evil franchise at least once in your life – it’s a hugely popular and successful one, which started out from a series of console games and was later made into a movie with several sequels. Resident Evil 5 sees the return of some familiar characters to fight all new enemies in the same scary setting that haunted the previous games.

Gameplay

The game is set in Africa, though the actual location is a fictional one – a town named Kijuju. You can either play as Chris Redfield, whom fans of the previous games will probably remember (as he was actually one of the protagonists in the very first title), or Sheva Alomar, who’s a new female character, continuing the tradition of giving the player a choice between a male and female character.

There are several new enemies for you to dispatch in massive numbers, collectively called “Majini”. You’ll find them quite different from the ones you had to fight in RE4, and they’ll require a new way of thinking for you to dispose of. Don’t worry though, you’ll be appropriately equipped for the job – there are lots of new weapons for players to experiment with.

You’re no longer limited to just one weapon of each type, as there are now various kinds of shotguns, pistols and machine guns you can play with. The inventory system works like in the previous game, where you can no longer pause to access it and will have to find a safe spot in order to patch up and check on your mission status.

Graphics and System Requirements

The engine used is the same as in Devil May Cry 4, which should automatically tell you that it features some extremely smooth and fluid animations, both on the main characters as well as the zombies, and there is a good variety of movements for all of the characters. The game no longer feels as stiff as it did, and the context-sensitive actions have been improved as well, being able to detect your desired movement much more accurately now.

If you’re playing on the PC, you won’t need a very high-end machine to run RE5 smoothly, as the engine isn’t that demanding. You’ll need a good CPU to handle the Havok Physics engine which has been utilized though – even though it can create some very realistic ragdoll and environment effects, it comes at a considerable cost to your framerates if your processor can’t support it, so make sure you’re packing accordingly.

Other

There’s an online cooperative mode included, which allows you to play the game with a buddy of yours over the Internet. Like in the previous games, you can also play the mode offline sitting down on the same console (or computer), but make sure your screen is large enough to give you both the appropriate level of comfort.

Conclusion

A delightful horror game with some genuinely scary moments, Resident Evil 5 continues the franchise almost perfectly.

Those of us who sometimes crave for the good old days of mowing down mindless hordes of demonic enemies a la Doom were left highly satisfied with the Painkiller series. It encompassed everything gamers loved about the fast-paced action style of the past, while bringing forward lots of innovation and putting the shooter genre to its limits with some of its enemies and environments.

The latest one, Painkiller: Resurrection, was developed by a separate studio this time, which left many fans full of doubts all the way until the game came out.

Gameplay

Resurrection puts you in control of a new character, Bill Sherman. Like the protagonist from the previous Painkiller titles, Bill reaches the end of his life and finds himself in Purgatory, since God can’t decide where his soul belongs – on one hand, he died trying to destroy a group of mobsters, while on the other he took out a bus full of civilians with him. And in accordance with the previous games, Bill is given the chance of becoming “Heaven’s hitman”, going deep inside Hell to take care of the demons that infest it.

Resurrection brings forward several additions and improvements to the game. There are a few new weapons to mess around with, as well as several types of new enemies to use them on – you’ll also get to meet various enemy characters from the previous games. Resurrection continues Painkiller’s style of presenting huge boss battles with enemies the size of entire buildings, and Bill definitely lives up to his predecessor in terms of grim humor.

The game feels slightly shorter than the ones before it though – with only six levels to explore, you’ll have to satisfy yourself with the though that they’re played in a somewhat different style, where you’ll have to explore the more obscure parts of the levels before rushing into battle.

Graphics and System Requirements

The engine used is the same as in the previous games, though slightly upgraded – underneath the higher-resolution textures and more fluid animations lies pretty much the same powerhouse that gave you the hilarious ragdolls flying across the screen as you set off a barrel of explosives, as well as the various spectacular lighting effects associated with the more Hell-ish parts of the game.

And just like its predecessors, Painkiller: Resurrection remains extremely light on the computer – you won’t get any slowdowns with this game even on a dinosaur computer (well, “dinosaur” may be a bit of an exaggeration, but if you can run, say, UT2004 fine, then PK:R will be flying across your monitor).

Other

Painkiller’s multiplayer never caught on for some reason, but if you’ve got a few buddies who enjoy Quake-styled deathmatch games, be sure to try this one out with them – you’d be surprised at how much it actually offers in that department.

Conclusion

Stop ducking behind that crate for cover; act like a man and face hundreds of enemies with just a handful of shells left in your shotgun – with the heavy metal soundtrack blaring behind you as you’re at it, Painkiller: Resurrection will make you scream with joy.

When Dead Space: Extraction was announced, fans of the series immediately split into two groups – on one hand there were those grateful for the continuation of the series, while on the other there were the PC gamers who didn’t own a Wii or PS3 and wouldn’t get to enjoy the new title. And even though Dead Space: Extraction didn’t come out on the PC like its predecessor, its popularity somehow managed to surpass even that of the first game.

Gameplay

The gameplay isn’t exactly similar to that of Dead Space. The game takes place before the events of the first game, serving as a prequel to fill in some of the gaps in the storyline so far. The story isn’t directly tied to the one of Dead Space though, in the sense that the game doesn’t leave off precisely where the first one begins.

You no longer play from the third perspective, and don’t even control your character directly – the game is now a “rail” shooter, where the character moves on a predetermined path and you simply control their movement and kill the enemies as they show up.

New weapons have been added, as well as several new monsters. The controls have obviously been geared towards Wii players, as they can aim much more conveniently by pointing the controller at the screen directly, or even using the Wii Zapper if they own one. PS3 players shouldn’t feel let down though, as they can still enjoy the game in its fullest, only with a slightly more clumsy aiming system.

Graphics and System Requirements

Due to the nature of the level design (lack of possibility for backtracking by the player, etc), the game has been designed in a very detailed manner, with the levels featuring some impressive, breath-taking scenes that push the capabilities of the aging Wii’s hardware really far. Despite the predetermined nature of your movements, the animations don’t feel stiff or too unrealistic, and on the contrary, the game feels very smooth and easy-flowing.

The blood effects seem to have been toned down, but that’s somewhat understandable – being unable to avoid obstacles easily, coupled with the copious amounts of blood that is sometimes on the screen at once, could’ve easily make the game look cluttered.

Other

Dead Space: Extraction also offers a multiplayer mode where you can try to beat the game with a friend of yours. It’s only limited to two players, and it’s played in a manner standard to this type of shooters – you both share the same screen and compete against each other for points, but are also trying to help each other to succeed, of course.

Conclusion

If you’re a dedicated PC gamer, you won’t get to play Dead Space: Extraction and that’s a fact. Are you missing out on a lot? Possibly – but if you’re a true fan of the series you can grab a second-hand Wii and give it a shot!

The Saw movie franchise has spawned numerous movies, most of which have been received very positively by the public and critics alike. Thus, it’s no wonder that the developers eventually decided to create a video game based on the movies, in order to give the fans the ability to experience their eerie environments first-hand.

And even though the game succeeded in many aspects, even where some other games have failed before, it still failed to satisfy the franchise’s fans and video game fans in general, due to some of its more prominent glitches and the at time weird designer choices.

Gameplay

The game is played from the third perspective, and is mostly an adventure with some action flicks thrown in. You play the role of an ex-detective trying to escape a facility riddled with Jigsaw’s traps. This comprises the majority of the game’s gameplay initially, though at times you’ll be forced to fight other enemies.

The combat system has been moderately well executed, and you’re able to perform various moves on your enemies to incapacitate them, with most of the combat being focused on hand-to-hand. The variety of weapons is very good, and we certainly enjoyed how well the game has been polished in that aspect.

There are some points at the game where you’ll get assistance from some computer-controlled teammates who’ll be required to progress through some of the tests. At some points, you’ll be given the choice of branching your journey through different routes, which may provide you with some bonuses.

You should enjoy the diversity in the level design in general, and the game deserves special praise for the way it develops some of its characters. On the other hand, sometimes you’ll really feel bugged by the way the AI blocks you and prevents you from progressing, and you’ll wish it just wasn’t there in the first place.

Graphics and System Requirements

Saw features the Unreal Engine 3, which most of us know what’s capable of. You should expect top notch graphics and eye-catching effects, and a good play on lighting. On the other hand, some of the engine’s characteristic problems, such as the plastic-looking light shining on objects, as well as the high system requirements, are present and very persistent at times.

The requirements should be noted specifically – if you don’t have a good machine to play this on (if you’re playing it on the PC), forget about even enjoying it at the lowest settings. You need a fairly good computer, capable of running DX9 graphics and the latest Pixel Shader versions. This, however, is more than justified by the graphics’ quality, as we mentioned above.

Other

The game makes some changes to the movies’ storyline, so don’t expect to get the exact same thing. Some of you may feel annoyed by this, others probably won’t care that much – but you should be warned about it.

Conclusion

If you’re a fan of the movies, you may feel slightly let down by the game – but that’s not to say that it doesn’t deserve a try; no – Saw can give you some quality moments in front of the monitor, despite its occasional problems.

In Cursed Mountain, you’ll get a tasty dose of survival horror mixed with adventure and exploration, with just a perfect balance of the two to keep the game entertaining for long enough. And unlike most other titles that have the word “horror” simply slapped underneath their names, Cursed Mountain focuses on genuinely scaring you and tickling that part of your brain that makes you turn around in a paranoid manner – all without a single droplet of blood or any gore at all.

Gameplay

The game is played from a third-person perspective, something which is becoming quite common for the adventure games coming out lately (as scarce as they have been). There’s a strong element of exploration, with all of the levels featuring intricate pathways for you to move through and collect valuable items. On the other hand, you’ll have to do a fair bit of fighting if you want to survive, which should keep you on your toes like a true horror should. The story takes place a few decades ago in the Himalayas, and is riddled with elements of evil, spirits, and the unknown.

As we mentioned earlier, there’s no gore involved in Cursed Mountain – you may find this contradictory to the combat element we mentioned above, but there’s a very rational explanation – you won’t be fighting any live enemies – not humans, not zombies, not even the odd mutated rat – instead, all of your adversaries will come in the form of spirits which you must first slay and then free their souls.

Graphics and System Requirements

The graphics look okay for an adventure game – the engine performs nicely, the environment is detailed and there are some very cool-looking effects used at times. Not everything is so perfect though – for example, the player’s character has been animated rather poorly, some textures end up missing, and graphical artifacts in general can be seen here and there. They don’t ruin the overall feeling of the game though. One thing we would change if we could would be to turn up the brightness in some areas, too.

Other

You may feel a bit frustrated by the game’s controls from time to time, and the level designs may give you a few problems in that they tend to be slightly repetitive. That shouldn’t deter you much from finishing the game though, and some of its more successful elements, like the music score, will surely make up for those problems.

Conclusion

Cursed Mountain is one of those horror games that you can pick up and almost play in one run, simply because the story ties you down so strongly. It’s a pleasing game, and despite the premise should be quite entertaining even to those who don’t enjoy scaring themselves all too much. It may not be a game you’ll come back to and finish it a second time, but your first run will be memorable.

Left 4 Dead 2 is the sequel to Valve’s hit online zombie shooter, Left 4 Dead. Despite gaining some criticism over the fact that it was released just one year after its predecessor (and not as a free expansion, either – a full-blown game with regular price) – it still managed to live up to the expectations gamers had about it and surpassed Left 4 Dead’s popularity timesfold. The game remains one of the most popular online shooters right now, and keeps bringing new players in.

Gameplay

Left 4 Dead 2 puts the player in the role of one of four survivors in a zombie apocalypse, who have to make their way through a variety of levels mimicking the style of classic horror movies, looking for a way out of the whole mess. There are new weapons, with the addition of a new category, melee weapons, as well as new types of zombies – and new special ones, like the Jockey who can take control of a player and attempt to steer them in the wrong direction away from his/her buddies.

The gameplay is even more intense than before, with the AI Director doing its best to keep players on their toes throughout the levels, while making sure they get a few seconds of breather after a massive fight, in order to prepare for the next one.

Graphics and System Requirements

The four survivors have been designed extremely well, as were those in the first game – each has their own personality and behavior, and they look and sound unique, which greatly adds to the atmosphere of the game. The writing is superb, and the dialogue between the characters reveals them as near-lifelike human beings bit by bit, such as the slightly cynical gambler Nick, or the amiable and somewhat naive country boy Ellis – after just a few rounds they grow on you and it’s part of what brings you back for more.

The overall graphics quality is good, as can be expected from Valve’s Source Engine, which has been presented in its latest incarnation here. The survivors’ flashlights cast very realistic shadows from the objects around the levels and the players themselves, and the addition of daylight levels as opposed to the all-night style of the first game is a refreshing change. Source is known for its scalability on older machines, so you should be able to run the game even if you’re not up to date with your hardware.

Other

Valve have a tendency to continuously update their games post-release without any extra fees, and Left 4 Dead 2 is no exception – it received a free content package after its release, containing a whole new episode – though when we say free, we only mean the PC version of course – due to Microsoft’s policies, the update costs 560 MS Points on the Xbox 360.

Conclusion

If you’re a fan of horror movies/games and you want a game packed with tasteful dark humor that you can enjoy with your friends, Left 4 Dead 2 would have you glued to the screen.

When it comes to zombie shooters, there have been numerous attempts to create something original in the genre – and most of them have been just copies of the previous, with one or two added features. Some games have managed to stand out from the crowd though – and in some rare cases, even non-commercial projects have caught the spotlight.

Killing Floor started out as a freeware modification for Unreal Tournament 2004, which was subsequently adopted into a complete commercial product that’s now enjoying a steady fan base (which, as of recently, has expanded to Mac users as well).

Gameplay

Killing Floor has several players fighting together as units in a special response team in an outbreak of zombies. The gameplay is very dynamic, with levels being divided into several parts, during which players need to survive against an oncoming wave of zombies. After each section, they can visit a store to purchase better weapons, using money that’s earned by killing zombies.

Some of the weapons are slightly unbalanced though, some positively, some negatively, as the shotguns tend to be a lot more useful than the other weapons for their price, as an example (and weapons like the flamethrower see less use because of their low price/usefulness ratio). The zombies’ AI is commendable, on the other hand, as they don’t always rely on blind rushes to get their “job” done.

Graphics and System Requirements

The game uses the Unreal Engine 2.5, which is getting a bit old for today’s standards. You can see some repetitive textures here and there, as well as the engine’s “trademark” square-patterned light beams. However, this makes it very good for older computers which can enjoy it without much strain, and this has helped the game retain its player base despite the heavy competition from other similar games such as Valve’s Left 4 Dead and its sequel.

The atmosphere is a bit more serious/grim than that of Left 4 Dead though, with some references to demons and Satanism, as well as more brutally-looking zombies and effects. The characters are more generic and not as uniquely designed as L4D’s, though that doesn’t kill the atmosphere and it’s still enjoyable to exchange voice commands as you’re on your way to the next wave.

Other

The game has a few bugs in several occasions, one of which may prevent you from progressing on a level, though it can be averted in most cases. It can also get somewhat repetitive fast, so try using some of the more underutilized weapons if you want to spice up your experience and feel that the game’s getting dull.

Conclusion

If you’re crazy about horror-themed entertainment, Killing Floor is one of the games you must not miss – it may not be as polished as Valve’s series, and may not have as many players behind it, but the fun you can have in it is still on par with its competition.