Gaming The System: Ghoulish gaming, Part 1

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: STALKER-GAME.CO
A decent PC and a spare change of underpants is recommended to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

With horror games seemingly shedding atmosphere in favour of big, badass, totally-not-scary action, it would appear that there is a real drought of interactive entertainment that can give you the heebie- jeebies this Halloween. To keep your thirst for horror quenched as you wait, hopeful, for the next truly great horror game, here are some past entries that are sure to keep you on your toes.

Fatal Frame II (PS2, Xbox)
Easily one of the creepiest Japanese horror games ever made, Fatal Frame II refined its unique combat mechanics from its predecessor, eschewing conventional weapons in favour of the Camera Obscura, a camera with the capabilities of trapping supernatural spirits by photographing them. While some might find the game's control scheme and inventory management too similar to early Resident Evil games for their liking, the entertaining story and overall competent execution of scare moments make the tank-like controls worth suffering for.

Frictional Games' horror entries (PC)
Yes, shut up, I know it's cheating to include a whole catalogue of games by one developer, but the Penumbra and Amnesia series are some of the finest horror games you'll ever sweat through. Penumbra's combat is deliberately weak (and Amnesia's is missing altogether), adding hide-and-seek element to the game, as you are forced to crouch behind crates and hug walls with bated breath as you watch the various freaks pass you by, hoping they don't notice you and dish out a through ripping-apart unto you.

Condemned (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Even though the series has been MIA since the release of Condemned 2 in 2008, both games remain cult classics with a balance of heavy, visceral, hand-to-hand first-person combat, and some seriously freaky setups. Set in a decayed American city dripping with Film Noir, you play Detective Ethan Thomas, who must navigate his way through various run-down buildings, fighting the city's denizens and hobos, armed with only his fists, his wits, and improvised weapons, in the hunt to track down a serial killer. For those who want a raw action-horror game that doesn't include the plodding pace of inventory management, Condemned will easily satisfy the carnal urge to cave in skulls.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R series (PC)
Developed by Ukranian studio GSC Gameworld, the first entry to the series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl, remained nothing more than a gamer's dream for nearly seven years, dodging and missing release dates routinely. Finally, with its (buggy) 2007 release, the game delivered on its promise of a beautifully decayed open-world first-person horror environment ripe for exploration, as the player protagonist must find and kill a mysterious bounty hunter named Strelok, and form alliances with various factions along the way. The game's setting, a Chernobyl heavily poisoned by a second disaster, features various terrifying creatures that seem nearly unstoppable, even in the face of your salvaged machine guns. The entire series is quite brilliant, and is worth playing despite the fairly steep learning curve and high difficulty.

To be continued in Interrobang's Halloween issue next week!