Five Halloween Games Guaranteed to Creep You Out

Five scary or just plain scarily made, I make no promises, but if you're as into this holiday as I am, it's time to light the candles, roll out the discount candy, and play something creepy to pass the time between doorbell rings. Here's a quick list of five horror-themed games in honor of a day that used to see me driven out after dusk to old barns in the middle of godforsaken nowhere (i.e. eastern Nebraska) so that guys wearing ski masks and wife beaters could prowl around the family car with plastic butcher knives and growl like buzzsaws...or wave chainless ones around. (Hey, it beat sitting home watching holiday cartoon reruns.)

Clive Barker's Jericho (PS3, Xbox 360, PC): Tag an author famous for his Books of Blood and a horror BDSM flick like Hellraiser in front of an ancient word that's both the name of a city and Jewish for "moon" and we're supposed to get all goosebumpy. A squad-based first-person shooter, Jericho sees you leading a seven-person paranormal task force in search of a creature older than Adam and Eve (because, you know, that sounds like a smart thing to go looking for). ActionTrip likes the squad-driven combat and "would recommend it to Clive Barker fans," but calls the gameplay "a mixed bag of blessings" and the level design "terribly uninspiring." I'd call it something I haven't played and don't intend to. Price: $59.99 for Xbox 360 and PS3, $39.99 for PC

The Witcher (PC): It has nothing to do with green-skinned hook-nosed hags cackling ridiculously and riding broomsticks sidesaddle, but hey, it has the word "witch" in the title, so. The Witcher is rather an action-RPG based on a "blockbuster" Polish fantasy series about a mercenary monster hunter with supernatural powers. Oh, and the game engine has really cool special effects and stuff. Actually I shouldn't mock, because despite some quibbles with the dialogue options and questing, TVG calls it "the finest swordplay in a videogame," while Eurogamer -- less wholeheartedly sold on the combat -- says it's nonetheless "an above-average RPG-style experience." Price: $49.99

Manhunt 2 (PS2, Wii, PSP): How do you sell bad art? Easy: Call it "good" art under siege by The Man, i.e. censors. I share Rockstar's disdain for censorship, but not their public relations department's talent for turning ratings defeats into publicity triumphs. The original Manhunt was a non-event, and Manhunt 2 would've been a blip on the radar if not for the "banned in the UK!" controversy. To be fair, I haven't so much as laid eyes on the game, so forgive my knee-jerk cynicism, but it's not just me -- after all the hype, the critics who have played it are balking too. Gamespy's probably kindest when it says the game "features a far more interesting storyline than you'd find in most B-movie slasher flicks," while 1UP calls it "largely forgettable" and blurbs with "serial murder was never less fun." Price: $29.99 for PS2 and PSP, $39.99 for Nintendo Wii

Hellgate: London (PC): 25 years in the future London's been invaded by demons from Hell, which sounds like the pitch line for a movie by Uwe Boll. In fact, this action-RPG involves an ostensibly more convoluted plot about Templars (sure, bring those guys in again), weird techno-fantasy rituals, and a protracted effort to "hellform" the earth. PC Gamer gives it an 89%, but those guys tend to score high, so when the reviewer somewhat blandly calls it "a refreshing concoction that's likely to have enduring appeal," hedge your bets with a few other sources. Price: $49.99

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP): At some point we'll probably get the 360-degree 3D Castlevania game we deserve, but until then, Konami's doing a brisk business in 2D remakes. Castlevania TDXC, formerly the Japanese-only "Demon Castle Dracula X Rondo of Blood," is just another excuse to pit some whip-wielding guy named Belmont against demons and ghouls and ultimately, his royal nibs, Dra-kool-yah. Rendered in 3D (yet still more or less a side-scroller), TDXC is getting generally positive press from just about everyone. 1UP says it "isn't a perfect compilation" but that "fans of action games should play it simply because it plays well," while GamePro croons "it's a game that all Castlevania freaks must play," adding that "the inclusion of the amazing Symphony of the Night is just the cherry on top." Price: $29.99

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