Games that go BUMP in the night

            Hello boys and ghouls, it is that magical time of year, the time when the fog rolls thick over the land, when ghosts, goblins, and monsters roam free. Yes it is once again Halloween, and in honor of the season of screams I, NGW, bring to you this list of games likes sky whale hack donuts to enhance your holiday horror experience. This list is presented in no particular order, nor is it meant to be a "best/top 10", no it is simply a few titles I feel you may wish to spend the last frightful week of October enjoying.Without further delay, let us begin.

1. First on the list is a game I'm certain I've familiarized the lot of you with, Frictional Games released Amnesia: The Dark Descent early last month and further cemented themselves as the undisputed masters of horror gaming, building off the name they made for themselves with their Penumbra trilogy (no worries, more on that later). I won't go too in detail here as I've already done a full review of the game (which you can read here: http://www.xugogaming.com/article/790/a ... ent_review), just know that I don't believe you can find a better game to spend your Halloween with.

2. Keeping with the Lovecraftian theme of our first game, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth was released several years back for the original Xbox and PC by Bethesda Softworks (note, the game was PUBLISHED by Bethesda, it was actually developed by Headfirst Productions). While named after Lovecraft's most well known story, this first person adventure/horror game more closely followed a different short story of his, The Shadow Over Innsmouth in addition to a few other stories and media set within his nightmarish world. While not the best game on the list, the atmosphere and tension it builds is hard to match, and it features perhaps one of the most intense sequences in gaming history. Definitely worth a look.

3. Perhaps the darkest, and most disturbing title to bear the Nintendo name, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is, IMO, the best of the more traditional, Resident Evil/Silent Hill style survival horror games. Taking place over many thousands of years, Eternal Darkness weaves a truly Lovecraftian (sensing a pattern here?) tale of ancient, cosmic evil all held deep within a lonely Rhode Island mansion. While the game does stick to many genre mainstays, Eternal Darkness does have a few tricks of its own, namely its patented sanity meter, which slowly depletes as your character witness sights meant to remain unseen by human eyes. As the meter drains the real horror begins, as the game will literally make you question your own sanity as bugs crawl on your screen, the volume on your tv goes down, or the game seemingly resets (or worse, deletes your save file). Sure the tricks get a bit easier to ignore as you get used to them, but it was a fun, innovative thing to try in a horror game, and it pulled it off well. Couple that with a combat system better than most other survival horror games and you've got yourself one scary fun classic.

4. Who says a game has to be scary to be fun for Halloween? Despite being a launch title, Luigi's Mansion is, IMO, one of the most technically impressive games on Nintendo's little purple lunchbox. From the graphics to the particle and cloth effects, Luigi's Mansion just plain looks good. Not only that, it's just fun. Roaming the abandoned halls of the titular home for the departed with Luigi humming his own theme song and hunting spooks makes for a great time. While not the longest game, it never really feels like it's too short, and to be honest I feel that if it was much longer it'd start feeling a bit stale. While the boo hunt required to finish the game isn't the most fun filler quest in the world, it never felt too tedious either. If you're looking for more family friendly way to game come Halloween night, pop this one in the Wii/Gamecube.

5. I told you I'd get back to them. Going the complete polar opposite from our last game we get back to the horror, and as I've said before no one does horror like Frictional Games. The Penumbra trilogy (consisting of Overture, Black Plague, and Requiem) are (sans the third) damn near the most truly terrifying games on the market, and outside of Frictional's own Amnesia no other game can create as much a sense of helplessness and dread as the second installment in the series, Penumbra: Black Plague. The trilogy follows the story of Philip as he ventures to an abandoned facility in Greenland after receiving a letter from his long since dead father Howard (hmmm...Howard, Philip, must be some reference there). I won't go into details on the horrors that wait you inside, but suffice to say, as you delve deeper you'll find yourself defenseless against the victims of an ancient plague, as you try to solve the mystery behind what went on and why your father disappeared. Play this one with the lights off, the Penumbra series is horror gaming at its finest.

 

6. The newest game on my list, Dead Rising 2 is the highly anticipated (and multiplatform) sequel to Capcom's Xbox 360 exclusive zombie smashing hit. Featuring an all new cast of survivors and psychopaths, zombies, and some all new features and game modes, Dead Rising 2 completely expands on the first game, adding combination weapons, online co-op, and the competitive Terror is Reality multiplayer "gameshow". Damn near everything the first game did, Dead Rising 2 does better. It's bigger, it's longer, and it is just a gory, fun time. If you own a PC or one of the HD consoles, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up before the month is out. What better way to spend your Halloween than parading around Fortune City as a motocross champ in drag smacking zombies around with a strangely phallic shaped "massager" alongside a buddy?

7. Well, you can always add a few more buddies. Yes I have some issues with the way Valve handled their "zombie" survival slaughterfest Left 4 Dead and its sequel, but that doesn't take away from it being one hell of a good time if you've got some friends over. Choose one of 4 survivors and play through one of the game's included campaigns (or a community made one if you've got it for the PC) as you work your way from safehouse to safehouse in search of a rescue from an ongoing zombie apocalypse. You'll cross cities and farmhouses, diving deep into sewers, encountering hordes of infected humans, and horribly mutated "special infected". Left 4 Dead is a great way to spend the holiday with a few friends, just don't fight too hard over who gets to rescue and heal Zoey.

8. A bit of an odd choice for this list, but I feel that Dreamkiller, a pseudo-successor to the Painkiller name is a bit of an underrated title from last year. Naw the game wasn't perfect, and the online community is more dead than the zombies in our last two entries, but it was fun. I always liked the premise of the game, a psychiatrist with the ability to enter the minds and dreams of her patients saving them from their nightmares in the most efficient way possible....shooting the absolute hell out of everything that moves. The game does a lot right. The level and enemy designs are awesome. I've always liked when games theme themselves in such a manner as this, every patient has a very different fear from the last and you'll encounter everything from the spider infested city streets of an arachnophobe's mind to the burning woods of a pyrophobe's nightmares. While the locales are all very diverse and interesting, it is the arsenal that Alice packs that really makes this game shine. You'll wield standards such as miniguns (that just happen to shoot ****ing rockets as an alternate firing method) to an icy shotgun that can freeze (and then shatter) enemies solid. It's a shame this game got such a lukewarm response, as you don't see fast-paced, arcadey shooters like this anymore. So if you're wanting something a bit quicker for your Halloween needs, look no further.

9. What could be scarier than Hell itself? How about Visceral Games' sick and twisted take on the 9 circles as described by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri? Released earlier this year, Dante's Inferno can be described as the Catholic/Christian edition of God of War, it even released in a relatively close window to the final chapter of Sony's Greek tragedy. Now the game may, essentially, be a copy of something done several times before, but what it copies it copies well, and there is something to be said of duplicating a quality title (Hell, I actually enjoyed my time in Hell more than I did making my way in and out of Hade's for the millionth time). The environments in Inferno are (for the first few circles at least) all phenomenally gruesome and interesting and detailed and varied. From the erotically shaped towers and doorways of Lust to the filth and gore of Gluttony, to the rivers of molten gold in Greed, Visceral's vision of Hell is truly disturbing, and its inhabitants are no easier on the eyes. You'll be defecated on by the ravenous beasts of Gluttony, or seduced by the "sensual" antics of the demoness' in Cleopatra's lustful towers. While the variety does dry up in the latter acts of the game, the quality stays consistent. Consider this one if you're looking for a more adult experience this Halloween.

10. I'm sure there are those of you out there that can find some reason or another that I shouldn't include this on a Halloween list, but screw you this is my list and I'm including it. Demon's Souls is one of the most dark, brooding, depressing, and atmospheric games on the market today. This PS3 exclusive features horrific locales (Valley of Defilement anyone?), nasty baddies, brutal difficulty, and one of the most ingenious online components of any console (hell, ANY) game to date. The game does take some learning and dedication, and its unforgiving nature may put some people off, but for those willing to sink the time and effort into it, Demon's Souls is easily one of the best games on this list and is most definitely worth your time this Halloween.And there you have it folks, 10 games just perfect for this most wicked of seasons. From the foreboding halls of Amnesia's Castle Brennenburg to the plaza's of Dead Rising 2's Fortune City, there's something for just about everyone looking to add some gaming goodness to their Halloween.I'm NGW, and this has been "Games that go BUMP in the night 2010", you have yourselves a wicked Hellaween.
        

Demons and Space Marines ~ SMT: Strange Journey Review

 Once again the world is in danger due to rampaging demons, this time in the South Pole. A giant, black void dubbed the "Schwarzwelt'" has appeared and ever since has only expanded. Machines are used to investigate, but send back abnormal images that look nothing like the icy tundra and instead of places in human society like a shopping mall. The United Nations have no choice but to send in an elite team of highly trained soldiers and scientists to investigate the enigmatic area, you are a member of this team.

 

 So your strange journey begins, a journey that may decide the fate of the entire world.Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a throw back to the first Shin Megami Tensei games, SMTI and SMTII, as it goes back to it's first-person, dungeon crawling roots. You'll have to journey through various areas to reach your journey's end, making your way through legions of demons as well as traps like any dungeon crawler. The story is as I previously explained, your a member of an elite force sent by the government to investigate this anomaly that suddenly appeared over the North Pole and continues to grow. Unlike most JRPGs, your character is an adult and so are all of your crew members, no children saving the world this time. 

 

You could say the game of be a legend soccer hack takes influence from typical science fiction of our day like Star Trek. Unlike other SMT games, your abilities are more so influenced by science than the occult magic of previous games. Your player and the rest of the crew wear a special suit known as the Demonica, quite a stylish outfit if I do say so myself. This suit allows you to summon demons and survive in the various environments you'll be traveling in. The suit also has various Sub apps that have effects such as allowing you to fuse certain demons and increase/decrease enemy encounter rates.The gameplay is fairly simple when it comes to exploring, every area is a grid that utilizes the d-pad to move around. These dungeons have various traps, like all dungeons do, such as pit falls, hidden doors, and dark areas. The maps and battles are somewhat similar to Etrian Odyessy, but this game is easier and the area is mapped as you go. 

 

Despite not being as easy as Etrian Odyessy, dungeons can still be a pain sometimes. The mazes you travel through may become very sadistic as well as annoying at times. At one point in the game you'll be moving through conveyor belts in a dark area which you may find very hard to find your way through. The dark areas are unmapped so you don't know where you'll go on the moving platforms, making it a twisted process of trial and error that may drive you insane. These dungeons also contain an important substance called "Forma". Forma will be need to be collected for various side missions and to forge new equipment. Finding the right Forma may be very difficult depending on what you are looking for, the ex-mission ones are almost always the most difficult. "Ex-Mission" is the title used for the optional quests in game, some may be easy but usually they will be pretty hard. Some like Thoth's riddles will require you to use your knowledge of the Schwarzwelt while others like looking for Odin's horse Sleipnir will be very misleading. 

 

 

The worst thing about Forma is that unlike forging in most games it isn't optional. Items and equipment must be payed in macca as well as have the necessary Forma to be made, making Forma a must to attain. Finding specific Forma was one of the things I disliked most in the game and is often quite a chore.Battles in the game occur randomly, but you'll know when it's going to happen due to the bar on the top screen. The closer to red it becomes, the closer you are to a demonic encounter. Battles are fairly simple to understand, you choose to fight, retreat, or talk. Fight leads to a variety of actions such as using one of your gun's many abilities or summoning a demonic host. (or in the demon's case choosing from skills, demons do not have access to items and can't summon other demons) Battles are still punishing like usual do to OHKO attacks and the new "Bomb" status that could easily kill you. Like Persona 3 and just about every Shin Megami Tensei game, if the main character dies it's all over. 

 

Just make sure you are prepared for battle and choose wisely what actions you should take when engaged in them.In this game your character can fall into three distinct alignments, law, neutral, or chaos. This is a very important factor later in the game, it determines which of the three endings you'll attain as well as what exclusive demons and equipment are available to you. It's also very important when negotiating, demons who have the same alignment as you will be more friendly to you and easier to bargain with.  Regardless, negotiating can be difficult sometimes because you'll have to give demons specific responses that appeal to them enough so they allow you to bargain with them. Once you've gotten acquainted you ask them to become your demon and they'll request things like macca, some of your HP, or an item. Give them what they want and they'll usually join you, others will take it and run away. It's important to add to your army whenever you can because without updated demons enemies will cream you. In battle demons of the same alignment are suggested because of the ability they offer known as the Co-Op Attack. 

 

The Co-Op Attack is like the All Out Attack in Persona 3, it activates by hitting the enemies weaknesses and dishes out massive damage from the party members of the same alignment.  The enemies do not lose a turn and it only attacks one foe, but it's easier to perform and very useful.Other than negotiation there are two other ways to attain new demons, the most common way is through fusion. Fusion is of course the act of fusing together two or more demons to make a more powerful one. Fusion allows you to customize the skills of the new demon using skills from the original two as well as sources, (sources are the essence of demons that contain special skills, training a demon for a few levels will usually result in a source) making fusion very useful in creating powerful demons. The other way is using a passwords, which is new to the series. Every demon has a password that is used to access it's data. 

 

These passwords are meant to be traded online so people can have access to demons that other players have worked to mold. Unlike other monster trading games though you keep your demon in the compendium (an encyclopedia of demons per say, using it allows you to summon them anytime for a fee) so you can share the demon and keep it as well. I'm not a graphics whore, but this game's graphics aren't that great. It's hard for me to give a good opinion on them to be honest seeing as my alignment towards them is neutral. The dungeons are designed by the same team who did those in Etrian Odyssey actually, they're all modeled in 3D. On the other hand the demons, people, and some various special areas use pre-rendered artwork instead. The artwork is pretty amazing too, most demons were given better artwork here than in any other game. One odd thing about the artwork is how demons and important characters are given full pieces of art while your crew members get these small pieces that look almost like cardboard cut-outs. 

 

This doesn't take away from the game to much and you'll stop caring eventually, but it's definitely quite an oddity.The music in the game is a marvel indeed, it is some of the best you'll find on the DS without a doubt. The tracks use a variety of instruments and all of them fit the mood they were composed for very well. Even the basic battle theme "The Fear of God" is amazing, undoubtedly one of the most epic themes for a normal battle ever. Shoji Meguro has truly outdone himself here, the music to me may be one of the best parts of the game actually. The style isn't j-Pop, metal, or rap like in some previous games, it's something everyone can enjoy despite their musical preference or culture.Lastly is the Mature rating, yep that's right. It doesn't change the game's quality, but you have to admit that an M rated game on the DS is an odd phenomenon. 

 

The game's general concept of using demons to fight for you is in itself something controversial to our lovely religious society. The game is quite anti-human, the majority of the demons you find will generally dislike humans and point out why they do. The demons are environmentalists, a lot of the reason why they hate you is because you've ruined the Earth with big cities, war, and pollution. Demons loved the old times, the natural ones, so you'll constantly be reminded on how demons hate humans, at times you'll even dislike what the human race has done. Then there is the nudity, like in mythology demons don't wear clothes all the time.  Some like Angel may expose themselves while others like the infamous Mara will have a sexual concept in general. This game is one to keep away from the eyes of the innocent as well as religious extremist.In the end this is an excellent game for those who like challenging RPGs and a little exploration, but don't expect character and plot focus like Persona. 

 

The game's main story is going to last you at least 70 hours and all the ex-missions will probably add even more to that. Don't even get me started on if you plan to get every demon, there are over 300 in the game! Trying to catch them all is going to take multiple playthroughs though, seeing as some like Mother Harlot and Satan are exclusive to certain endgame alignments. Going through annoying traps in dungeons and collecting Forma will aggravate some players, but it doesn't hinder your experience very much if you're determined to by pass them.Towards Xugo personally, I felt I had to review this game at some point seeing as it was given little exposure and I don't think you guys should miss out on it because it's a little niche. It has some flaws that will get your nerves sometimes, but in the end it's an amazing game that all RPG fans with a DS should play at some point.Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey gets a 9/10.