Scary Games

Resident Evil 4

Platform: Wii, PS2, PC.

Although the latest incarnation of the long running series that created the 'survival-horror' genre, isn't available to the Wii yet, Resident Evil 4 is, allowing fans to aim, fire, slash, reload, crank and avoid oncoming adversaries with intuitive motions and movements. There is no finer example of a game that can keep you on the edge of the seat while still glued to an engaging and well crafted story. The addition of physical movement controls just plunges you further into the action - a stone cold classic and a must for fans of fear.

Fear Factor 5/5

BioShock

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC.

In the decaying art deco underwater city of Rapture, players can biologically modify their body with plasmids, hack devices and security systems, upgrade weapons, craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques. The sheer claustrophobic creak of the immense structures, the just out of earshot voices of the damned and the truly terrifying lighting and fighting effects eat into your mind. This is shockingly addictive and clever; a real gem of storytelling in game form providing an immense breadth and depth of play.  Plus, we can’t think of many games where you can get back at your Little Sisters.

 Fear Factor 4/5

The Darkness

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3.

In a beautifully and suitably dark cityscape, the tension, atmosphere and bloodthirsty nature of this comic book adaptation make for a very fine horror action game. As a literal son of a gun, you take up the dark, eerie and bloodthirsty mantle of Jackie Estacado, a mafia hit man forced to bear the demonic darkness; an evil power handed down through the generations that takes over his body and mind. Projected with this power into the murky, seedy underworld of a downtown New York that's crime-ridden and bullet-ruled, the body count soon climbs. This power allows you to conjure demons and manifest yourself into various forms with increasing power so that for most of the game not only are you battling against former mob members, you're also struggling to maintain your grasp on your body and soul as the darkness threatens to destroy you. A cross between The Godfather and Hellraiser.

Fear Factor 5/5

Silent Hill Collection

Platform: PS2.

Silent Hill, along with Resident Evil really defined the horror game genre. But unlike the zombie slasher of Res Evil, Silent Hill did everything by atmosphere. An all enveloping mist, screams and manic crying babies, dream sequences that are genuinely uncomfortable. If you want a real taste of psychological horror track down the Silent Hill Collection that contains episodes 2, 3 and 4 of the ground breaking series. But be warned, you won't want to be playing alone.

Fear Factor: 4/5

Dead Rising

Platform: Xbox 360

If you're looking for a bad-taste zombie slasher game with touches of manic ingenuity (you can beat the zombies with their own rotting limbs for crying out loud!) then take a week off work and bash some undead heads with Dead Rising on the Xbox. Think of it as a classic Romero zombie movie on the small screen, set inside a sprawling shopping complex where every shop offers new and exciting weapons to take on the legions of undead.

Fear Factor: 3/5

The Suffering: Ties That Bind

Platform: Xbox, PS2, PC.

If you're a newcomer, prepare to be shocked. Suicides, frenzied addicts, hallucinatory cut-scenes and beast transformation are the order of the day as our anti-hero Torque tries to survive the night in a US city that is quite literally losing its mind. Gruesome, gory and very much an 18 certificate.

Fear Factor: 3/5