Countdown: Top Halloween Horror Games

No. 7: Saw

For: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Available: NOW

3 Reasons to Care:

* Great graphics

* Create your own death traps

* Must-play for fans of the movies

In many ways, Saw is this generation's "A Nightmare on Elm Street" or "Friday the 13th." Even if the quality of each installment is getting progressively worse, it still has some redeeming qualities for horror fans, like buckets of blood and guts, and torture traps that only get more barbarous and bizarre as the series continues.

Konami's video game adaptation of the grisly franchise, is something of a step above its film counterparts. GamePro's Heather Bartron, who's also a big horror fan, reviewed the game and noted that the Saw game is a near-perfect adaptation of the franchise and has some puzzles that "are enough to make your heart explode," which is all the praise any Saw fan should need to pick up and play this flawed but fun game.

Check it out: Saw review

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No. 6: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

For: Nintendo Wii

Available: November 3, 2009

3 Reasons to Care:

* Horror title that makes use of Wii hardware

* Ability to shape your own terrifying experience through choices

* It's not just another Silent Hill game

"Remake" really isn't an accurate term to describe the Wii-exclusive Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Generally speaking, when you hear that a classic game is being remade, it means that the original's graphics, which have become crusty and ugly, are getting updated. This is not the case with Shattered Memories, which only keeps Silent Hill's basic premise intact where you've wrecked your car and you're setting out to find your missing daughter. Everything else is brand new.

The most exciting thing we've seen so far from the new Silent Hill is your character's "psych profile." Based on the decisions you make in the game and the paths you take through the game, you'll start to build this profile, which ultimately reshapes the overall Silent Hill experience and adapts the way that characters and enemies in the game both appear and behave. Ambitious? Yes, but from what we've played of the game so far, it looks like they're definitely on the right track to really making this new feature work.

Check it out: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories: Run and Hide Preview

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No. 5: Aliens vs. Predator

For: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Available: February 2010

3 Reasons to Care:

* It has Aliens

* It has Predators

* It has the potential to save the franchise from the horrendous AvP movies

It seemed like hack movie directors were getting in line to take turns diminishing the value of both the Aliens and Predator franchises, destroying what little dignity each had left in them. But judging from what Rebellion let people play of their upcoming shooter Aliens vs. Predator (not to mention the game's face-melting screens above) it looks like the gory glory days of both science fiction series could be restored after much abuse.

One thing going for the upcoming AvP game is the fact that it's being developed by the same team behind 1999's Alien versus Predator, which is widely regarded as the best videogame adaptation of either series. This game in turn was an adaptation of the 1994 game of the same name on the Atari Jaguar. Rebellion's new title retains much of what made these older games so popular, notably the fact that you can play through its campaign as one of three species: alien, predator, and human marine, each of which has its own unique weapons and abilities.

Check it out: Aliens Vs. Predator Xbox 360 Preview: Game NOT Over

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No. 4: BioShock 2

For: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Available: February 9, 2010

3 Reasons to Care:

* Play as a Big Daddy

* BioShock now has multiplayer

* You (finally) have a big drill

There are only a handful of games out there that bring a certain level excitement simply when their names are mentioned: Metal Gear, God of War, Call of Duty, and of course, relative newcomer BioShock. Without question, BioShock 2 is a big friggin' deal for virtually all gamers.

2K's macabre franchise appeal to those of us drawn to games with rich stories, fans of twisted but smart Twilight Zone-like sci-fi horror, and now with BioShock 2, it has something for multiplayer junkies too.

Don't think of this new feature as a tacked on mode to simply appease the demands and complaints of those who chose to criticize the original. BioShock 2's multiplayer promises to be every bit as compelling as its single-player campaign, and 2K has even gone so far as charging a completely separate team (Digital Extremes) with developing the online multiplayer modes to ensure it doesn't let fans down.

Did we mention that you can also stomp around as a prototype Big Daddy, and sink your mammoth drill into the guts of your splicer enemies?

Check it out: BioShock 2 releasing globally February 9

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No. 3: Left 4 Dead 2

For: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Available: November 17, 2009

3 Reasons to Care:

* It has chainsaws

* You can set flesh-eating foes ablaze with incendiary rounds

* More robust single-player mode than the original L4D

With the rising popularity of the undead in both videogames and movies, it's hard to believe that it took as long as it did for someone to deliver a truly worthwhile and horrifying zombie-based first-person shooter. But in 2008, Half-life creators Valve finally gave FPS fans something to scream about.

The awkwardly titled sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, is set for release next month and this time the game embraces a sunnier (but no less scary) setting in a fictional deep South environment that has become overrun with living corpses. As well as being able to saw zombies in half with Left 4 Dead 2's new chainsaw weapon, I'm also stoked for the new zombie classes such as The Spitter, which barfs out humongous flesh-searing loogies, and The Charger, which has a jumbo arm just like Hellboy. Be sure to check out our new roundtable discussion on L4D2.

Check it out: Two new L4D2 campaign names revealed

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No. 2: Dead Space: Extraction

For: Nintendo Wii

Available: NOW

3 Reasons to Care:

* New weapons like arc wielder and rivet gun

* Smarter than the average light gun game

* It's Dead Space

As reviews editor and office grump Tae Kim stated in his glowing review of the Wii-exclusive Dead Space spin-off, instead of relying "on genre tropes like unlimited ammo, blitzkrieg enemies and insane action," Dead Space: Extraction takes a much more refreshing approach to the on rails/light gun genre by using the "lulls in the action to build up a sense of impending dread that makes the actual action much more meaningful." And this is exactly what you want in a horror game, right? Because if you're constantly hitting the player over the head with stuff that's supposed to be terrifying, chances are you're going to diminish how scary their experience actually is.

Contrary to what you might think, Dead Space: Extraction is no watered-down Dead Space experience either, and feels more like of a full-blown sequel (it's actually a prequel, if you want to be picky about it.)

Check it out: Dead Space: Extraction Video Gallery

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No. 1: Dead Rising 2

For: Xbox 360, PS3

Available: 2010

3 Reasons to Care:

* Wheelchairs with guns

* Relentless gore

* It's Night of the Living Dead set in a casino

It's kind of staggering how many 360s owners missed out on the original Dead Rising. The game, which serves as an homage to George A. Romero's quintessential zombie masterpiece Dawn of the Dead (before 300/Watchmen director's worthy remake from 2004), was Capcom's comedy-infused take on zombies, a subject they've dominated in games with their flagship Resident Evil series.

With Dead Rising 2, there's a huge array of new features to get excited about? we know this because news editor Dave Rudden won't shut the hell up about how awesome the game's fictional Las Vegas-inspired environment and gruesome Running Man-style TV game show theme is. DR1 was all about having an absurd number of weapons and blunt instruments at your disposal to butcher the living dead. Dead Rising 2 continues this trend, but encourages some twisted weapon-combination options that allow the creation of tools like Darth Maul-style double-ended chainsaws and even wheelchairs with machine guns strapped to them. We can't wait to see what other weapons players will be able to cook up once the game hits next year.

Check it out: Tokyo Game Show 09: Dead Rising 2, the best game of TGS

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