Mutants and vampires and aliens – oh my!

By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service

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Game tips 'BloodRayne' Don't let Agent BloodRayne become surrounded during combat. Avoid having her fight in the middle of a room. Instead, try to make her opponents line up in hallways and doorways. 'The Thing' Keep your medics alive as long as possible because health packs are few and far between. 'The House of the Dead 3' When there are numerous enemies on the screen, try to kill the ones closest to you first.

The release of horror video games around Halloween isn't surprising because more than 50 percent of video games are sold between Halloween and Christmas, said Reyne Rice of NPD Funworld, a division of research company NPD Group, which tracks video games.

"The survival-horror genre is an increasingly popular one now that 3-D graphics and surround sound have amplified the player's emotional experience — namely fear," she said.

Gamers looking for treats instead of tricks should consider these six hair-raising digital diversions. All are perfect for playing with the lights off and the volume turned up.

Be warned: All but one of these titles are for mature players, not for youngsters.

'Resident Evil 0'

Capcom; for GameCube; $49.99; rated "M" for mature; www.capcom.com; 4 out of 5 stars

The latest installment in Capcom's celebrated "survival horror" series is due out Halloween week.

"Resident Evil 0," an exclusive for the Nintendo GameCube, is a prequel to the events in the original "Resident Evil."

The gory title chronicles the adventures of Rebecca Chambers, a rookie Raccoon City police officer, and Billy Cohen, a framed convict on the run. Players must switch between controlling both characters to successfully complete the game's missions, which involve solving puzzles and annihilating zombies and other mutated creatures. If either character runs out of health, the game is over.

Visually speaking, "Resident Evil 0" is the best-looking game in the series to date. Players can expect photo-realistic environments, smoothly animated characters and creepy lighting effects.

GAME TIP: Try to keep your characters together because there will be times when they'll need to collaborate in order for you to progress in the game.

'BloodRayne'

Majesco; for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC; $49.99 for consoles, $39.99 for PC; rated "M" for mature; www.bloodrayne.com; 3 1/2 stars

Majesco's "BloodRayne" hacks and slashes its way onto store shelves Oct. 31.

The fast-paced action game stars a half-human, half-vampire named Agent BloodRayne, who works for The Brimstone Society, a secret fraternity created to hunt down and destroy supernatural terror.

The sexy but deadly heroine is determined to stop her Nazi nemesis Jurgen Wulf and his devoted minions from collecting powerful occult relics. With these artifacts, Wulf believes he can rule the world.

Like "Resident Evil 0," the game is played from a cinematic third-person perspective, so the player sees the protagonist on the screen at all times.

Agent BloodRayne's adventures take her through 3 huge locations: the bayous of Louisiana, a vampire-infested castle in Germany and an Argentinian temple.

Along with her acrobatic hand-to-hand combat, BloodRayne can use any weapon her enemy has (including guns and explosives) and enjoys special vampire advantages, such as sucking blood for extra health.

'The House of the Dead 3'

Sega; for Xbox; $49.99; rated "M" for mature; www.sega.com; 3 1/2 stars

Like the popular arcade series upon which it's based, "The House of the Dead 3" on the Xbox is a gory 3-D shooter.

Armed with a shotgun and plenty of hand-eye coordination, one or two players must fend off wave after wave of blood-thirsty zombies, all the while advancing through a branching story line and interactive environments.

At the end of each level is a tough "boss" character that requires extra cunning to take down. Throughout the game, players also must reload their firearms at the right time.

New to this series is the ability to mow down multiple enemies at once, enhanced graphics, a variety of endings and new creatures. The game takes place in 2019, nearly 20 years after the events in "The House of The Dead 2."

Players can use the Xbox controller, but to get the full arcade experience, consider investing in a light-gun peripheral such as the $30 "Blaster" from Mad Catz (www.madcatz.com).

A "House of the Dead" feature film is currently being filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia.

'The Thing'

Universal Interactive; for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC; $49.99; rated "M" for mature; www.thethinggames.com; 4 stars

Like the 1982 movie of the same name, "The Thing" takes place at a research base in Antarctica, where ancient alien life has been found — and revived.

The game begins about three months after the events of the film but introduces a new plot and cast of characters. The alien's secret weapon — its ability to transform into any human it comes in contact with — is as important to the game as it is in the movie.

Because the player's colleagues may not be who they seem, a "trust/fear interface" helps to determine the psychological state of characters and determine why they may or may not cooperate during different segments of the game.

The unique combat system allows weapons to be customized and used in a variety of scenarios. Team management also plays a significant part in this game: A medic, soldier and engineer must work together to complete various missions, for example.

The action toggles between an immersive first-person perspective and a more movielike third-person perspective.

Puzzle solving also plays a part in "The Thing" as players must use brains as well as brawn to eradicate these intelligent but deadly aliens.

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

Electronic Arts/Fox Interactive; for Xbox; $49.99; rated "T" for teen; buffy.ea.com; 4 stars

Video games based on TV franchises don't always live up to the shows that inspired them. Fortunately, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is an exception.

This attractive action/adventure hybrid puts players in the shoes of Buffy Summers, a high-school student by day and fierce slayer of the undead by night.

An ancient demonic race known as the Old Ones has returned to create a bridge between Hell and Earth. To complete their malevolent plan, the Old Ones need the dark powers of a 600-year-old vampire, The Master, whose talents lie in opening dimensional portals. As "The Chosen One," it's up to Buffy to stop the Old Ones.

Much of the game involves combat. Players help the game's Sarah Michelle Gellar avatar master nearly 60 fighting moves and combinations. She also can use weapons and has special "slayer" abilities including a super jump, super strength and "Slayer Sense."

Fans of the TV series will immediately recognize familiar Sunnydale locations such as Sunnydale High School, the cemetery and the Bronze nightclub.

'Run Like Hell'

Interplay; for PlayStation 2; $49.99; rated "M" for mature; www.interplay.com/rlh; 3 1/2 stars

The premise behind "Run Like Hell" resembles the popular "Aliens" movies. A military officer returns to his ship after an asteroid mining expedition and finds his crew wiped out by a vicious alien race, but the game's "survival horror" action makes it a gripping adult adventure despite its somewhat clichéd premise.

The game features the voices of Lance Henriksen ("Millennium," "The Terminator"), Michael Ironside ("Starship Troopers," "Total Recall") and Kate Mulgrew ("Star Trek: Voyager").