Halloween 2006: Gaming's Best Scares

F.E.A.R.

Publisher: Vivendi Universal
Developer: Monolith

Why is it that creepy little girls are so terrifying? Maybe if you were a kindergarten teacher you'd be able to tell us. F.E.A.R. taps into this primal terror with its villain, Alma, whose habit of appearing out of nowhere and scaring the pee out of you is nothing if not endearing.

More to the point, F.E.A.R. serves up these thrills with some of the most adrenaline-pumping first-person shooter combat we've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Make no mistake about it, this game is as exciting as it is frightening -- grab it on PC, or hold out for the upcoming Xbox 360 version, it's up to you.

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Also Available: F.E.A.R. Extraction Point

Doom 3

Publisher: Activision
Developer: iD Software

Boo! Frightened yet? What do you mean, no? Although this id-developed FPS classic relies a little too heavily on the jump-out-and-say-boo formula, it's a superb play nevertheless. Set in the future on Mars, where demons (quite literally) from the depths of Hell are attacking Martian settlers, it's a graphical tour de force as well as a carefully paced and well crafted shooter.

More from Doom 3

• Review
• Trailers and Gameplay Footage
• Screenshot Gallery

Also Available: Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil