Halloween 2006: Gaming's Best Scares

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

Publisher: Fishtank Interactive
Developer: Headfirst Productions

Aficionados of horror fiction will know there is no author more spine-chilling than the celebrated H.P. Lovecraft. Undaunted by having the kind of name better suited for writers of naughty self-help books, Lovecraft created perhaps the most otherworldly series of horror books ever penned before his death in 1937.

Dark Corners of the Earth gives you the chance for an atmosphere-packed first-person stroll through this mythos. Unusually, it doesn't have any kind of heads-up display, communicating game conventions like health and ammo with sound and visuals instead -- and if you witness too many horrors, your character will gradually go insane. If nothing else, it'll give you all kinds of ideas for Lovecraftian things to shout to put the wind up unwanted trick-or-treaters. Ia! Ia! Cthulhu ftagn!

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The Movies

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Lionhead Studios

OK, so this isn't exactly scary. What's it doing here, then? It's less of a game and more of a complete toolkit for making your own movies, complete with virtual sets, computer-generated actors and scripts you write yourself. You can share the ensuing product, complete with recorded voices if desired, for the world to see.

So if you think you've got what it takes to outdo Wes Craven or John Carpenter, grab a copy of The Movies, and put your money where your mouse is. For the best experience, start with the game set in the 50s and enjoy a gentle progression from Plan 9 slapstick horror comedy to present-day special effects thrillers.

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