I've never played a Zombie Game-- On purpose

(Even this picture creeps me out)

As Dead Island's September release date looms and all the fantastic press continues to role out for it, I must confess I have never even considered buying it. In fact I have never considered buying almost any game featuring a zombie, because they terrify me. Even zombie like things put me off in any kind of media (I have oft panicked and died at the hands of the shambling husks in Mass Effect, and it doesn't matter how many times someone tells me that Shawn of the Dead is a parody, it still scares the crap out of me.) Back in high school my friends would play Resident Evil around me just to watch me freak out, and one even got me an action figure from the game, which I kept safely sealed in its package in the bottom of my dresser where it couldn't attack me. I did not have very nice friends in high school. Just kidding. Sort of.

Anyway, the gaming industry is sitting in the midst of zombie mania, with more and more games putting out zombie modes or themes based on crazy pandemics and the undead. For the most part, people who aren't me will tell you that these games are fun, have some creepy elements, but generally they inspire more tension filled moments than fearful ones. These people without phobias of imaginary things are likely right, but today I wanted to share a game with you that is genuinely scary regardless of what personal craziness you have.

And it has zombies.

And I didn't know that when I started playing, or when I was half way though, but rather I began to realize when my character slowly started to degenerate and shamble along and then was killed in combat only to get up with a full health bar and a new sickly grey complexion. I had become what I most feared, and in a terrifying, slowly-succumbing-to-the-zombie-plague-but-in-denial kind of way. It was a psychological moment unmatched by any zombie chase scenario, because at least in most games when you get zombie infected you start over from a check point, and for all intents and purposes your character is immune or has access to a cure. It's not an unavoidable part of the game.

This scenario is brought to you by Gamecube cult hit Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. The premise of this game involves stepping into several different characters throughout history via one central character in present time who is investigating her grandfather's murder and a mysterious book made of skin. Eeeew. While not all characters become zombies, all are subject to a slow decline into madness as they travel through the various creepy levels. You can refill your sanity meter by using finishers on enemies, but the more crazy you become, the harder that becomes as your character begins to randomly cry out in fear and experience shocking hallucinations, which may include your body parts falling off. While the game obviously doesn't have the graphical prowess of the current gen, it doesn't need it to engage you in a visceral experience. The game includes some fun puzzling elements to get through the various labyrinths you face, as well as some nice NPC interaction and some nice though sometimes tedious spell building elements that require you to seek out runes and magic scrolls to increase your range of magical talents. Classification wise I would say this is an action-adventure with a horror plot line, but the truly unique sanity meter is what makes this game really worth seeking out. If you're looking for something to scare yourself this Hallowe'en give this one a try, but don't say I didn't warn you about the zombie.

I wish someone had warned me.