Survival horror has come a long way from the “find an item, dodge the monster” basics established in classic titles such as Alone in the Dark or Resident Evil. Much like horror movies themselves, horror games have consistently raised the bar in goosebump-inducing frights and shocks. Even better, developers have started psychologically manipulating the player as they progress through the game, unsettling them with the calculated use of light and shadows, sound and well-designed plots. Focusing heavily on those things that go bump in the night, Midway’s latest title, The Suffering, promises to give even the hardest gamer a large shiver up their spine. Defying even the most conventional setting for a game, The Suffering takes players into a world they (hopefully) have never experienced: a maximum security penitentiary. Maybe I should specifically state Death Row at Abbott Penitentiary, an infamous prison known for its harsh living conditions. After a short introduction to some of the inmates passing their time on the row, the anti-hero of the game, Torque, is slowly led onto the Row in shackles. Convicted for slaughtering his entire family in cold blood, Torque has been placed on a fast track for execution. However, shortly after arriving in his jail cell, all hell breaks loose. Seems like the jail and its surrounding land has been the site of numerous murders, and their spirits are hungry for revenge. Torque’s arrival seems to be tied into this rampage, and as the monsters and spirits attack everything in sight, he and his fellow inmates soon discover survival boils down to every man for himself. Luckily, most Death Row inmates are able to take care of themselves in a fight, and Torque is no exception. Plucking a large shiv (a “homemade” knife) from the still twitching body of a fellow inmate, Torque can acquire a number of weapons, including revolvers, machine guns and explosives. Some of this hardware is scattered throughout the cell blocks and equipment lockers of the jail, although Torque will also receive armed assistance from other convicts or guards trying to escape the prison walls. Unlike some games, The Suffering gives players the option to accept and give these survivors help or kill them outright. Each decision made affects not only how you play the game, but also which ending you’ll get. It can also affect Torque’s rage meter, which allows him to cause some major destruction in a rather disturbing manner (I’m not even going to give it away, but it explains quite a bit about Torque’s sordid history.) Taking a page from suspense films, The Suffering plays upon the things you think you see in your peripheral vision, which increases your anxiety. When you actually do catch a glimpse of these things, you’ll be hard pressed to not say, “What was that?!” Some of the creatures you’ll see skitter and crawl in and out of shadows, while others quickly dash in front of you and disappear. What’s more, these aren’t the typical beast seen in a game. From the spider-like creatures with scalpels for hands and feet to the shriveled up monsters with hypodermic needles for eyes, the shock value of these things heading in your direction is nothing short of nightmare-inducing. Full of dark, foreboding shadows, gruesome images and plenty of graphic scares, The Suffering is starting to look like one of those games that would be perfect to play in the dead of night with all the lights turned out. Adding to the visual horror is a ton of high quality audio, with bloodcurdling screams, radio transmissions of horrified guards and otherworldly shrieks standing out amongst the frightening din. This is one game that should scare up plenty of fans when it gets locked up on game systems next month. Check back soon for a full review! Questions or comments about the upcoming release of The Suffering for the Xbox and PlayStation 2? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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