We start our first jaunt into the macabre with Resident Evil 2, probably the most notable and memorable game in the series. Picking up where the first one left off, you can play as either Leon (a cop) or Claire (looking for someone) stuck in the middle of a deserted and ravaged Racoon City. Things are not as rosy as they seem right off the bat, as you will be chased by zombies from the word go. Graphic violence, odd creatures and cheap scares are the order of the day in this game, as well as puzzles and a couple of interesting gameplay twists. Although you can pretty much predict about half the events in the game, it's still kind of a fun one to trounce through. It sucks that Capcom did not re-make this for the GCN, since it was a more stronger release than the first game.

Resident Evil 3 (PS1, DC, GC, PC)

The thrid installment of the Resident Evil series was one that I just was not able to get into. It seemed to show us things we have already seen, and do it in a more unlikable fashion. Some liked this more than RE2, but I didn't. You can really feel that this was the last RE game for the PS1, and they tried everything possible to make it interesting. To bad it didn't work for me.

Silent Hill (PS1)

While many thought Silent Hill was just a cash in and a rip-off of the Resident Evil series, many were proved wrong by Konami's strong and most disturbing horror game to be released. While Capcom relied on cheap scares such as things jumping out of windows or walls, Konami created a more disturbing and linguring fear. After I was done playing, the theme still stuck in my head, as well as the events I experienced during play. It was also one of the only horror games that I actually wanted to play for the character and story development. Depending on how you play and what you do results in one of four endings. You may or may not get the more satisfying ending the first time around (although no one is a true happy ending), but it's encouraging to go through one more time, now that you know some of the pieces that fit the puzzle.

Dino Crisis (PS1, DC)

Technically, Dino Crisis is less of a survival horror when compared to the other games that show up on the list. In fact, Capcom called it "survival panic". But this game does have it's share of scare tactics. There are quite a few moments when dinosaurs just pop out of nowhere and scare the hell out of you. Also, you go around the whole game with a feeling that there is something that is hunting you, you just don't know where. To me, Dino Crisis is a better envisionment of Jurassic Park in game form. Not spooky, but quite a few "BOO!" moments.

Dino Crisis 2 (PS1, PC)

I'm not sure why I'm including this in the list, other than the fact it's a sequel to the above. DC2 is almost the opposite of the first game in almost every way. Everything is pre-rendered (the first wasn't), it's more action heavy, there are less scares and it seemed almost arcadey. It wasn't a terible game, but it was radically different from the first. I guess you can say there were a few moments of urgency, but not like the first.

Resident Evil Survivor (PS1)

Capcom, has anyone ever told you that light gun games are not fun without the light gun? Survivor is basically a port of a light gun arcade game, but somehow adapted into a first person adventure. While one would be excited that RE is in the first person, the game is just not fun at all. To finish the game, you have to go all the way in one sitting. Why? Almost everything that can go wrong did go wrong in this game. It's actually more fun to listen to Destiny's Child's "Survivor" than play this.

Parasite Eve (PS1)

Square takes a stab at the horror genre with Parasite Eve, a cinematic action-RPG. Here, you need to worry about mitochondria run amok and this woman named Eve trying to dominate the world and create a new race with the said mitochondria. You play as Aya, who realizes that she has these special abillities, and wait; she has the mitochondria too! The game is fairly difficult due to the design of the game (you can only fire so many times in a turn). It's an interesting Square title, and has some disturbing cinematic sequences as well.

Parasite Eve II (PS1)

Square seemed to be confused on what they wanted to do in the sequel. Between the first and second PE, we saw two Resident Evil games and Silent Hill. Square must have tried to make the game less RPG like, and a little more action oriented. Unfortunately, the game design was kind of messy. It still had some RPG elements and a more akward battle design. Also, the controls seemed to have worsened. But, PEII did have some great visuals and a little more humor. The story this time around is that she is now in L.A. as a part of a team who deals with mutated creatures by mitochondria. PEII is a little tougher to get into, but may be appealing to people who have stuck with Square through the years.

Resident Evil Code Veronica (DC, PS2, soon on GC)

Finally, Capcom ditches the pre-rendered design and actually goes for 3-D. It actually turns out pretty well, too. Some places still look pre-rendered, but it's all done with cameras now. Code Veronica is about Rebecca still in search of her brother, with a better lead than she has ever had before. But, the deeper she digs on what is going on, the bigger the hole she is in. Your usual cast of suprise characters and odd villians accompany you on this adventure, but it's an RE worth playing just for the more open design alone.

Silent Hill 2 (PS2, X-Box, PC)

One thing we probably didn't think of in the first Silent Hill is what is going on the other side of the lake. Well, Silent Hill 2 address this question with a whole new level terror and mystery. This time, we have James Sunderland, a man who recieves a letter from his wife who has been dead for a few years, calling him back to their "special place". And what better place than Silent Hill. While we do not feel nearly as sympathetic for the main character James as we would for Harry in the first game, we seem intrigued by the letter and why he's there in the first place. We see people who behave oddly for no reason, and yet the pieces fit together in the end. SH2 also has quite a few more plot twists than the first game, and really messes around with your head on what is really going on. Near the end, we find a shocking twist on what James has done in the past, as well as the fates of the people he has met.

Resident Evil (GC)

Who would have guessed that the Resident Evil series would become mainly exclusive to the Gamecube? I guess it's well deserved, since the system has not seen any of the Silent Hill games. The first RE game for the system is not only the first game in the series, but also a complete makeover of the classic. The differences between the original PS1 release and the new GC addition are like night and day. While still pre-rendered, the game looks pretty realisitc and sports some nice looking character models. The story hasn't changed, you still go to a mansion and find out what is going on with the zombies and mutated dogs and such. To keep the game fresh, items and puzzles have been re-arranged, as well as the inclusion of some new areas. While the graphics and sound get a makeover, the controls do not. Why does Capcom think this is an optimal control scheme?

Eternal Darkness : Sanity's Requim (GC)

Silcon Knights has put together a story-driven horror game that spans across 2000 years, to piece together a mystery of the death of a man. Alex Rovias is pretty much one of the last standing members of her entire family, and she is called to her murdered relative's house in Rhode Island, where she plans to stay until the police figure out what happened. Of course, a book catches her attention, which reveals the story and concenquences of people in the past that come in contact with this book. ED does not rely heavily on scare tactics, it also pulls off some really weird psychological effects that range from things that happen to your character, to things the developers did to mess with the player, such as making you thing you erased your game or that there are bugs walking across your TV. It's a premise not seen in other horror games, and is a feature that is rarely ever seen in games where a game plays the player.

I realize that I do not have every game up here. Here are some games in the genre that may be worth looking at:

Resident Evil Zero (GC)

Silent Hill 3 (PS2)

Fatal Frame (PS2, X-Box)

House Of The Dead 2 (DC)

Alone In The Dark : The New Nightmare (DC)

Clock Tower 3 (PS2)