Creepy video games debut for Halloween

— -- Halloween may be a time for trick-or-treating, pumpkin-carving and costume parties, but for millions of video gamers, it's also a perfect opportunity to curl up with a daunting digital diversion with the lights turned off.

A few new scary games have debuted in October, each one created to make your hands sweat and heart race. The following are two recommended picks to play alone, late at night and preferably with headphones.

A word of caution: Due to graphic images of violence and gore, both of these games are rated "Mature" by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (www.esrb.org), and therefore are not suitable for players under 17 years of age.

'Dead Space'

A refreshing change from all the video game sequels these days, "Dead Space" is a new thriller that combines a sci-fi story line with "survival horror" game-play elements. It's no surprise the game makers refer to it as a cross between "Alien" and "Resident Evil."

"Dead Space" takes place 500 years in the future, when a rescue team travels to deep space to investigate a mining ship that abruptly ceased contact with Earth while orbiting above an ominous-looking planet. You play as an engineer, Isaac Clarke, tasked to restore the Ishimura's communications systems. While roaming the ship's eerie corridors, Clarke discovers vicious aliens have decimated the crew. And they're still here.

As you play from a third-person perspective, you navigate Clarke around gorgeous, high-definition environments with no icons, numbers or maps on the screen to remind you this is a video game. Instead, you'll keep an eye on the back of the protagonist's spacesuit because it tracks his health (indicated by a glowing turquoise meter). There's also an air supply timer (ideal for zero-gravity sequences), and on the back of most weapons, such as pulse rifle or contact beam, you'll see a digital number that counts down how much ammo is left. The only things that ruin the suspension of disbelief are pictures of floppy disks you'll find strewn throughout the spaceship, which is where you can save your progress during the game.

"Dead Space" offers plenty of action, with the ability to target and dismember aliens; puzzle-solving challenges, such as getting machinery to work or opening locked doors; handy gadgets, such as gravity boots and purchasable items using found credits; and a Hollywood-worthy script, tense atmosphere and a music soundtrack (beginning with a haunting rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star").

'Silent Hill: Homecoming'

The first "Silent Hill" video game on next-generation consoles takes advantage of the machines' graphical prowess, but in the end it's virtually identical game play to what we've seen since the franchise debuted on the original PlayStation in 1999. This is fine for those who want more of the same, but might disappoint those looking forward to an evolution in the series.

As 22-year-old soldier Alex Shepherd, you awaken at the beginning of "Silent Hill: Homecoming" strapped to a stretcher and wheeled into a seemingly abandoned hospital. The dark halls are only illuminated by your flashlight, as you hear babies crying and see ghostly images of your missing kid brother, Josh.

While attempting to find a way out of the hospital — after finding a map, solving puzzles and fighting off bizarre creatures (such as faceless nurses who eerily gyrate toward you) — you'll find yourself back in your hometown of Shepherd's Glen. Most of the residents are gone, a foreboding fog blankets the streets and monsters are roaming about. Could this have to do with the neighboring evil town of Silent Hill? You'll find out, as you'll visit there, too, as you attempt solve the mystery behind your brother's disappearance and make sense of your disturbing nightmares.

The combat has improved over past versions of the game, allowing you to easily take on baddies with weapons and objects (including fights against enormous "boss" characters). The camera is also better this time around as it aids your view of the towns instead of obstructing it.

"Silent Hill: Homecoming" might not break new ground in the popular survival horror series but shouldn't disappoint fans looking for a nail-biting adventure.

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Contact Saltzman at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.