Horror

Extermination was slated for release soon after the PlayStation 2 launch in the US. Sony promised that as the first survival-horror game available for the console, it would offer players a unique spin on a genre mired in complacency. What piqued my interest was the discovery that the Deepspace development team was made up of some of the original developers of the Resident Evil series. Unfortunately, as was the case with many of Sony's launch titles, Extermination missed its release date by well over a year.

At its surface, Vampire Hunter D is many things. First and foremost, it is a gothic drama about a vampire hunter named "D" (in case you couldn't tell from the title). It is a vampire game done up in grand, operatic fashion. It is a game based on a popular animated film from Japan. It is yet another slow-moving, heavily stylized horror game in the stale Resident Evil tradition (what hath Capcom wrought?). It's a game filled with many monsters, bats and other assorted winged and four-legged beasties. It's a game played from too many off-kilter camera angles. It's a game strewn with mind-numbing puzzles, ordinary and familiar gameplay and poor controls. At is surface, Vampire Hunter D is many things. Below its surface, Vampire Hunter D isn't much.

When playing Vampire Hunter D, there are two things that drew positive reactions. One, is D's unbelievably quirky "partner," Left Hand. Any game that tries to pass off a talking hand character so dryly named Left Hand deserves credit for having the balls to do so if nothing else.

Game Description:  This Resident Evil-like action-adventure game takes place in the distant future—A.D. 12,090, to be exact—some 10,000 years after vampires have won control of the planet from humans. Vampire Hunter D is based on the original Hideyuki Kikuchi novel and the cult-classic anime that followed. Your character is the aptly named Vampire Hunter D, a half-human, half-vampire who is hired to rescue a kidnapped child. The linear plot has three endings, each of which is triggered by meeting certain criteria.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood, Animated Violence

The difference between Parasite Eve II and any of the games in the Resident Evil series can be summed up like an unhip microbiology major's bad joke: "What's the difference between a neo-mitochondrial mutagenic airborne virus and a fluid-transmitted virus which reanimates and increases aggressive tendencies in mutated expired organisms?"

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood & Gore, Animated Violence

Game Description: Aya Brea is back to defend the world from the mitochondrial menace in Parasite Eve II. This story takes place three years after the New York incident of the first game, when the horrible mutations are supposedly a thing of the past. Now working for the FBI in Los Angeles, Aya is called on to join the Mitochondrian Investigation and Suppression Team (MIST) to hunt down dangerous monsters and keep the disease from spreading. To do that, she must unravel the conspiracy that seeks the destruction of all mankind. Parasite Eve II features an enhanced, real-time battle system that will allow players to use a large array of modern weaponry. These guns, built into the game with realistic fire rates, can even be upgraded with parts that you buy or find. Also on your side is Aya's Parasite Energy, which enables her to harness elemental power, such as a searing column of fire, to fight the monsters.

I was a little surprised to see the turn Parasite Eve II takes in regard to the original, which was more of a traditional role-playing game. This sequel is just what Brad says it is—a Resident Evil clone that tries to keep its feet in both genres.

Game Description: Typing of the Dead blends horror with a typing tutorial for an original gaming experience. There are several game modes to help you become a terrific typist. Drill mode focuses on different skills, such as typing speed, accuracy, reflex, and special keystrokes. In the boss mode, your battle against each boss emphasizes a different skill, from quick reading and answering to story reading and typing. Two-player modes include cooperative and competitive.