So Last Year, But So Very Good

These games were hits when released in 2005. Some are cheap and some aren't, but all are worth the money in my opinion. If you missed out on these titles, now is a good time to check them out at reduced prices.

F.E.A.R

You could buy F.E.A.R. for the Xbox 360 and pay $59.99. Or you could pay approximately $29.99 for the original PC version, which is the same price as the recently released expansion pack F.E.A.R. Extraction Point. Now that I think about it, you could buy the original F.E.A.R. and the expansion pack for the same price as the Xbox version. Interesting. In any event, F.E.A.R. is an excellent PC shooter and was named one of the best FPS titles in 2005 by a number of reviewers. The game, developed by Monolith Productions, has everything you'd expect - lots of action, crisp graphics, cool weapons - and more. The "reflex time" is an incredibly entertaining feature and successfully replicates John Woo-style slow motion action scenes. The advanced A.I. of enemy soldiers makes combat more difficult and more unpredictable, which kept me playing the game on other modes long after I completed the single player campaign. And lo and behold, there's actually an interesting plot with a few nice twists!

The horror genre story offers several truly creepy moments and a tense atmosphere that keeps the game going in between firefights. I've ranked it as one of the scariest games I've played in recent years. And Alma, the phantom girl who wreaks havoc on your soul, has a few genuinely scary scenes that rank right up there with Samara crawling out of the television in "The Ring" and seeing the Grady Twins at the end of the hall in "The Shining."

Price: $29.99 (or $59.98 for both)

Resident Evil 4 (GameCube)

People told me how good Resident Evil 4 was for the GameCube, and I didn't really believe them. I read all of the critics' reviews of the game, and I scoffed at them. I read all of the "Game of the Year" and Top 10 accolades the title received, and it still didn't convince me. But a couple people told me to check it out after I wrote a short list of my favorite scary games recently, so I finally broke down. And holy crap, they were right. This game is tight. Resident Evil 4 begins with a totally new storyline for the series and takes place in a fresh setting: an unnamed European City where everyone apparently speaks Spanish and follows a sinister cult. That's right - instead of zombies, you face off against bloodthirsty villagers that looked like they jumped right off the dead cart in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, that's the same feeling I had about the game until I actually sat down and tried it. First, the game design is superb. Who knew that a GameCube title could look so good? Capcom created a totally new environment, look and feel for this RE installment, and it pays off. The visuals have a dark and dreamy tone that accentuates the relentless action and pulse-pounding music. As Resident Evil series character Leon Kennedy, players find themselves surrounded by murderous foes who move slowly at first and then, before you realize it, are suddenly upon you swinging axes. The GameCube control scheme doesn't make it easy, either; Leon doesn't run automatically (you need to press another button to bolt) and you have to remain stationary to aim your laser-sighted pistol. Resident Evil 4 is full of frightening moments, spooky segments and exhilarating action. And if you skipped over the GameCube and own a Wii (like me), it's worth picking up that old GameCube controller for another $20 bucks and enjoying the Wii's backward compatibility. Oh, and don't forget a GameCube memory card (another $20) since the Wii SD cards won't work.

Price: $19.99 (plus another $40 or so for the GameCube accessories)

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