For some, fear is an art; for even fewer, fear is the perfect premise for a video game.  The number of those who call survival horror games their favorite kind is dwindling with each passing month which yields few or no released in the genre. In fact, rather than being strengthened by the huge games it could previously lay claim to, survival horror has lost its biggest contenders in Resident Evil, F.E.A.R and Silent Hill. With Resident Evil 5, F.E.A.R. 2 and Silent Hill: Homecoming. As developers are taking their respective franchises in new directions, the list of heart-stopping thrillers amongst modern games is diminishing quite rapidly.

But there’s hope.

Games like Left 4 Dead 2, Dante’s Inferno, Dead Rising 2, and Bioshock 2 are all on the horizon, creeping closer and closer to release; when those games finally hit store shelves, they will undoubtedly make their way into the consoles of horror fans like heroes swooping to halt the most heinous of crimes. But there are other, lesser-known titles lurking in the shadows, awaiting their opportunity to shock the collective gaming public, two of which are Heavy Rain and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

Your most immediate reaction to what I last said was probably, “Heavy Rain? That won’t be scary!” and you’re justified in believing so. The game’s developers haven’t given off any sort of vibe indicating how frightening an experience it will be; but, the premise itself is what sets off the dark mood. The game will blend context-sensitive controls with plot-laden gameplay which seems sure to draw any player in. On a hunt for the Origami killer, a serial killer in their city, the characters will find themselves in desperate situations where the wrong choice may seal their fate -nothing can ever be taken back.

All it boils down to is extra emphasis on player choice. If you decide to dive at the guy robbing the store you’re in, he may turn and shoot you, causing a mortal wound. Unlike in the average game, though, that shot will kill you… for good. The plot will go on without you, and the story will adjust accordingly. Think of it as making your own improvisational horror movie. If roaming dark buildings which concealed psychotic killers scared you before, it’ll be doubly taxing to do so knowing that any error could spell doom for your favorite character.

But there’s no reason to feel stuck with one game for those hoping to find a horrifying and deep experience outside of Heavy Rain. Bioshock 2 is one of the most anxiously-awaited sequels of next year. The original Bioshock was a unique experience that changed what a first-person shooter could be. Before Bioshock, plot was a foreign word to shooter fans, though scariness was thrown into the mix by F.E.A.R.

The atmosphere, voice acting, attention to detail, soundtrack , and (most importantly) the Big Daddies all felt like extra touches on a masterpiece which elevated the game from a simple thriller to instant classic. Though you’d be better off playing the first game before diving into its sequel, there’s no reason for anyone desperate for a spooky game to pass on Bioshock 2, which will likely capitalize on its predecessor’s success.

But Bioshock has its own brand of fear apart from any standard set in certain societies. For example, most Japanese horror movies and games isolate their protagonists and plunge them into a terrifying world where only the most wretched of things exist. In American horror, there are usually lots of guns, women, and zombies…mostly zombies.

Left 4 Dead 2 is Valve’s tribute to American horror. Rather than engulfing players in a brilliant atmosphere which will strike a pang of fear in your very soul, L4D2 aims to surround you with hundreds of thousands of the living dead until you’ve assailed the last one and are feeling warily victorious… and then do it again. The formula seems to work out fairly well. The original Left 4 Dead exercised the poise of many gamers as they ran into rooms guns blazing only to smack face-first into a lumbering tank. Sometimes the cheap scares are the best ones.

There’s still a kind of fright that I haven’t yet tapped into appropriately, though. That Japanese style horror I mentioned before has had many of tweaks, which have made for some of the scariest of games. Dead Space is the best, most recent example of this, but Dante’s Inferno is the prime upcoming example.

Dante’s Inferno has the potential to be a lot of things. It could be a gory, gut-wrenching experience which plays upon what God of War accomplished. But it could also be one of the most chilling titles to be released in 2010.  You’ll be playing the game in Hell—literally. Enemies will spurt blood and entrails as you ravage them with your scythe seized from the hands of the Grimm Reaper himself; one of the first bosses you’ll battle will be a giant, undead Cleopatra come to take your soul to the deepest depths of Satan’s lair.

Unfortunately for those who need a game which will scare their pants off now, the only glimmers of hope are Left 4 Dead 2 and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories—two games which are in sharp contrast. But, the early part of next year is looking impressive with Dead Rising 2 and Aliens vs. Predator among the aforementioned titles. While contemporary games couldn’t be any less scary, the near future will make up for this, assuming nothing gets pushed back.

So hold your head high, horror fan.