Occult Classics

uch like heavy-metal music or Dungeons & Dragons used to, computer and video games have often been cited as a source of societal woe, especially for younger generations. That's in part because games have opted to broach some decidedly risqué subject matter over the years. Up until Grand Theft Auto III unflinchingly portrayed urban corruption and violence, probably the most objectionable content you could find in games related to the occult. These games aimed to shock and disarm audiences with grotesque and arresting imagery. So on this day, eerily coinciding with 666, the Biblical Mark of the Beast, we figured we'd engage in some mildly deviant behavior of our own by rounding up the top 10 games of this ilk. Here they are in alphabetical order.

Blood

Developer Monolith Productions continues to be a purveyor of excellent first-person shooters to this day, and the company got its name on the map with a deliciously gory game simply called Blood. Putting you in command of an otherworldly gunslinger named Caleb, Blood let you shoot the hell out of demonic forces using a satisfying variety of overpowered weapons.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

Based on the work of influential horror author H.P. Lovecraft, Dark Corners of the Earth lets you play as a detective trying to keep his sanity while unraveling an ancient and sinister plot involving dark gods and unspeakable evil. This atmospheric game delivers the sorts of chills you'd expect from Lovecraft, and while the cult you end up investigating doesn't worship Satan, it worships something that isn't a whole lot more pleasant.

Clive Barker's Undying

This inspired first-person shooter has you investigating an Irish family's dark, sinister secrets. You'll get to use powerful enchanted weapons and magical abilities to fight your way past all manner of hellish foes. Some of the memorable ones include a snarling Tibetan war cannon and a spell that summoned cackling skulls that exploded on contact. Notably, this was megapublisher Electronic Arts' last Mature-rated game for several years.

Devil's Crush

How can you improve on the classic pinball-table design? How about by adding devils and upside-down pentagrams to the proceedings? Other pinball games tried to mimic its design (remember Crue Ball? No?), but Devil's Crush wasn't just one of the first games of its kind--it's still one of the better examples of how pinball can be action packed.

Diablo

Blizzard's genre-defining action role-playing game invited you to adventure down into the depths of hell itself. The game's nontraditional portrayal of hell was interesting, but its fire-spewing title character--naturally, the main villain waiting for you at the end--is the very vision of what a monstrosity from hell might look like. Diablo's amazing presentation and addictive gameplay made the game tremendously successful, despite the intense subject matter.

Doom

Hell's forces must be shot and killed with extreme prejudice in id Software's definitive sci-fi shooter. While much of Doom has you exploring enemy-infested futuristic hallways using weapons like shotguns and plasma rifles, the occult theme gradually comes into play, and suddenly you find yourself at hell's doorstep, fighting for your life. The game's technology and exciting action are the main reasons it earned its popularity, but its visuals are unforgettable, as well.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

An ancient evil as old as history itself threatens the world in this atmospheric and innovative action adventure game, one of the true greats for the Nintendo GameCube. You play as a variety of different characters through the ages, discovering how each one falls victim to an otherworldly, demonic force. Can it be stopped, or will these characters' minds collapse under the sheer weight of the terrifying evil of their adversary?

Painkiller

Clearly inspired by id Software's games, this first-person shooter took the battle against the forces of hell to a whole new level. Eschewing the fire-and-brimstone cliché, Painkiller portrays hell as a series of violently lifelike environments, culminating in an incredible final encounter against the devil himself. Painkiller's heavy-metal stylings and fantastic weapons and visuals made the game great fun.

Satan's Hollow

This old shoot-'em-up shocked kids accustomed to the vanilla flavor of similar games such as Space Invaders and Galaga. This one had you blasting your way through one hellish level after another, while sometimes having to shoot down pitchfork-wielding devils bent on fast-tracking you to the game over screen. The ultimate objective was to gun down the Prince of Darkness himself...all to the digitized tune of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries!"

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

In most role-playing games, the goal is to save the world. In this one, you're too late. Your character, a typical Japanese high school student, somehow manages to survive a catastrophic event in which demonic forces completely overwhelm Japan, transforming it into a netherworld filled with spirits and devils. You aren't unscathed by this process, either, and you'll need to band together with some of the warped creatures you encounter to survive. Note that Nocturne is part of a long-running series.

Honorable Mention

The following games aren't the ones that first spring to mind when we think of occult classics, but the voices in our heads promised they wouldn't go away unless we mentioned them to you.

It's like SimCity for the dearly departed. You'll need to build out both heaven and hell simultaneously in this whimsical city-building game.

Disciples II: Dark Prophecy

This excellent fantasy-themed turn-based strategy game features four playable factions, including the Legions of the Damned, whose demonologists, devils, cultists, and other tortured souls are downright frightening.

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

The bratty son of the Prince of Darkness is the would-be hero of this cleverly designed strategy role-playing game. Are the forces of the netherworld as smart as they are fearsome looking...?

Indigo Prophecy

As if possessed by demons, one night Lucas Kane brutally stabs a man to death in the bathroom of a New York City diner. Discover what forces compelled his actions in what's one of the best adventure games in years.

Messiah

As a cherubic little angel named Bob, you're tasked with taking on the Devil himself, who's taken over a bleak, dystopian future.

Requiem:
Avenging Angel

In this first-person shooter, you play as a machine-gun wielding angelic bad ass. We can't make this stuff up.

The 7th Guest

Venture into the mansion of a diabolical toy collector whose name can be rearranged to spell Faust and solve a bunch of his sinister yet inane puzzles in this memorable game.