Gamers have certainly encountered plenty of suffering at the hands on Midway in the past, but there can be no doubts that they have been at their best when the games have been bloody. If the trailer to 'The Suffering' is anything to go by, this game is certainly going to be a gory experience.

Expected to be released around Halloween to enhance the horror of the title, 'The Suffering' places you in the character of Torque, stuck in a maximum security prison, next in line for execution. Why is Torque about to get the death sentence? Well apparently he committed a murder, though as the story unveils through it's nine levels you uncover the truth of the situation.

So how does Torque get out of his cell then, you may ask. Well, a variety of hideous creatures descend upon the prison, and accidentally free him. That leaves you fighting for you life against these creatures! Slaughtered prison guards will rise in a form to represent how their were killed, which isn't a pretty sight. But just when you think Torque could be in trouble, he can also transform into a furious freakish being, giving him extra power to take on the enemies. Of course, he can't do this all the time, so will also have to make use of the games weapons of which there are a variety, from hand combat weapons such as knives, to powerful guns.

If you're worried that this experience could be all gore and no game, let me try to set these fears at ease. Being in a prison, you'll come across all sorts of nasty characters, and their fate is up to you. You could leave them to die, or perhaps find another use for them. This adds a little thought into the game. What's more, your decisions throughout the game will lead you to one of three distinctly different endings. This means you'll have to play through the game all over again and do things differently to see it all.

The game doesn't just take place within the confines of the prison though, with some of the action taking place outside to add a little more variety to the look of the game. It's good to see that Midway haven't just focussed on the gore here, emphasising the lighting in many of the areas to add to the atmosphere.

Don't get me wrong though, Midway want to scare you with this game, claiming that it will redefine terror. A boast that is backed up by the use of experienced creature designer Stan Winston, who has worked on many top movies.

'The Suffering' is one of those games that people used to say that you don't get on Nintendo consoles, but with the Resident Evil series also making the 'Cube it's home the Suffering faces stiff competition. The idea of flashbacks, and horrific visions, even the look of some of the creatures is somewhat reminiscent of Eternal Darkness, but it will have a hard time bettering that title. However, if it really can redefine terror, Torque's adventure could quite easily keep us busy whilst we wait for Resident Evil 4.