For video game player who can’t wait for the upcoming releases of “Silent Hill 4” or “Resident Evil 4,” Midway Games Inc. has created a horror survival game to satisfy gamers’ appetites for the time being.

“The Suffering” is a gruesome first-person shooter game with action, puzzles and (of course) monsters.

Warning: The game is full of blood, gore, and strong language.

The main character, Torque, is an inmate at Abbott State Penitentiary convicted of murdering his wife and two sons. However, he has no recollection of the murders.

As Torque arrives at the island prison, “all hell breaks loose.”

Terrifying creatures take over the prison and kill everything and everyone in sight, including security guards.

With no one around, Torque is free to explore the jail and look for a means of escape from the maximum-security facility. Throughout the game, Torque acquires bottles of pills for healing, several flashlights (excellent for the dark and creepy background), and numerous weapons.

One weapon is a large shiv – perfect for battling monsters.

All of this is strangely similar to the old “Resident Evil” games, except for the nonexistent zombies.

“The Suffering’s” cast of monsters is quite bizarre and grotesque. Several of the horrid creatures look like mummies who have swords for arms, while others are corpses with hypodermic needles for eyes. Another fascinating monster is the massive hulk, with machine-gun looking tumors projecting from its back.

Adding to the eerie atmosphere of the game is the unique and disturbing setting of the penitentiary.

The lighting is low, and the walls and floors are smeared with blood.

Some of the prison cells contain disturbing messages scrawled across the walls.

As Torque progresses through the game, weird images flash on the screen while crazed voices argue in his head.

And as he passes through rooms, horrible visions such as murders and executions flash across the screen.

The visual effects are reminiscent of the movie remake of “House on Haunted Hill.”

Although “The Suffering” seems to be a pretty decent horror game, it lacks in a few areas.

For example, the small variety of monsters makes for some tedious gameplay, and the controls are a bit difficult to master. The background also becomes a bit boring after a while. And although the environment of the prison is overall twisted, every jail cell and corridor begin to look the same.

Overall, “The Suffering” is a reasonably good horror/survival game, with some frightening visuals and a terrifying atmosphere.

Although the game may be a bit repetitive in certain areas, overall it is fast-paced, and more gruesome than most video games, leaving those hungry horror gamers quite satisfied.