As the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq approaches (March 20, 2008), it’s more apparent than ever that the new reality of warfare that faces America has turned combat simulation markedly more cynical.

In 2002, the year before the US entered Iraq, the only war game to crack NPD’s yearly top 10 in sales was Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, a typical love letter to the brazen, open battles of WW2. In 2007, Halo 3‘s histrionics took the top spot. But something else was going on. Not only was Call of Duty 4‘s sickly familiar terrorism narrative the third best seller. But there was Assassin’s Creed at No. 9, as well.

Not only are games focusing on the regions, weapons and tactics employed in warfare dominated by terrorism, they are also starting to delve deeply into its hows and whys…

Condemned 2 hits store shelves this week smashing together two for no-brainers gamers: frights and first-person combat. It’s a formula that’s looked tempting on paper for a number of developers over the years, and, from time to time, has led to some top-notch experiences. Here’s a short run down of other notable shots at the FPS horror sub-genre.

+Doom (MS-DOS, 1993) — Doom took a brooding, vivid depiction of hell, sprinkled in some fierce firepower, and blew everyone away. It wasn’t just that it looked, sounded and played better than anything before, it also put you right in the middle of it. It seems like a foregone conclusion today, but the game’s message of immersion was so stark, it was frightening.