I'm twitching nervously, sitting in my chair with the mouse and keyboard to hand. I've just figured out the hard way that a guard and a few of his cloned buddies are closing in. I run and take cover in one of the few nearby spots that I can use to compose myself. Darkness is all around, but I dare not switch on the spotlight in case the enemy sees me. After letting my heart rate calm down some, I start to move out. Noticing something in the distance, I stop and strain myself to look closer without moving. Listening carefully, I can hear radio chatter warning of an intruder in the area. They know I'm here and they're preparing for my arrival. I begin to shift forward slowly and purposefully. As I approach the radio static, a light source reveals a hidden enemy, casting a perfect shadow against the wall I'm facing, giving me the perfect chance to flush him out and show him why I'm a member of the First Encounter Assault Recon team.

I lean around the corner, only to find yet another corner blocking my view. Taking the risk with pistols in hand, I strafe round the corner - damn it, a guard hears me and turns around to fire! My insane reflexes kick in, another good reason why I'm attached to this unit, and with a touch on the SlowMo control, the world around me reduces to a snail's pace and my vision deepens, focusing on the enemy like a predator searching for its prey. I fire my twin AT-14 pistols and after several hits to the midsection, the guard slumps to the floor, blood pooling around him. I switch to my trusty RPL sub-machine gun in preparation for some serious booty bashing. More radio chatter in the background; the squad leader asks for the guard's status, but he's too dead to reply. The sound of heavy boots closing in has me wondering if I should leave the area, but there is nowhere to go.

Two more guards start shooting from the end of the corridor. I open fire and clouds of dust float into the air, temporarily obscuring the guards from vision. With no choice but to start moving, I strafe from side to side, willing the dust to settle so I can take proper aim. Presuming that F.E.A.R. could be similar to any other FPS out there was a big mistake on my part. I take a shot blind, but instead of the guards running towards me using the tactical formation 'pattern suicide', they move out of the line of fire. I manage to hit one though, splattering a misty cloud of blood onto the wall. I ponder for a moment after wincing and thinking "Yeah, that had to hurt," before continuing my barrage of machine-gun hate on the telepathically controlled grunts. Smiling, I rejoice the damage that I have brought but that's quickly replaced with a look of panic; I have underestimated this tactically aware squad and they have their own thoughts on who's going down first.

I was a little hesitant about adding F.E.A.R. to my collection because, well, it looked like it could possibly be 'just another FPS with a few detailed extras'. When I picked up the box I immediately thought Counter-Strike crossed with classic fright flick The Ring; it advertises itself as "a story of supernatural terror brought to life". Turning the case over though, I'm faced with gorgeous screenshots and various comments that give the impression that this is a truly frightening experience. I'm not just going to go on what some advertising or marketing guru says of course, so I hand over the cash and take this one home - and I'm so glad I did.

Set in the present day US, the story begins with Armacham having a problem with Project Origin. Armacham is the company contracted by the military to create cloned soldiers that respond to psychic commanders. The idea is that the use of these soldiers could potentially save countless numbers of lives if a highly experienced commander could pass his knowledge directly to soldiers on the field. A sound idea you might say, but what would happen if one of the psychic commanders goes dark, activating a battalion of soldiers and killing the entire security force? Enter First Encounter Assault Recon for short, a unit set up in 2002 by the US government to provide a rapid response to threats that can't be classified in any category other than paranormal. In other words, F.E.A.R. are the guys you call for the missions that no one else can do, or indeed dares to do. It's a bit like being an exorcist on steroids in a bad mood, armed with a rocket launcher who then stubs his toe on the table leg!

You are a member of F.E.A.R. and you're a little bit special. Your training and inexplicable reflexes, reflexes that your superiors have to watch on video in slow motion. Having made the team, your first assignment sees you thrown in the deep end, charged with locating of Paxton Fettle. He's a nice guy really and he's a bit special too. He's the kind of guy that you'd meet in a bar and talk about your favourite sports with. Maybe you would take him back to your mum's house and introduce him as your new best mate. He'd also lend you a fiver when you're down on taxi fare in the rain. An all round nice guy! Of course, you could be friends if you're into the telepathic control of cloned soldiers, or the cannibalism of all your other friends. You see, Paxton is the result of a military experiment gone psychotic and he really doesn't care. Fettle is scary. He's clever, cunning and has the ability to mess with your head all the way home.

Thinking further about this game though, you have to wonder how Monolith pulled it off. After all, 6 AI and 22 light sources in any one area are a feat and a half in a game that is this beautifully detailed. I'll admit that the FPS genre has moved along by leaps and bounds, but this title pushes the envelope so far out there that you'd expect it to be delivered by airmail.

The storyline is broken into various segments, allowing information to be passed to the player through a number of different means without giving too much away at any one time. These can be in the form of cut scenes, usually a psychic intrusion from Fettle, or through interactive objects within the game itself. A personal favourite of mine is the ability to access voicemails on phones and listen to a character relay their thoughts on their daily activities or even simple messages left for someone else. These give you a fuller sense on the purpose of the rooms and buildings you're in, drawing you further into a believable experience rather than just planting you in a room with a really big gun that fires really big bullets, fully inclusive with a deep cheesy voice chanting "kill everything!"

You are without doubt going to find yourself up against a number of soldiers, and firefights between you and the enemy come thick and fast. It's almost infuriating that this game isn't a simple run and shoot, but it's all the better for it. It's not always a quick headshot either; there's lots of ducking and weaving around pillars, crates or walls waiting for the perfect shot. There are a few moments where you're almost glad that there isn't an enemy around but don't take that for granted, as these guys are out there waiting for you.

The settings are visually stunning. Everything is realistic, from weeds growing in between the paving slabs right through to the warehouse type radiators, phone systems, graffiti on the walls and much more. Doors with shatter resistant glass panes are included, brick detail, hanging fluorescent strip lights, the whole works. Not only are the models highly accurate, but the textures are incredibly detailed too. This applies equally to the characters and the intro gives you an example of how good things will be. A conversation between three of the main characters from the F.E.A.R. team takes place and, taking a closer look, the lip synchronisation is fantastic. You would believe that these guys are really there on the other side of a webcam having a chat. The animation, the way they move when they talk, everything is outstanding.

Moving from location to location is really well done, allowing for opportunities to look around and get a feel for the environment before putting you on the offensive or even defensive. Should you accidentally or even purposefully take a shot at a nearby wall, just have a look at the actual bullet hole; depending on where you hit, be it plaster, wood or even brickwork, it actually appears like you took a chunk out with damage around the edges too. Nice attention to detail like that improves the immersing feel no end.

The lighting in F.E.A.R. is exquisite. Even at the very start of the game you're introduced to incredible lighting effects and how a flame can cast a flickering shadow against walls and other objects. Even the heat plume from the flames looks great. Inside buildings, light bulbs cast a different light than you get from sunlight if you're outside. A lot of love went into this - even the muzzle-flash of your weapons lights up the nearby area. Detailed areas come complete with accurate reflections in water, or in spilled blood. Nice. Something that is wet actually looks wet, not just like a different coloured patch on the floor.

The enemy AI is top class; never before have I come across a title where if a guard is backed into a room with no exit except for a window, rather than getting shot, he'll dive out of the window, and not always to his benefit, to get out of harm's way. If you manage to catch it, you may even spot a guard heading towards a med-kit to heal himself after taking damage. The guards can triangulate your position and they will hunt you down, coordinate their efforts, flank you and kill you, it's as simple as that, so if you're loud or stupid enough, you might as well be painting yourself as a walking target. Don't forget, they each have the tactical and strategic experience of Fettle, who has more than enough field experience to go around, so you are definitely up against a tough crowd. There are even a few moments where you think the enemy must be cheating because they're so good. Again, don't forget that the player has entered a realm of realism where the enemy is trained in combat. They know the weapons as much as you do. They aim and hit you, they throw grenades that explode in your vicinity, they see you if you move. Be as stealthy as you like but if they see you, they see you. There is no margin for error in real life, so why have you believing that soldiers in games are slow and stupid?

Basic soldiers aren't the only enemy that you're going to find while finding your way through the various levels and buildings. Stealth assassins are almost invisible until they are in position to attack successfully and when they attack, they're quick. You're also faced with bigger more heavily armoured soldiers that carry the larger weapons. Just think The Terminator with more armour and you're about right.

The worst is yet to come and you had better believe it, it does. If you thought a cannibalistic military genius was scary, I have only one word for you: Alma. This is the embodiment of the little girl who's doll you broke just to see her cry, or the little girl who wants the latest Barbie and wants it now. Alma is the very reason why your backside is numb and raw after jumping out of your chair and landing on it so many times. Her power is unquestionable and her reasoning for the most part is unknown. If she turns up heading in your direction, run and do it fast!

There is a selection of weapons to choose from and these include the pistols, a combat shotgun, sub machine guns, assault rifles, a rocket launcher and a couple of lovely futuristic weapons too, plus grenades, proximity mines and remote bombs. All of these have their advantages and disadvantages of course, and it is up to yourself to find which suits you best. Each of these weapons is beautifully detailed and a pleasure to use when wiping out the enemy forces, but do not take ammo for granted. You do run out and there might not be enough around for you to reload, so make sure that each shot counts. Also, to add to the illusion of realism, you can only carry three weapons at a time, four if you include wielding dual pistols.

F.E.A.R. is an amazing concept plain and simple. It is a first person shooter, but it's one that has learned from the mistakes from the past. Take realistic physics, gorgeous visuals, plenty of immersing sound, psychological mind games, a pinch of horror and mix that with a storyline to rival any big budget movie and there you have it, something completely new. You might actually think, "hey, this isn't new at all! We've all seen a scary first person shooter and realistic rag-doll effects in a game before!" and you would be correct, except that the team at Monolith did themselves proud by doing it RIGHT!

What you have in your hands is a first class title with something for everyone. Dare I say it? It's a little like food. You might have pizza on your plate when you really wanted steak, or cucumber when you desperately needed chips. Gamers sometimes get fed up with one game and move onto a different one, purely because at that moment, they need something else. Well, this has got more on the menu than any other FPS I've seen to date and it's a title that I'm going to be coming back to time and time again.

Reviewed by Criag Sunderland for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).