It's hard to articulate the intensity of the single-player mode of F.E.A.R. The sound effects are so crisp and clear, you'll find yourself jumping out of your skin; the sound of your own bullets scattering across the floor is so real, you almost feel like you're really shooting at someone or, in this case, something. Well, almost.

Throughout the game your character is given objectives where you start in an area which was previously the scene of a grisly cannibalistic murder. Your first mission is to find Paxton Fettel, the whacko caught on surveillance camera munching down on somebody's arm. Now, that's enough to get the heart pumping. After further investigation, it appears that Mr. Fettel is being guarded by his own personal bodyguards who look ready to turn you into a corpse if you even so much as look at him the wrong way. Basically, you're on a one way trip to Hell and Fettel is the Devil incarnate.

Movement within the game is smooth sailing, but ensure you have the game settings optimised for game play. In addition to the weapons and technology your character uses, you also get to have a bit of 'bullet-time' action with an option called 'Slo-Mo'. Using Slo Mo can mean the difference between your body parts splattering all over the floor or your enemy's. The catch is that you can only use the Slo Mo option when you have enough saved up. Use it wisely; there will be certain situations you will encounter when you're out-gunned and out-numbered so you have to think on your feet all the time. Remember, you're there to eliminate the threat, not the other way around.

When you're not having flash backs of rivers of blood and floating body parts, you're probably thinking that your character is going a little crazy. Do not exit the game at this point. This experience for your character is quite normal. Without giving too much of the storyline away, F.E.A.R is about a little girl in a red dress who seems to be haunting you. The intriguing thing is that you have no idea who or what she is and that's enough to keep you running on empty just to get to the next med kit.

You'll become accustomed to three words playing in F.E.A.R, which are: 'you were killed. Don't despair. The save features in F.E.A.R allow for even the worst soldier in the world to start the game again from the last save point. A tip to remember - the F5 and Z keys are your friends. Be prepared to use each and every med kit you find and make sure you save your game - often. F5 allows for quick saves and it's a great thing to know. There are also several different levels of difficulty to choose. You're often reminded of this fact every time you die... almost as if the game knows it's beating you. Creepy.

Part of the experience of F.E.A.R is directly related to the environment. There are so many rooms waiting for you around the corner which lead you to a dark hallway with no light. There are claustrophobic air conditioning vents where the sound of your character breathing can make you edgy and to add to the atmosphere, your HUD displays an incoming transmission from an 'unknown' source. It's just disturbing. Your finger is twitching away to start shooting at something because the sound of hearing bullets whizzing through the air is more comforting than the eerie silence. That's the feeling you want from a game like this and F.E.A.R delivers it all.