F.E.A.R.

First Encounter Assault Recon (F.E.A.R.) is just too cool of a game. In a crowded first player shooter market, this game really stood out by combining the spookiness of Japanese horror with outstanding graphics and gameplay. This game keeps you constantly on edge and provides several heart-stopping encounters of the supernatural kind. The scary parts of the game do smack a bit of The Ring and The Grudge but the game does do it well. Although the story isn’t the most creative one in the world, they present it very well in little bits and pieces throughout the game and leaves enough intrigue and mysteries for a sequel.

Not only that, FEAR has the best enemy AI (artificial intelligence) I’ve seen in any game I’ve played. These enemies flank you, notice your flashlight, call for backup, take cover, and even stick guns around the corner to fire at you. On one occassion, as I approached an enemy soldier, he kicked up a large table to use as cover against me! If that’s not smart enemy AI, I don’t know what is. In today’s market it’s hard for a first-person shooter to do something unique and provide interesting gameplay. Most of them turn into bland shoot-em-all type of games. Eery passby’s, unpredictable enemy surprises, and horror-movie themes make this game very enthralling.