When F.E.A.R. arrived for the PC format last year, it instantly gained some mass appeal amongst both the hardened game critics and hardcore players out there who were looking for the next great first-person shooting experience. The combination of the game's all-out intense action and horror shocks make it a one-of-a-kind item in an era when the first-person shooter had become anything but one of a kind, and made many "Game of the Year" lists as a result. Now, as expected, a port for the Xbox 360 is on its way, and while some may not feel the impact as they originally did on the PC, there's still no doubt that there's plenty of F.E.A.R. to go around once the game arrives this fall.

F.E.A.R.'s development for the Xbox 360 is being handled by the folks at Day 1 Studios, who gave us Mechassault and Mechassault 2: Lone Wolf for the original Xbox, so you know how dedicated the team is right off the bat when it comes to multiplayer scenarios and fast-paced action. They're following Monlith's work closely to make sure that the effect that the PC version had is included with the 360 edition, even if that means making a few adjustments to the home version so that the controller is mapped out just right and you have no problem facing these creepy paranormal threats.

Let's explain the plot briefly. You're a member of the F.E.A.R. team, which stands for First Encounter Assault Recon. An aerospace compound is your latest target, as some kind of strange paramilitary force has taken it over. They've taken hostages but haven't made any kind of contact as to what their demands are. Some kind of interruption in the radio waves cancels any further attempts at making contact, so action must be taken. Before that happens, though, the team sees soldiers on a live TV feed being ripped to shreds by an unspeakable force. It's up to you as a member of F.E.A.R. to find out just what this unspeakable threat is and contain it before it manages to escape the compound and wreak havoc on the public.

Day 1 Studios certainly has their work cut out for them. The original F.E.A.R. didn't just have the sound gameplay to back up its explosive action, but it also maintained a high-level of visual superiority through its wild effects, slowdown techniques, and ambient level design that really drew you in to whatever horrors were invading the place. Fortunately, they seem to be up to task thus far, as the Xbox 360 edition is looking pretty high in quality from the recent build of the game we've checked out. Both outdoor and indoor environments look equally stunning, widely spread out with enemies that animate and think cohesively and work to bring you down before you have a chance to do the same to them. The frame rate sits right about 30 frames per second at the moment, but we wouldn't be surprised if the final game somehow ends up in the 60-frame area.

The selection of weapons probably isn't going to win too many awards for originality, but they match up with the game's theme quite nicely and allow you to have some explosive results on the enemy soldiers. The rapid-fire battle cannon is a force to be reckoned with, able to rip apart enemies in a hail of bullets. The corkscrew missile launcher is also a nice little item as well. But, to me, it's all about the sub-nuclear blaster, which has the ability of cindering an enemy into ash in a matter of milliseconds, and having them break apart as you walk through their space. Instant cremation? Yep, looks like a possibility here.

The game also has a number of scenarios to its credit that are gripping and downright scary at times, including taking on a huge mech robot in a tense battle that nearly means the death of you a number of times. There's also a stunning helicopter crash, followed by an ambush of enemies that seem to gang up on you in a hurry and must be dealt with. The inclusion of a riding mission, where you have to blow away assassins on motorcycles before they quickly do you in, is a nice touch as well. But the general pacing of the game is having you move from one point to another, sometimes nearly in the dark and creating a creepy awareness around you that adds so well to the atmosphere.

We only had a small amount of time to give the Xbox 360 build a try, and it was in the middle of the added Instant Action mode where you simply hop into a battle in a specified area. Here, it was an outer warehouse setting, complete with storage boxes to hide behind and a number of enemy soldiers that had to be taken down. Like I said before, the game moves pretty fast, around 30 frames per second, and has plenty of detail, but what I was really surprised by thus far was the control. Day 1 has taken the time to map out the controller pretty well with all its complex functions, and while it may take a little getting used to for those who played the game on PC, F.E.A.R. on the Xbox 360 still handles reasonably well, complete with moves such as strafing and handling a weapon around corners working like a snap.

Ahh, Xbox Live. Truly this will be one of the most utilized features in the game. Day 1 is working to give the game full-on support with Microsoft's online network, and that will be one of its strongest appeals once it hits later this year. Although all the modes haven't really been specified as of yet in how this game will be supported online, we can expect Deathmatch to be right at the top of the list, whether in Instant Action or in a number of given stages. I wouldn't mind co-op or Team Deathmatch taking a bow here as well, and maybe some Xbox-exclusive maps making the cut also. I'm sure we'll learn more about the expansive online features soon enough, maybe even straight from Day 1 and Vivendi Games. Here's to hoping.

Regardless of the missing online details, F.E.A.R. looks to be another outstanding first-person shooter for the Xbox 360, and doesn't appear to be missing any kind of beat as far as its chills and thrills are concerned. Day 1 looks to be well up to the task of honoring Monolith's great content, graphics and gameplay and all, and the final game should definitely be something worth checking out. We'll be back with more coverage and a full review as the game nears its late 2006 release date. As far as how the game's coming, though, the only thing you'll have to fear is F.E.A.R. itself. Yikes, that was cheesy.