Last Fall, developer Monolith shocked audiences with F.E.A.R., a PC fright fest that combines fast-paced arcade shooting with the creepy isolation felt in Konami's Silent Hill games and Monolith's own Condemned: Criminal Origins. Fast-forward to this Halloween, and we've been handed (courtesy of developer Day 1 Studios) an Xbox 360 port that includes all of the same content as its PC counterpart as well as some new additions that help extend the replay value. The game is an adrenaline-charged and bloody thriller that, despite featuring some of the most intense gunfights in videogames, never realizes its full potential.

Part of the problem is the story, or lack thereof. F.E.A.R. tells the tale of an elite soldier sent into a mysterious compound to capture a supernaturally powered whacko that's slaughtered hundreds of presumably innocent people. But there's a lot more going on than simple acts of murder. Not only does the slime ball have a small army at his command, a bunch of trained, ruthless military types, but there's also a strange little girl running around causing all sorts of mischief. The goal is to figure out what's going on, kill anything that moves, and put a stop to the carnage.

The narrative is decent, not great, and it's conveyed through all too brief cut scenes and voicemails that can be listened to by activating blinking phones. So instead of fleshing out and enhancing what could have been a tight, psychological thriller, the storytellers dialed in a narrative and it damages the game. Whereas Condemned: Criminal Origins places a large focus on slithering inside the mind of a serial killer (in addition to scaring the hell out of people), F.E.A.R. tosses in tiny bits and pieces of a story as well as lots of cheap scare tactics that lack substance. Bodies plummet to their doom, blood drips, and bizarre dream sequences hint at terrible things to come. However, the end result usually amounts to another firefight with soldiers who become less menacing the more they reappear. Day 1 Studios has done an excellent job building tension (it always seems like a monster is right around the corner), but it fails to release it. This, despite office buildings splattered in blood and assorted gore. Plus, creepy little girls have become quite the Hollywood cliche. It doesn't take a movie enthusiast to draw comparisons between F.E.A.R. and The Ring. Since the scars left by the awful The Ring Two are still fresh, that's not a good thing.

It also doesn't help that the game features an arsenal that'd make the Terminator do cart wheels. It's difficult to be scared while carrying two fully automatic rifles and a huge shotgun. Day 1 could've surprised everyone by tossing in more monsters than twisted human beings (which would've rendered bullets obsolete), but as the same enemy soldiers come into frame, they bring with them a reminder that "if it bleeds, we can kill it." With that in mind, F.E.A.R. quickly degenerates into a mindless, arcade shooter. Thankfully, this isn't a bad thing.

When it comes to shoot outs, nothing comes close to matching F.E.A.R.'s unbridled intensity. This is where the game shines, the point at which bullets and bodies sail through the air, engaging in a twisted ballet that costars blood, guts, and plenty of environmental destruction. Dust is kicked up, glass shatters, objects burst into several fragments, and exaggerated physics cause bodies to do 180s before tumbling over guard rails or plunging through windows. Other times, heads and arms are blown away, bodies are turned into disgusting mash, and substances ignite, sending jets of flame whipping around corners and licking soft, warm flesh. This is especially cool when the Slo-Mo meter is activated. By slowing down the action, all of the bullets, sparks, and deaths can be viewed for much longer periods. It's not exactly an original feature, as scores of games feature slow motion, but it enhances the overall experience.

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