After wowing PC gamers in 2005, Monolith has not only brought the psychological horror of their first person shooter F.E.A.R. to the Xbox 360, it has also given the console its first great shooter (no, I have not fired up Gears of War yet, so save the hate mail), as the mix of graphics, outstanding AI and atmosphere makes for a combination that truly feels next generation.

So I guess it’s ironic that this game first made waves on the PC, but the bottom line is that console gamers are finally able to reap the benefits that gamers on the PC have been enjoying for years, especially with the aforementioned AI, which is truly the star of the show here. From opponents jumping for cover and flanking, to tossing grenades at idle players and firing while on the run, the game truly takes a leap forward in first person shooter intelligence.

Of course, this comes with a price, one you truly won’t feel until halfway through the game’s 11 levels (or as they’re called in the game, intervals). Up until that point, fairly intelligent play – which means no running into a room Rambo-style - will be rewarded by a quick run-through that is challenging but not overbearing. Health packs are sprinkled liberally around the levels and checkpoints are frequent. In fact, it seems a little too easy. But once you hit intervals six and especially seven, all hell breaks lose in terms of difficulty, and the well of health packs and checkpoints runs dry just when you need it most. I’m talking a couple of hours to get past one sequence where you’re trying to make it from one abandoned building to another while being surrounded by abandoned buildings. Survive this though, and once you get to the final levels, it’s pretty much a cakewalk to get to the end, where some of the loose story ends are tied up.

Unfortunately, when it comes down to it, the story may be the weakest part of the game - not because of the premise of hunting down a psycho named Paxton Fettel, but because of the way the story is told, mainly by accessing computers and listening to voice mail messages, with the odd cutscene thrown in. In theory, this wouldn’t be a bad way to tell the story, but I found that the attention to detail in making walkie-talkie transmissions and answering phone messages sound realistic also forces you to crank up the sound on the TV just to hear what’s going on. Then when you move back into combat and forget to turn the volume down, you worry whether the cops will show up to investigate a shooting.

And I’ve got to be honest - though the story is creepy and atmospheric music and sound effects (as well as long stretches of silence as you walk through the levels), anyone who truly finds this game scary needs to get out more. After reading reviews of the PC version and of this edition of F.E.A.R., I was expecting to have nightmares after playing, but that just wasn’t the case, and for the record, I only jumped once.

These are minor quibbles which are more than compensated for by the graphics and gameplay on display here. As mentioned earlier, the AI is top notch, and the controls are as intuitive as can be, with the bumpers handling weapon switching and the game’s bullet time feature (which is implemented because you are the elite of the elite in terms of your quick reflexes, yada, yada, yada), a handy press of the directional pad switching on your flashlight, and a replenishment of health as close as the Y button. The learning curve here is minimal, and you’ll be taking down the opposition with ease within minutes.

Graphically, the game truly takes advantage of the 360 hardware (as much as an early generation game can) and the excellent detail is truly on display during the bullet time sections and when zooming in with your particle gun (my favorite weapon here, as it can disintegrate opponents with one shot – unfortunately, they’ve got one too). It’s not Gears of War, but no one will be complaining about the looks here, even though the environments can get a little monotonous after a while of walking through seemingly endless office spaces, warehouses, and industrial areas – basically the curse of most shooters.

When it comes down to it though, this is not your father’s shooter, full of brain dead opposition that makes each level a carbon copy of the previous one. F.E.A.R. is a game that will keep you on your toes, keep you guessing, and keep you interested until the final credits roll. That’s worth a lot these days.