F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) is a first-person shooter developed by Monolith Productions and published by Vivendi Universal Games in October 2005 for Windows. The game blends intense gunplay with psychological horror, following a fictional special forces team investigating a telepathic commander who has seized control of a private military facility. Players control a new recruit with superhuman reflexes, which allows slow-motion "reflex time" during combat, while facing cloned super-soldiers and unsettling paranormal phenomena. F.E.A.R. was acclaimed for its advanced enemy AI, which enables opponents to use cover, flank, and communicate, as well as its impressive graphics and particle effects that pushed hardware requirements at the time. The game’s horror elements are delivered through scripted sequences, hallucinations, and a terrifying atmosphere. Though criticized for repetitive environments and a relatively short campaign, F.E.A.R. was a commercial and critical success, spawning two expansions and a sequel.