The second and most important component is the atmosphere, created in the game using a combination of clever sound effects, powerful music, and fantastic imagery all woven together in an interesting plot. The intro alone was enough to get me excited about this game as the Helghan forces are led in a rousing speech, and soon after begin their assault. Dropped into the middle of a trench at the beginning of the game, I actually found myself cowering behind walls to avoid the incoming Helghast.

The player character in the game can be varied, often altering the path of the mission slightly to suit the particular capabilities of each available soldier. The theme however remains quite similar as you progress, usually aided by a team of troopers, through shattered cities once populated by happy citizens, but now patrolled by the Helghast.

The black armour the Helghast wear isn't just for show either - you can unload entire clips into protected surfaces with little effect. To take down enemy soldiers quickly, you'll have to get used to targeting softer areas, usually the head, and be ready to change weapon at a moments notice. Restricted to three weapons (you can't just carry everything around with you), its important to maintain a variety of weapons in order to tackle each situation.

Though it might seem strange, the nicest visual touch for me is the fact that the brightest thing you see in the game is the orange eyes of the Helghast. Take a look at the picture on the left side of this page to see what I mean. Its quite spectacular walking into an ambush with a group of Helghast waiting in a dark room. As they spring out, the only things you see are their eyes and the glare from the barrel of their guns.