F.E.A.R. B Demo for Xbox 360. Rated for ages 17 and up. Free on Xbox Live.

FEAR FACTOR: F.E.A.R. was a hit on the PC, with its frantic shooting action, cloned bad guys and ghoulish, haunted warehouse. The developers hope to capture that magic a second time on the Xbox 360. But while it's certainly a spooky experience, the demo feels a little sterile.

'DOOM 3' REDUX: F.E.A.R. draws its frights as much from what you don't see as what you do. Who's that weird little girl that keeps disappearing around corners? Why do the ceilings occasionally turn into upside-down rivers of blood? Why didn't somebody pay the electric bill? Yes, shadows build suspense, but stumbling constantly into metal shelves isn't fun, and I think we can find a flashlight that stays on longer than 30 seconds.

SHOOT TO THRILL: After a while, you get the sense that the shadows are used as much to conceal the boring environments as to ratchet up the tension. But there is plenty of tension, and I'll admit I pumped more than a few startled rounds into one of the ghosts that materialized out of nowhere.

BOTTOM LINE: F.E.A.R.'s going to have a hard time surviving the hype around Gears of War, which hits the Xbox 360 in early November. But if you like your shooters to be just a little bit terrifying, give this game a whirl.