Area 51 is one of those rare gems that don’t get much in the way of promotion. Although it uses basic 1st person shooter formulas it executes with such precision that it doesn’t need flashy gizmos akin to those in Project Snowblind to stand out and provide good gameplay. It instead pushes players forward with its intense plot and event scripting. There’s never a dull moment and the voice acting by David Duchovny and Marlin Manson is superb, perhaps one of the best aspects of this game. David Duchovny’s voice-work provides the perfect atmosphere for the narrative and really gives character to Ethan Cole, the protagonist. The visuals are up to the standards of any other 1st person shooter out there. The levels are spacey enough for combat but aren’t that varied as the game plays out in Area 51, (another one of those ‘facilities’ that seem to pop-up everywhere in games these days) so one has to appreciate the effort gone into making the levels seem not so in your face. It’s right up there with Halo and Killzone and is perhaps a better buy than say Pariah or Close-Combat: First to Fight depending on what you are into. Definitely for those looking for intense-situation action and thrills. And as a bonus there are virtually no loading times.