A handful of the I.R.I.S radio transmissions come right out of ‘Predator.’ ‘If it bleeds, we can kill it!’ and ‘He is one ugly mother…’ are common phrases in the game. The Hidden can also taunt the assault team with sayings such as: ‘I see you.’ and ‘over here.’

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Predator,” you’ll remember the jungle destruction scene. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his pals tear down half the jungle in a hail of gun fire screaming at their phantom enemy.

“The Hidden: Source” is no different. It perfectly blends fear and tension to create a very unique atmosphere that many games fail to simulate.

Just recently, “The Hidden: Source” entered its third stage of beta testing. This free mod of “Half-Life 2” puts you in the shoes of either an Infinitum Research Intercept Squad (I.R.I.S) member or Subject 617, otherwise known as “The Hidden.” The story is simple enough: Subject 617 has escaped from testing; I.R.I.S agents have to track it down and eliminate it.

The I.R.I.S can consist of one to eight members and has many tools to dispose of The Hidden. Their gear includes sonic trip alarms (The Hidden cannot see them) or adrenaline shots that increase your speed.

The shotgun makes an appearance, as do the traditional assault rifle and machine gun. The last gun is called a “Less Lethal Launcher.” It does little damage, but blurs The Hidden’s vision and slows it down.

So how does The Hidden deal with eight elite military soldiers looking to blow its face off? Armed with nothing but a knife, the Hidden may seem at a disadvantage, however, it has a wide range of abilities at its disposal. It can cling to walls, perform one-hit “pig-stick” kills or slash the enemies to death and then hang them up as trophies.

The Hidden is faster than the I.R.I.S members, and has grenades to obliterate campers with and a special vision that sees who is almost dead so it can pick off weaklings. Oh, and the Hidden is nearly invisible as well.

The Hidden is difficult to track because of its Predator-like camouflage. When it moves, it’s a blur. But when it stands still, you don’t really know that you’re looking at. The Hidden’s greatest power is the element of surprise.

When you become the Hidden for the first time, you can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and invulnerability. It is entertaining to watch players run past you and then give them a quick slash and see them unload an entire clip in every which direction.

A handful of the I.R.I.S radio transmissions come right out of “Predator.” “If it bleeds, we can kill it!” and “He is one ugly mother … ” are common phrases in the game. The Hidden can also taunt the assault team with sayings such as “I see you.” and “over here.”

Don’t be surprised if you play this game and start firing at something you think you saw. More than likely, other players will fire blindly, your team member will explode from a pig-stick and you’ll still be wondering where the hell this thing is. Not knowing where the enemy is keeps you on your toes. But, when you finally do spot the Hidden, it’s usually too late.

If you have “Counter-Strike: Source” or “Half-Life 2,” I suggest picking up this free mod (hidden-source.com). With a good variety of maps to play around in, a slew of weapons to choose from and an overall great time, “The Hidden: Source” is the best mod out there right now.

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