The cold will freeze you in minutes. What waits inside can kill you in seconds.

And then there is fear ­ that insidious element that can turn comrades against one another, or reduce a strong man of action to a quivering jellyfish coiled up in a fetal position.

The Thing, a Xbox release from Black Label Games and Universal Interactive, has all the elements that make an action-adventure/role-playing game intriguing, entertaining, and scary.

To understand the premise for this game, one needs to retrace the past.

In 1951 a scary little black-and-white "B" horror movie introduced the world to a "what-if" scenario. What if a spacecraft, carrying a malevolent life form the scientist thought more akin to plant than animal, but with the voracious appetite of a Venus flytrap, crashed into one of the coldest places on the planet, effectively putting the life force in the deep freeze? And what if a group of scientists discovered that life force and inadvertently thawed it out, only to be trapped in that outpost because of inclement, impassable weather conditions? The Thing (From Another Planet) was born, providing terror and suspense.

In 1982 director John Carpenter updated the thriller, and gave new life to the psychological terror, and sheer horror of the original film. That movie ends with (apparently) two survivors remaining at that forsaken outpost. Is the alien dead, one of the survivors, or lurking someplace else?

For the record, The Thing was the result of a virus that could take over the host and assume any shape, or combination of shapes. Each cell was as aware and alive as the one next to it ­ meaning that anyone or anything could be The Thing. There was really no way of telling if the person standing next to you was the individual you had known for so long, or The Thing, unless you used heat or electricity.

The Xbox game moves the story forward. It begins with a recording of two scientists encountering, and apparently dying from an attack of The Thing.

The military, having not heard from the outpost, sends in Capt. Blake and his squad to find out what happened. And wouldn’t you know it, they have no clue what went on (because no word was received by the outside world), and a storm system is settling in, making immediate recovery of the soldiers impossible.

To make matters worse, they haven’t really been given all the ammunition or weaponry they are going to need.

Nice premise for a first-person shooter, but this game goes well beyond that arc ­ using a Trust/Fear system that will grate on the nerves on anyone playing it. As Capt. Blake, you have to be decisive of what you are doing. If you counter orders to the soldiers under your command, they will begin to lose their trust of you. That could be deadly as the game progresses. They may take away your weapons, disobey your orders or worse. Fear also plays a role in the degradation of the team. Soldiers can break down mentally and physically under the stress of the situation.

If this sounds like real life, it is because the developers have managed to invoke real emotion into the game.

Take for example what happens early in the game. You have progressed past finding the remains of the spaceship, and have found the key that enables you to enter the infirmary. Inside the building you will find a carcass, which scares your medic. His fear factor is now on the rise, and he must be calmed down. You can help overcome some of the fear by finding and using hypodermic needles with an adrenaline shot.

As leader of the group, you must manage both the trust and fear factors of your team. And watch out for one of them to be infected by the alien virus.

The game is played out in third-person perspective, though you can use a free-look view to see around corners. The game also lets you take advantage of an auto-aim feature, unless you are quick enough to aim and fire.

The control elements are well designed and the opening scenes act more like a tutorial to prepare you for what is to follow. While the game is linear in the way you must move through the game, what happens on each level is in your hands. Yes, you will have to get from Point A to Point B, and those two points won’t vary, but how you get there is up to you.

When it comes to the graphical elements of this game, both exteriors and interiors are quite well designed with solid lighting and action effects. The storyline may be creepy, but the graphical elements help pull the whole thing together. There is a feeling of isolation and impeding horror, and the graphics do a nice job of capturing that.

The game pulls from the film for its musical score, and adds the song "After Me" by Saliva. The vocal characterizations may sound a little forced at times, but the general feel is still carried forward.

The Thing is not so much a shooter game ­ though those elements are in abundance ­ nor is it a role-playing game, although it boasts elements akin to that genre. This is a psychological thriller, preying upon the mind as much as it is an action-packed romp through a chilly wasteland.

If you are looking for a game where your heart pounds as fingers as your fingers need to move across the controller, this is the game for you.

This game is rated Mature for violence, and blood and gore.

Gameplay: 8.5
The game features save spots that you must get to in order to record your progress. Once in-game, this program moves seamlessly from one location to the next. There are a number of cutscenes, and managing your team can interrupt the game’s flow.

Graphics: 8.8
From soft blue lights marking outdoor paths, to interiors rife with hostile forces, this game looks good. The characters are a little stiff, movement wise, but once the action picks up, the animation is fine. Effects are well done. The game does have a few clipping problems, but those can also be overlooked.

Sound: 8.9
The musical score is excellent, while the special effects are amazing. The audio tracks do an incredible job of advancing the mood of the game. The language can be a little rough, but then you are dealing with soldiers in a hostile environment ­ it’s to be expected.

Difficulty: Medium
The control system is nicely designed, and you should be able to learn it quickly. The action is intense, and the game will definitely challenge players. This is not a simple blast ‘em all game; you will have to think in order to get past some of the creatures.

Concept: 9
The Trust/Fear aspect of this game sets this game apart from the pack. Eternal Darkness (for the GameCube) jumped into the psychological fear aspect with both feet and while this game touches on the fear factor, it also plays off the trust aspect of human relationships very well. This is one of the first games to actually, and realistically, capture a range of human emotion.

Overall: 8.9
This is a game that is scary, intense, fun and totally enjoyable. The Thing is a qualified hit, and anyone who doesn’t mind the level of violence, gore and blood will find this an addicting experience.