There has been much deliberation on my part about this one, do I select a game which I actually feel guilty playing (i.e. spent too long playing it when I really should have been doing something else). Or maybe it's a bit rubbish and I know it but enjoy it anyway or maybe it's something I do within the game and in retrospect feel a bit ashamed of.

I certainly have examples for all three: I definitely spent too long playing Black & White during my study leave for 4th year exams and I know MGS4 was ridiculous and more movie than game but loved it anyway. The one that makes me wince a little has to be this though:

F.E.A.R. - PC

Indeed the question is why.

For those that haven't played it before, F.E.A.R. is an FPS with a heavy dose of Japanese style horror. The primary difference between F.E.A.R. and other shooters of the time was the rhythm change from spooky-scary to bloody-shooty. The gore and hit-box system was enthralling and visceral, grenades would tear people (well clones) apart showering bloody mist across any surface. Slow-mo would make the perforation of enemies into some kind of sickening beautiful art form as air-trails turned to bloody streams and limbs were ripped from bodies.

My guilty pleasure was to record these, erm, "artistic" death-scenes in all their glory. This would often mean I'd replay the same fight scenes, over, and over, and over to get that "perfect" carnage and capture it. Depending on the arrangement of the enemies, I'd experiment with different weapons to get the best effect:- Perforator for sticking enemies to ceilings, arranging them on walls etc. the machine-gun for great bullet slow-mo effects, HE grenades and of course lets not forget the mini-gun...

Judge for yourself if I'm sick and need help but at the time, it was damn good fun. However, in retrospect, it's a little weird and I think that it qualifies for the guilty pleasure award.

Here is some of my findings: (WARNING, OVER 18's ONLY!)

My F.E.A.R. screenshots

My personal favourite