Historically, war has often been depicted through rose-tinted glasses, where everyone goes off, has a jolly good time and returns home with the odd scar or two.

With technological advances meaning frontline reports are beamed to every household with a TV set, Joe Public now has a pretty accurate view of the harsh brutality of combat.

Fighting techniques have come a long way, with the main infantry work done by small squads of heavily armoured, highly mobile soldiers who can quickly penetrate enemy territory. We're way too scared to actually sign up for the Armed Services, so the latest offering from THQ is the closest thing most of us will ever get to experiencing the real thing. Full Spectrum Warrior is actually a commercial version of a hard-as-nails training simulator developer Pandemic designed for the US Army, and we're more than pleased to say the lethal legacy of that remains in this fantastic title.

The game takes place in the fictional war-torn country of Zekistan and, Borat jokes aside, this is an atmospheric amalgamation of every Middle-Eastern country out there, complete with dusty back streets and imposing mosques. Before saddling up for our tour of duty though, we're packed off to the Army's MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Training) centre, to get to grips with the pleasingly simple task of simultaneously controlling the two fire teams in your squad - Alpha and Bravo.

Each soldier has a distinct role within the fire team, immediately accessed via the D-pad. Players are instructed on cover techniques, engaging enemies, flanking and using each soldier's abilities to maximum potential.

But let's state one thing from the outset: Full Spectrum Warrior is a strategy simulation - nothing more, nothing less. Players do not physically 'shoot' enemies themselves, gunplay is all about setting specific Fire Sectors for your squad with Team Leaders (that's you that is) varying the intensity of fire.

The real crux of the game is how to safely move your whole team from point A to point B through a whole range of different environments, from ambush-prone alleyways to heart-stopping gallops across exposed open areas. Every single move you make must be a carefully planned and executed cohesion of the two teams after analysing and accounting for every potential threat. The patience of a saint is required here, as simply charging through a war zone will see your squad cut to shreds within seconds. As a golden rule of thumb, Alpha moves whilst Bravo covers, and vice versa. Thanks to brilliantly intuitive controls, movement is pleasingly accessible; simply select a squad, move the cursor, then execute the Move command with a quick tap of the A button. It's actually quite daring of THQ to mix a shooter with a point-and-click strategy style, but combing the two has turned out to be on a par with the greatest military masterstrokes in history, as the resulting gameplay is an innovative hybrid of thoughtful strategy and tactical action.

Everything is replicated exactly to US Army doctrine, so your virtual vanguards behave exactly how they would in a real-life scenario. Your boys are bound to the army's combat operating procedure, that dictates they can only fire when fired upon and will not return fire if safely protected by solid cover. Your team-mates fantastic AI will accurately make these tactical decisions completely unaided, and inform you (in an entertainingly colourful way) if they need to quickly change position. By setting Fire Sectors on any given area, teams can point fire (accurate, controlled shooting that distracts an enemy) or suppress (a ferocious barrage of bullets that keeps an enemy's head down, yet burns through ammo) a position whilst the other squad legs it to the next point of cover. If the other team is indisposed, the Bounding technique, where our squaddies move two by two covering a designated direction for approaching hostiles, is the safest option. Once players are locked into this mindset it soon becomes second nature to scan each scenario for available cover, and move each team to protect all available angles.

It's hard to convey through static screenshots the true character of a game, so trust us when we say Full Spectrum Warrior leaps out of the screen and violently drags you kicking and screaming into the conflict. The animation of each character is astounding - designate the Move command and, just like in real life, they'll check around for enemies, shoulder their weapons then get up and run to the next cover spot in a spookily realistic way. Players will develop a real affinity with each squad member (helped by individual war flick-style intros), making an untimely death that bit more tragic. Full Spectrum Warrior delivers brilliant, blood-splattered slow-mo death throes that detail in sepia-tinged glory your guys buying the farm.

Again, army doctrine dictates that no man is left behind, so it's up to another team member (if you wish) to hike the body back to the nearest Casevac site. The upside - you get a replacement squad member, the downside - you're one gun down and the remaining soldiers will move a lot slower. If two members of your team are hit, then the squad can no longer function properly, and it's game over. It really is that real. Again harping back to its army sim days, Full Spectrum Warrior continuously records each mission so players can rewind faster than Craig David to see exactly where they went wrong.

The action takes place over a 24-hour period, giving the developer ample chance to show off its gorgeous real-time lighting effects. You can practically feel the chill in the early morning air, as soft light illuminates the horizon and casts lengthy shadows, or sweat your way through the harsh intensity of the blinding midday sun.

The brilliant Havok 2 physics engine ensures an equally enthralling experience, and goes a long way to confirming the 'war is hell' adage. Most open cover (abandoned cars, sandbags and discarded crates) will visibly degrade under sustained fire, and it's an extremely unnerving experience to see chunks of the only thing between you and certain death flying off before your very eyes. Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) come screaming in from all angles and devastate the surrounding environment, and the whole screen shakes and rumbles with every explosion.

Utilise the 5.1 surround sound capability, and you'd better pack a spare pair of army-issue briefs as bullets zip past your head and enemy tanks pepper your position with cannon fire to create a terrifying yet exhilarating experience. Vengeance can be brutal however, by calling in an airstrike from your gunships. Watch with glee as armoured tanks are blown to pieces in deafening, pant-wettingly good explosions.

But let's not make any bones about it - Full Spectrum Warrior is very, very tough. Every corner and open space is a puzzle to be calculated. Trial and error gameplay is distinctly absent too, because great enemy AI means they'll behave differently every single time. Non-linear gameplay means that each mission can be carried out in a completely different way, yet fantastic level design ensures there's always plenty of viable cover available.

There's no shame in simply keeping an enemy occupied whilst your squad moves to the next waypoint, as opposed to laying waste to anything that moves. The fully rotational camera means no view is ever obscured, save only when poor positioning on your part means the Fog of War is a hindrance. For the ultimate human experience, two players can team up co-op via System Link or Xbox Live, with further downloadable missions and levels coming soon.

We love Full Spectrum Warrior. Never before has a game managed to completely immerse players in a brutal theatre of war, yet in a completely convincing and authentic way. If you're after a quick blast then look elsewhere, but gamers after an intense, heart-stopping slice of tactical shooting will lock and load Full Spectrum Warrior, and never look back. Saddle up - the future of strategy shooters is here. Hooyah!

1. Stunning animation and lighting
2. Fantastic melding of game genres
3. Terrifying sound effects
4. Varied gameplay

1. It has a punishing learning curve

Power
Huge environments and gorgeous lighting push the Xbox graphical capabilities harder than most titles.

Style
Great atmosphere and some colourful language make this as near to the real thing as possible.

Immersion
Accessible controls translate brilliantly into complex commands, though the learning curve is tough.

Lifespan
Huge missions with a sprinkling of save points mean this will take a fair while to conquer.

Summary
A fantastic and innovative strategy title that captures the visceral atmosphere of modern-day warfare. Exthilarating.