If there was ever a solid case to upgrade your computer on the strength of one game, this would be it:

Hidden-Source

This is without a doubt the best game I have ever played. I literally had a massive grin on my face for about an hour when introduced to it. Its essential to play this with friends on occasion - otherwise you just aren't living.

I don't think I have the skill with words to describe just how good this game is, especially to console gamers - they just won't be able to grasp it.

Here's the concept:

After an experiment gone wrong, a human subject has genetically mutated into a predator style monster, almost entirely invisible and able to jump and outrun normal humans. This monster is known as Subject 617, or the Hidden. The Hidden is armed with 1 knife and 3 grenades.

A team of marines have been sent to neutralise the subject. They are armed with Shotguns, P90's and of course a trusty sidearm in a pistol. They also have limited ammo.

The object of the game is kill or be killed.

As the hidden you use shadows, darkness and stealth to your advantage always hoping to land a 'pig stick' (one hit kill - secondary knife function) on your enemy. You have a primary knife function which is a slash, which takes a fair few swipes to kill a marine, and is more useful to scare the hell out of the marines. Also the grenades make an interesting game play addition. You can throw them into a group of marines to scatter them and invoke panic firing (and hopefully team-killing).

As a marine you have have your shotgun or P90 (according to which class you pick) and the sidearm. Personally I prefer the P90 for tactical game play and shotgun for all out Rambo style offensives. Using light and open space as your friend, you can entice the Hidden out in order to hopefully catch a glimpse of him.

This game is still in development but is already stable and more than playable. In fact the only fault I have with it is the small amount of servers and the tiny community it currently has. Hopefully on the beta release it will enjoy a surge in popularity.

As with all communities there is an arsehole. The arsehole in this community calls himself 'ph33r' and fails to realise that it is a game, and as such should be played for fun. I have played with numerous players who cant stand this guy, who seems to think he can take time outs to give "advice" to other players, or harass them (depending on his mood I suppose). I've played in a public server with him once, and I was a marine. I was playing cautiously, and spotted him running for me across a well lit open space. I gave him a fair bit of spray with my P90 and he ran to my left and clambered onto some boxes for cover where it was a bit darker. Not being one to give up he climbed to the top of the boxes, practically leaning over in order to jump down and pig stick me in a quick movement. Lucky for me the hidden is visible when it moves, so I spotted him go up there, and I was fairly sure I could see him. Laying tactical suppressing fire to keep him pinned down I hoped a team-mate would be smart enough to join me and kill him but no, I was all alone in my personal battle. This is when ph33r decided to launch into an abuse campaign against me. He started with "Stop using that noob spray." and then "where did you learn that trick - the forums?". What an arsehole. On a game with possibly the smallest community I've ever known this guy feels its necessary to piss off new players, and potentially alienate them so they won't play again. Well fucking played. Anyway, he then jumped down and ran at me with the intention of pig sticking me I suppose. I riddled him with bullets and he fell to the floor dead, making me the hidden. I left at this point though, I play for fun - and I don't expect someone to insult me, nor do I want to continue playing with them.

Since there are so few servers its not so easy to even get into one, and chances are if you do, you will come across this guy.

Update: Since having written this I note ph33r has posted on the official Hidden Source website forums, offering a 'helpful' game play guide. And I'm about to reply to it.

Here's the link to his thread: http://forum.hidden-source.com/showthread.php?t=451

Here is the unedited post I made (its on page 4):

I cant believe how much of an arsehole the creator of this thread is. On a game with possibly the smallest community ever he continues to offer 'advice' on gameplay on public servers and even throw abuse at players. The few people who have tried this game from my clan have all come across ph33r and noted the same thing from him.

On a game I play for fun, I don't expect to be told how to play, and I don't expect to be called a noob because I have the hidden (ph33r) pinned down and I use suppressing fire to keep him stuck him a corner.

Well played ph33r, you've managed to alienate another player in an already small community.

I'll check back on the thread to see what happens a couple of times and may update this depending on what happens.