It is T-minus one day until Alma wreaks her revenge in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. You did pre-order your copy, right? After all, not only does pre-ordering get you a bonus science journal filled with Genevieve Aristide’s dirty secrets (and she definitely has a few), but it means you’ll have the game first. Believe me, this is one game you need to play through before it gets spoiled by your blabbermouth friends. The finale must be played to be believed.

Alma isn’t the only danger in F.E.A.R. 2. Cloned super-soldiers rampage through industrial complexes. Assassins slither through the shadows with cloaking devices. Giant robots stomp through ruined city streets; without a giant robot of your own, there’s practically no stopping them. Our guide shows you how to mow them all down with the advanced weaponry that only the geniuses at Armacham could think up.

Obviously, I think you should pick up the guide with your copy of F.E.A.R. 2 so you don’t miss a single thing in the game, such as intelligence reports that help fill in all the gaps between known information about Armacham’s depravity and where exactly to find reflex boosters that increase the amount of slow-motion time you use to get the drop on the super-soldiers.

In fact, let me entice you with a secret straight from the guide. The Assassins are tough customers because of their cloaking devices. But like a marginal poker player, they have “tells.” Look for wavering outlines against solid backgrounds, like a tile wall. If you see a glimmer of blue, kick in the slo-mo. Another sure fire way to spot Assassins? Look for two red circles bobbing like leaves on a rippling pond. The goggles worn by Assassins have red lenses. More often than not, I’d spot those even before seeing the shimmering outline of the cloaking device — especially if we were in an area without much red, such as the subway.

So, once I knew an Assassin was on the creep, I’d immediately kick in the slow-motion. Assassins slink around the shadows slowly, but when they spot prey, they strike fast. If you see those red eyes, chances are good the Assassin is about to pounce. Assassins don’t have much armor, so a single blast from a close-range weapon like the combat shotgun (one of my favorite death-dealers) is enough to send it flopping like a fish. So, remember this sequence: red discs, slow-motion, shotgun.

Have fun with the game tomorrow. Be sure to have enough batteries on hand for your night light, too. You may need one after this crazy scene where Alma…