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Real FEAR?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 43 / 47
Date: November 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Monsters I can do. Witches, bears, black magic, lunatics with machetes are fine by me. What I can't tolerate, no matter how comfortable my surroundings might be, is little girl ghosts. Worst still little girl ghosts with a massive cob on. Add a bright red dress and lank long black hair draped over a dreaded face - see The Ring - mixed with that little freak cloaked in a red rainmac from Don't Look Now and you've royally got me. Computer games are supposed to be about fun and full of joyousness, not grown men being obliterated by ghosts. What's the world coming to when a little girl craves to see such anguish in the faces of men? These are strange times, strange times indeed.

Bearing all that in mind there is one job that I wouldn't do for all the women on the internet - be a member of F.E.A.R. For those unfamiliar with such an unnerving acronym it means: First Encounter Assault Recon. These bad boys don't muck about with terrorists or rescue hostages from jungles and all the rest of it. No. Members of F.E.A.R. are elite soldiers trained to deal with situations that normal people just wouldn't be able to handle. So if there's a mean supernatural force of gargantuan proportions posing a threat to national security, who you gonna call? F.E.A.R. I'm not talking Most Haunted here either - Derek Acorah would be splashing his pants within minutes of playing this - sadly so was I.

Predictably you play the new kid on the block. You don't speak and your colleagues doubt you - although bizarrely despite being a part of a 'team' you spend the entire game fighting alone. They think you're not made of the right stuff, that under pressure you'll do a runner faster than Thierry Henry on speed. Very little about the plot is given away initially - you're a bit special - you're training results scored off the charts - there's some evilness to be dealt with and that's about it. Rather pleasingly one of F.E.A.R.'s strong points is the narrative, but more importantly how it is delivered to you. Where most FPS use cut scenes to move the plot forward F.E.A.R. is subtler. You'll hear whispers that suggest future events, characters will react to you in a certain way suggestion something isn't right. Messages on phones, note books and the occasional cut scene - however these never really feel traditional as they link seamlessly into the action, so much so that you barely notice that you're not in control anymore.

Within minutes of starting you're running down corridor upon corridor while being treated to the kind of subtle psychological scare tactics usually found in far eastern horror movies - glimpses of people behind doors, flashes of gore and evil innuendo. Similar to the excellent Condemned in atmosphere, F.E.A.R. tightens the vice on your nerves and builds tension like the very best horror movies. While the physics engine pales compared to Half Life 2, the world you're a part of is tangible - objects can be manipulated and you'll often mess your pants as inane objects are placed in your path as you run down dimly lit corridors. Such is the tension that you'll scream when you bump into an empty drinks can and it goes flying.

See through F.E.A.R.'s horror niche and you'll find a pretty decent shooter in there as well. Next-generation perhaps it isn't, but the lack of any slowdown despite the barrage of explosions and bodies flying mean that you can play a highly demanding PC game smoothly on the 360. F.E.A.R. has another trick up its sleeve in the slow mo feature - there is nothing original about it, Max Payne was doing the whole bullet time thing back in 2001. On the 360 however it's a different kettle of shrapnel - a visual spectacular that looks so good it could have been taken straight out of The Matrix. Bits of debris fly out, dust is thrown up and walls crumble as you blast your way through your enemy. The point being that when you're overwhelmed with enemies you can use your 'special abilities' to dish out the pain. The combat system is something to marvel at - going in guns blazing is going to get you capped and shooting from behind cover is equally perilous as the AI is such that they will flank you and pop you one before too long. In order to progress through the battlegrounds you have to combine the slow-mo feature with melee attacks as well unleashing a barrage of lead.

For all the explosions and slow-mo arse whipping F.E.A.R. remains a generic FPS. The AI is superb and the scary bits are nothing short of cinematic, but there is an awful lot of running and gunning. While this might not be a negative factor for an hour or two, the similarity between weapons only illuminates the lack of diversity on offer. F.E.A.R. is also a short game, but with the said lack of variety this isn't necessarily a bad thing - imagine one big kaboom as opposed to a peppered drawn out series of explosions. These days longevity can usually be found online anyway - F.E.A.R. offers an array of game types all familiar to the genre: capture the flag, deathmatch, etc.

However any frustrations that you might have with this will be easily overshadowed by the emotions it invokes within you. F.E.A.R. made me react like no other game can - one particular nerve shredding point literally forced me to involuntarily throw the pad from my hands - the glorious thing about this is that very little happened on screen, it was all about suggestion and even the world's greatest horror movies would do well to learn from Monolith's creation.

A game that fashions such primal fear and mixes it with an always-compulsive if a little generic shooter action can only be a positive thing for gaming. What's on offer here is sheer ingenuity in manufacturing an atmosphere that creeps right into the room you're sitting in - and that's playing it in broad daylight at three in the afternoon. If you like you shooting with a dollop of tangible fear, F.E.A.R. is for you.

Nothing to fear but...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 34 / 36
Date: November 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Short review:

Go out and buy this game right now, you will not be disappointed. You need this like you need blood in your body. Okay, maybe not that badly but still worth every cent.

Review:

The single player for this first person shooter is a tad repetitive but still tense and creepy as all hell. I wouldn't put this at the top of scariest games of all time but it's at least top ten. It's unsettling and unnerving at times but the emphasis is more on action in this game.

The single player campaign is a lot of fun, with pretty nice graphics and effects. The rag doll physics are hilarious and it's always a blast to shoot someone and watch them fly back and over a railing to a six story drop. One of the things that makes the single player really stand out is the enemy soldier A.I., which you won't really appreciate until you experience it for yourself. They are very strategic in their methods and execute what seems like professional, real-world offensive maneuvers in washing you. Just don't be surprised when they keep you pinned down long enough to throw a grenade right where you're squatting and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. There is also a nice little Max Payne style slow motion button that works wonders when you're going up against a squad of commandos with high powered machine guns and rocket launchers. Also, the 5.1 surround mix on this game is immaculate. This is a game to be played loud and in the dark for maximum effect.

The multiplayer portion of the game is just downright gritty. Literally, it's the perfect game for those that just want to go online and shoot someone in the face with a shotgun or empty an entire clip from a machine gun into their jiggling bodies without having to think about it too much. The modes are your standard deathmatch, CTF, team based modes so there's really nothing innovative about the multiplayer game, save for the modes that allow one to use the slow-mo function. I'm actually surprised at how well it plays online and if there's one thing that I have to complain about, it's the lack of a lobby function. So basically, you'll get kicked out of the room once the session is over and everybody will have to start the process of starting up a new room over. It's a minor beef and I'm praying that they'll fix this with a patch, which I'm sure they will.

Bottom line is, this game is damn good and a great port over from the PC version. Great graphics, fantastic surround sound, exciting multiplayer action and some spooky chills will make this worth your while.

A HIGH FLYING, HARD HITTING, EXPLOSION ORIENTED, BLOODBATH! aaahh, just what the doctor ordered...............

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: November 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Since there isn't much that is actually wrong with this game why don't i start with what didn't work for me, the ending. I know, i know they where setting up for a sequel, but i just felt that there should have been more, however you will just have to see the ending for yourself because i am not saying anymore. With that being said, let us speak of what works in this game, almost, everything. The weaponry is great, from a missle launcher to a projectile beam cannon, to a couple of old fashioned, hard hitting uzies, how can one go wrong, and the story.............top notch, when it comes to scary movies i am a pretty tough critic, however this game makes you feel like you are right there, in the middle of a frightening, and desperate struggle for your survival. if you like first person shooters, horror flicks, and have always wanted to unload a couple of rounds in the face of that ugly chick from the ring, then this is the game for you, i'll tell you right now, you won't regret it.

Engaging and fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: December 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is probably some of the most fun I've ever had playing a game. Not to mention the most I've ever said 'Oh @$#%!!' while playing. There are some parts that really, really, made me jump.

A few things:

Most reviewers are saying that it's repetitive. I agree, but have to say that I seriously feel this was done intentionally to lull you into complacency before some bad guy or ghost or voice jumps out at you. Part of the scariness was due to unexpected things happening in the 'familiar' environments. Still, a bigger change from level to level would've been welcome.

Also, I found the controls a bit jumpy and needed to be reworked through the options several times; but even still didn't quite get it for me. This could be because, 1. I am not good at FPS games (like 'em, just not good at 'em) or 2. our left stick is a big wiggy from another house member playing Dead Rising. From other reviews though, I think it was a combo of the aforementioned and design. Not enough to warrant more than minor irritation at the more precise points.

Third, the plot IS there, but has to be gleaned from voice messages from office equipment and voice-overs. Everything comes together in the end, and the little girls story is disturbing.

Last, these enemies are smart. You'll hear, "I hear him, he's behind the crate", see them hide behind a box, raise their arm up, and shoot you blind, or limping to hide once hit. The AI is sweet.

This game is good on its own right... if you've just finished playing COD or Halo, you may be hard pressed NOT to find flaws. But get over yourself and have a good time, you won't regret it!!

Not a Run and Gun Shooter!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: November 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Okay let me go on record as saying I LOVE this game so far and I would have to agree with the before mentioned that it does remind you of Condemned or Half-Life 2 both of which I owned, loved though and got lots of hand cramps playing. First off let me say that this is not a run and gun type of game and if that is what you are looking for may I suggest Call of Duty 2? But if you are in the mood for something scary, methodical and fun I STRONGLY suggest this game. The game is meant to be slow and methodical because that adds to the F.E.A.R. factor. Let's face it running around shooting and blasting everything in sight does not a scary game make. On to the review:

Graphics - 4.5 out of 5 - while it is not great in comparison to SC: DA or FN3 it does rank high in the Graphics category. I think they could be a Tad bit better in some areas though. I don't think anyone will be disappointed with the graphics though unless you were hoping to see Gears of War type graphics.

Sound - 5 out of 5 - Scary! Scary! Scary! Really nuff said there...but voice acting and background music/sounds are some of the best I've heard.

Controls - 5 out of 5 - Controls like your standard 1st person shooter nothing new here, except maybe the addition of the slow motion button which works great I might add.

Gameplay - 5 out of 5 Okay this is where the game absolutely TAKES off!!! Like I stated before the Slow-Mo is a nice touch and will add to the Gameplay. But what really stands out is how challenging the enemies can be. They will duck in to rooms and behind cover to avoid you snuffing them out and some will even try to flank you while you are concentrating on a certain direction of fire. This by itself to me sets this game above the rest. No enemies are going to come charging you without one of his buddies laying down some suppressing fire. So be ready to use the SLOW-MO button.

Story - 4 out of 5 I have just started this game about 25% thru I think but so far the story is just okay, I honestly hope it will get better, as I have never played this game on PC, so I don't know what to expect.

I will now say that I am a big 1st person shooter fan anyway so this review may come off somewhat Bias. I tried to be as unbiased as possible, but I honestly can not imagine anyone NOT liking this game once they started playing (Esp. if you like a good FPS). Also let me say that I play my XBOX360 on a 32" Samsung HD TV so when I rate the graphics that is all I have to go by, so I cannot honestly tell anyone how good the graphics look on a regular TV. I can't imagine they would be that much worst though.

Bottom Line: We are in the Holiday season and it is really starting to show, some of the best games we'll see this year are being released now and in the next couple of weeks to come and F.E.A.R. will stand proudly among them.

Great Example of Horror Gameplay

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: February 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

There are horror games that simply try to bombard you with gore and violence - and then there are horror games that are a complex interweaving of music, graphics and plotline. FEAR definitely falls into the psychological thriller category.

First, the situation. A compound is taken over by a military group in full body gear, led by an apparent vampire. Normal attempts to retake the area have failed, so you are sent in alone. It's just you against groups of these quite intelligent enemies. They'll work together, move around to flank you, take cover.

Graphics are very smooth - you can watch as an enemy walks towards you, crouches down to get beneath an overhang, and stands as he continues to seek you out. Peering around corners feels very natural, as does lurking in the shadows. There are dust motes in the air, shadows on the floors, holes shot out of walls.

In addition to the "natural" events, there are also seamlessly built in unnatural ones. Was that a person who moved just out of the corner of your eye, or a ghost? Did you really glimpse something in the shadows or was it a vision? It ramps up the tension until you're jumping at the smallest of sounds, worried that it portends something nasty.

The sound interweaves nicely with this. There are moments which are dead quiet, where every tiny footfall noise stands out. There are other moments when the bullets are flying and music is thrumming, that you know you have to shoot quick or be dead.

Sometimes "bullet time" is awkward in a game, but it really worked in well in FEAR. It really gives the sense that you are caught up in the adrenaline and that your sense of time slows down. Anybody who's been in a real life adrenaline rush knows that feeling!

There are some periods in the game which are just extended gun battles. I imagine that without these, some people would find the game "boring" - not enough shooting. Other people will find these long battles lose the tight-wrapped tension the rest of the game offers. I happen to be in the second camp, but I understand why game makers have to make these trade-offs.

I especially like this being on the XBox 360 - with the combination of a large, widescreen TV and high end graphics. Play this late at night when the rest of the world is asleep, when you can pick out every small creak or strange noise. You can really get emotionally involved in the situation, which is the mark of any good drama.

Be sure you understand this game is rated mature (there is a lot of nasty violence and swearing) and that it is meant to be very scary. This wasn't designed for little kids! If you're a mature gamer who enjoys horror games, definitely check this one out. It's very well done.

Solid FPS

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: November 14, 2006
Author: Amazon User

One of the first things I noticed is that this game seems to be influenced alot by hollywood: movies like The Ring, John Woo shooters, and even star wars clones. The story really isnt that deep, but it keeps it interesting all the way.

One of the most important things when playing a shooter for me is the feeling of the weapons. Even though the 360 is a powerful system some games just do not feel right(Perfect Dark Zero) This game is off the charts in this part.

Althought looks arent everything, this game is one one of the best looking games on any system (I have a friend that bought this game for the pc and he couldnt play it on the highest setting, and he had just bought a new $4k computer!)

Enemy A.I? its some of the best anywhere! on the average setting you dont really appreciate it. But on the harder setting enemies run for cover, flank you, one will cover or try to distract you while another hides for cover.. etc.. its fun! You never get the feeling that the computer is cheating. and it also never feels like the same fight twice.

Arguably the most important thing about any game is the controls. The controls are very good, but they seem a bit complex at first. The reason I say this is because you are given more options for melee attacks, you can do some cool slow mo, peak around corners, focus your aim at the expense of moving slower. etc. It takes a while to get used to everything, but once you get the hang of it you will have a blast. especially in multiplayer.

I guess some people complain about the game because they are hopeing for a halo type game with different vehicles, alien guns, extra ordinary story... etc.. But this game never even pretends to be that. Its just a shooter like Doom, Return to Castle Wolfenstein.. even Half Life.

The only negative for me is that all the levels seem industrial.. so in a way it does get a bit repetive. But to me its very minor since everytime I started getting that feeling a new type of enemy would pop up.

My favorite part about this game is the multiplayer, I havent had this much fun since halo 2. The games inovative controls really shine. So if playing multiplayer is your bag then this is your game.

Overall this is arguably the best 360 first person shooter. So if your into these types of games you should check it out.

Nothing new

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is not too bad. But for the experienced gamer, this game is pretty linear. In parts I found it did not hold my interest because of the repetitive nature. The environment is dark and gritty throughout that variation seemed to be nonexistant. There were parts in this game that had a "shock" value, but not enough for me to say this is one of the best games produced. Rainbow 6, Halo 2 (and soon 3) are games that I would highly recommend in comparison.

I would rent it and if you like it - buy it.

You WILL learn the meaning of FEAR

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Someone was most assuredly playing Halo one day and then, after watching The Ring, said, "You know what would be cool? If we combined Japanese horror with a first-person shooter!" And thus FEAR was born.

FEAR (First Encounter Assault Recon) is Halo without the power suit and vehicles in tightly confined, spooky urban environments. Your character is anonymous behind his faceplate, like Master Chief, and you possess powers beyond mortal men, including the ability to slow down time in Matrix-esque fashion. The usual weapons of mass destruction are present as well: pistols, sniper rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, and of course the obligatory futuristic energy rifle.

What makes FEAR different is its adherence to a disturbing plotline. Project Origin has created a series of telepathically controlled clones (think clone troopers from Star Wars). They are the perfect warriors, led by their powerful telepathic commander, Paxton Fettel. Only Paxton has been driven mad by the ghost of a little girl, Alma, and transformed into a cannibalistic mass murderer. Cue our point man (that'd be the player) and the FEAR team.

What ensues is a creepy romp through garbage-filled alleyways, poorly lit warehouses, abandoned office buildings, and weird underground laboratories. We learn the story through more than dialogue alone; there are various opportunities to overhear answering machine messages, slowly unspooling the plot.

FEAR is an interesting experiment in horror. Horror is largely scripted, be it in a novel or script, thereby dictating when and where bad things happen. In FEAR, although events are scripted, they don't necessarily play out the way the creators probably intended. I was often looking the wrong way when a creepy ghost appeared, ruining the effect. Conversely, some creepy moments wear off quickly when you've died twelve times and have to replay the scene over and over again. Nevertheless, the game has its moments, not in the intentionally creepy horror but the subtle: a lone photocopy machine illuminated in the darkness as it photocopies nothing, the rattling of underground pipes ready to burst, and the accidental bumping of debris all kept my nerves frayed.

And there is a LOT of debris. Everything in the game can be hit, bumped, knocked over, moved, and blown up. Except for the cast of characters. This is a bit of a let down when some key cast members (who we just know are BAD (tm)) cannot be harmed with a pistol to the forehead, yet you can accidentally blow yourself to bits by shooting a fire extinguisher from a distance. The game chooses when to be realistic at its creators' whim.

FEAR has one of the most realistic artificial intelligences in recent FPS memory. The clone soldiers work together, throwing grenades at the right moment, looping back around to catch you by surprise, and running and gunning when under heavy fire. They leap over barriers and duck under cover, scream for backup and loudly declare their intentions over their walkie-talkies. In fact they act a lot like...

People. It's so strange that a game fixated on the terror of cloning has the most human-like enemies ever to grace the Xbox 360. The panic in a clone soldier's voice is almost pathetic when you eliminate his entire team: "I can't stop him!" When a soldier thinks he has the drop on you, he swears like a sailor.

FEAR is bloody, violent, and foul-mouthed. Sometimes the cursing seems a little egregious; sometimes it makes you wonder who taught the clones these potty words. But the blood, especially in slow-mo mode, is glorious to behold, especially when a shotgun blast at point blank range tears through a clone soldier and the bookshelf behind him.

FEAR has its flaws. The collision detection isn't always right, snagging your character on strange parts of the board. Bad guys fall all over in rag doll fashion thanks to the Havok engine, but they also sometimes fall in weird poses (on several occasions, a clone soldier fell and hung in mid-air). And the voice acting is so-so.

But FEAR does one thing right, and that was enough to make me play it obsessively until I beat it. You WILL learn the meaning of FEAR.

Great Campaign, Even better Online

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: November 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First let me start off by saying this is a great shooter. I played it a while ago when it came out on the PC. It was pretty solid on computer but nothing compaired to the 360. I like first person shooters better on the console but that's just me. Not only is the Campaign hard but it's freaky too! If you play in the dark at night, you will literally jump out of your seat.

The other day i played it on Xbox Live and didn't put the controller down for 3 hours. It's really fast paced. No waiting after you die and the games are fun. It's a close second behind Halo for the best Online First Person Shooter IMO. A must have for any 360 fan.

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