Carefully moving
down the narrow, sterile corridor you feel the hairs on the back of your neck
begin to tingle as if something or someone was blowing on your neck. You stop,
your hands gripping your standard issued RPL sub-machinegun tightly and then you
hear voices or the guttural moan of something not quite living. Then you see
her, a tiny figure in a red sundress, and you know that people around you are
going to die a very unpleasant death. F.E.A.R. has made its debut on the PC and
had since became available on the Xbox 360 but now PlayStation 3 owners finally
get their chance to play this horror/action first-person shooter that just
doesn’t live up to two releases.
You assume the
role of the new point man for the First Encounter Assault Recon team – a secret
military task force that handles supernatural threats to national security.
Armed with the latest U.S. Army weapons, you are tasked with hunting down a
deranged military commander named Paxton who manages to infiltrate a secret
government facility where he can mentally control an army of experimental clone
soldiers. Yet once you and your squad touch down on the facility and its
surrounding areas, you come to discover that there’s more than just this
cannibalistic General you’ll be going up against. You will discover a mysterious
little girl that brings death and destructions to those that cross her path and
to top it all off there seems to be a connection between you and her.
The game’s story
might not be particularly deep but it is involving and filled with plenty of
scary much like the recent American remakes of Japanese horror films like The
Grudge. Yet this is, of course, a first-person shooter and the game handles the
shooting action well enough. As I mentioned above, the PS3 version just doesn’t
live up to the far superior original or the excellent Xbox 360 version. For one
thing, this version just doesn’t look as good but more importantly this game
encounters some gameplay glitches that keep this from being a nearly perfect
first-person shooter.
Imagine fighting
through a small number of clone soldiers only to experience some heavy framerate
stutter as if you were fighting a wave of them. Then imagine waiting a really
long time for the game to load and there are quite a number of load times in the
game. These are but a small number of flaws that really have no place in a
next-generation shooter. It’s too bad really since the level design is actually
good and the battles are fierce. Like the PC original, the enemy AI is smart and
they’re able to come up with their own tactical approach to a given situation.
If you pin them, the enemy will try to find a way to provide covering fire so a
comrade could try to outflank you. If they manage to spot you, they will go into
a formation suitable to a given situation. There’s also the supernatural
elements you’ll have to put up with and the best and most frighteningly visceral
moments come when you encounter the little girl.
As far as the
controls are concerned, Sierra doesn’t take advantage of the SIXAXIS
controller’s motion-sensor technology and that’s quite unfortunate. It could
have been used for the melee moves that also include a sliding tackle,
roundhouse kick and even a flying jump kick. Still, there’s very little to
complain about seeing as the controls work beautifully enough that you’ll be
aiming and swapping weapons on the fly. There’s also the SlowMo feature that
allows you to slow time so you’ll be moving at regular speed while the enemy
moves at a slow motion speed. This works great in the single-player Campaign
mode but not so great during the 16-player online multiplayer mode that includes
Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch; Capture the Flag, Elimination and Team Elimination.
Like the PC and Xbox 360 version there’s also a bonus mission as well as the fun
and action-packed Instant Action mode where you’ll go up against enemies for
points that are tallied up online.
Another aspect
of the game that is quite disappointing is the fact that the game doesn’t look
as good as the Xbox 360 version or the PC version. While Xbox 360 gamers saw
sharper textures and some impressive effects, this PS3 version sports some weak
graphics. The environments look more dull in this version and effects – such as
the creepy manner in which the little girls appears – just isn’t as horrific as
the other versions of the game. Still, at least the enemy as well as your squad
mates looks decent and the bullet-fueled action does get pretty impressive at
times. The game also does a great job of inserting flashes of scary images
throughout the game and the cutscenes will bring to mind recent horror films.
The game’s
sound, on the other hand, is handled quite nicely. In fact, it does a better job
of supplying the scares than the visuals. Making your way throughout the
building isn’t easy and even more so when the sounds that creep up behind you
will make you jumpy. You’ll hear from your squad as well as the enemies who will
hilariously dare themselves to enter a room or inform the others if they manage
to see the gleam of your flashlight. Aside from the scary supernatural noise
you’ll encounter throughout the game, the bullet sound effects and explosions
sound great and the soundtrack isn’t bad at all.
F.E.A.R. for the
PS3 delivers a flawed yet agreeable first-person shooter that might not be as
great as the other console and PC version of the game but still fun enough for
new PS3 owners to enjoy. Aside from a number of glitches including framerate
problems and weak graphics, the game’s lengthy load times will not fail to
annoy. Still, this one is loaded with great action-packed moments and
wonderfully frightful chills that first-person shooter fans shouldn’t miss. If
you don’t own an Xbox 360 or don’t plan to buy this one for the PC, F.E.A.R.
should be on your Must Have list for the PS3.
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Gameplay: 8.2
Despite the
long load times and the frequent framerate stutter, this is still one seriously
enjoyable shooter with a lot to offer. The controls are near perfect and the
game’s level design isn’t bad at all but the real treat here is the supernatural
twist. The different melee attacks and the SlowMo feature work spectacularly in
single-player mode.
Graphics: 6.5
The quality of
the visuals is downright disappointing considering the fact that the PS3 can
certainly match those of the Xbox 360 or the PC. The muddy textures and
plain-looking environments will have you shaking your head and the visual
effects aren’t stunning at all. The shooting action does look somewhat good,
though.
Sound: 9.5
The music fits
the game’s supernatural and horror movie theme just right but it’s the sound
effects that will have you swinging your weapon around and squeezing off a shot
realizing that there’s nothing there … or is there? You’ll also hear from the
enemy and I dare you not to chuckle at many of the things they’ll say.
Difficulty:
Medium
The enemies
you’ll face in F.E.A.R. are not dumb at all and you’ll realize this the moment
they’ve got you pinned. They’ll take defensive formations and will even attempt
to outflank you during skirmishes. In other words, underestimating these enemies
will result in starting a section all over again after you’re dead.
Concept: 8.0
Delightfully
creepy and action-packed, this game might look and feel like the usual
first-person shooter but the story brings so much to the table. The Instant
Action and Bonus Mission are a major plus but it’s the online multiplayer that
will have you playing this game long after you finish the main campaign mode.
Multiplayer:
8.5
Online the
game moves really smooth and the action between 16 players is actually a joy to
play considering the occasionally annoying SloMo feature. The game modes are
standard fare but its Elimination and Team Elimination that will provide the
real challenge for more experienced FPS gamers.
Overall: 8.0
While not as
perfect as it should have been on the PlayStation 3, F.E.A.R. is a worthwhile
first-person shooter that does the shooting action and the horror genre right.
With a decent multiplayer mode, great gameplay mechanics and a solid campaign
mode, it’s almost easy to look past the lengthy load times and the poor
graphics.
