F.E.A.R. 3 is a rioutously good time, fusing together strong modes and subtle features that make for a great sequel.
F.E.A.R. 3 is developed by Day 1 Studios, who have prior experience with the series having developed Extraction Point, an add-on for the original. Its through this experience that their confidence shows throughout the entire package. The presentation is strong all round. The F.E.A.R games have always exuded style by using visual effects to enhance the mood of the experience. This sequel is no different. The style is again evident here, and its great to see a developer directing their vision without the need to compromise. Day 1 could have played it safe, but they have managed to produce tension, mood and ambience through the game's great atmosphere.
The story follows on from the ending of F.E.A.R 2. After Alma forced her impregnation on Sergeant Beckett – the protagonist from that game – her pregnancy looms in the distance. Her devastating power has levelled the majority of Fairport, the city that protagonists Point Man and Paxton Fettel must reach in order to contain the event. Running parallel to this is a moral dilemma between the brothers, as one wants something over the other. The personality of Fettel is devilishly antagonizing, and its through him that the game maintains this ambiguity. It's a well-written story that answers questions surrounding the fate of particular characters and the fate of Alma. The cut-scenes are also well produced, spearheaded by horror master John Carpenter, director of many classic horror films. The story allows two different playthroughs with respective endings, thus incorporating both Point Man and Fettel into the main plot. The menus are also very clean and accessible, transitioning between each mode in the game fluently. A great thing is that the game keeps track of everything you do in the campaign, multiplayer and co-op modes. Kills, scores, challenges – it's very well thought-out.
The sound design is great throughout. The sound effects add a lot to the feel of the game. Guns sound powerful and the splatter of imploded enemies and the clanking of power armour is spot on, as well as the adept voice works that adds to the immersion. The use of ambience in the audio is a great move by Day 1, as it lifts the game above being "just another shooter". The F.E.A.R games have always been psychological thrillers to go along with the gunplay, and F.E.A.R. 3 is no different.
The game plays very well. Many will be instantly familiar with the overall feel of the game, and rightly so. The controls are slightly different from your usual Call of Duty, but they are still very responsive and smooth. The subtle features that I admire are here – sticking to and popping out of cover, vaulting over cover, sliding and other little inclusions – and they really make you feel immersed in the world, something not many developers can achieve. The weapons in F.E.A.R. 3 are powerful and feel awesome. Though the handgun and SMG are simple enough guns, the 12-round shotgun, semi-automatic assault rifle, beam rifle and the penetrator are among the best weapons in the game. The assault rifle – like the powerful sniper rifle – is devastating for headshots, especially at close range, the shotgun blasts enemies into pieces up close, and the beam rifle burns enemies to a crisp. My favourite, though, is definitely the penetrator. It fires bolt rounds at enemies, and headshotting enemies pins them immediately to a surface. It never gets old. In fact, not of the kills get old and watching enemies implode, decapitate and fly through the air are violent but gratifying moments that are frequent occurrences. The game will play slightly different depending on the character you choose. Firstly, as Point Man, SlowMo returns. A fan favourite from the original and its sequel, the player can slow down time when the meter is full and get the agile edge over enemies, turning cover-based combat into a violent shooting gallery. To jaded players, this may sound shallow or repetitive, but it completely works in the context of F.E.A.R. 3 and I love it all the more because of it. Point Man can also slide kick enemies into the air, as well as jump kick, which are neat. Slide kicking two foes and blasting the third with a shotgun – all in SlowMo – is one of the many cool moments that can be engineered in the game.
Playing as Fettel is slightly different but equally as satisfying. Though there is no SlowMo or agile abilities, he can blast enemies and suspend them in mid-air, leading to his best quality: possession. Here, when the meter is full (working exactly like SlowMo), players can jump into the body of any suspended soldier or enemy and control them until the meter depletes. During that time, you can utilise whatever weapons and grenades they are carrying, and when you kill enemies, you can collect energy from their corpses, increasing the possession meter, allowing for longer control. You can possess as many enemies as you like, as long as the meter is full. Oh, and when you suspend enemies, you can move in close and blast them into pieces. It's awesome.
The enemies in F.E.A.R. 3 are generally smart and varied. When you see, they will shout commands to their squad and rush into cover. They will throw grenades, communicate with their fellow soldiers, kick tables to create cover and run back if need be. I really like the chatter between enemies, as they will lose sight of you and shoot at your last position, regardless of your new location. They will also flinch if one of their teammates in close proximity has been killed. However, they are prone to running towards you and shooting you up close, allowing for easy pickings – all the more so with SlowMo. The variety is very good, as you'll fight against ATC soldiers, riot gear enemies, ghillie snipers and crazed thugs. These thugs wield pipes, crowbars, wrenches and hammers are especially dangerous in numbers. There are also suicide thugs who charge at you with a ticking bomb strapped to their chest. There are also supernatural enemies called Phase casters. These enemies glow blue and spawn enemies throughout warped points on surfaces. Then there are the Phase Commanders, easily the toughest bunch in the game. They are tense boss battles, and these 7-8 foot brutes take a lot of damage and give it too. However, these fights are never unfair, just a test of skill. There are some other enemies too, but I'll spare a complete spoiler of them. Like I mentioned earlier, there are power armour mechs to commandeer. These sections are empowering and make you feel awesome. You can stomp enemies, blow them away with rockets and incinerate them with a mounted beam. You'll, of course, fight them too – resulting in some tense exchanges between two large robots on the battlefield.
The levels in F.E.A.R. 3 are great. Though they can sometimes be predictable (especially enemy spawning), they allow open firefights. You'll escape from a prison, fight through a crumbling city, engage hordes of enemies in a airport and more. The variety Day 1 added is admirable and the game never feels repetitive. Though there are hundreds of identical enemies at times, the game is so much fun that I instantly forgive any issues that the gameplay may bring. These levels are also well designed, featuring some moody staging and effects.
Visually, F.E.A.R. 3 isn't ugly, but it isn't great either. The environments are acceptable enough, and the effects are solid, if unspectacular. The lighting isn't anything special, nor is the design of enemies, but at least the gore, visual effects and weapons look great. Cut-scenes look great and are very well-polished. The CGI is excellent, and the animation is smooth. There are some framerate drops when the game saves or loads, and some textures pop-in at times, but the amount of mayhem on screen makes this more forgivable.
Of course, you could play as both Point Man and Fettel. Co-op in F.E.A.R. 3 is just as fun as playing alone, as the interplay between Point Man's agile gunplay and Fettel's supernatural abilities is satisfying. There are also co-op modes available both online and locally, meaning you can just enjoy the action with a friend at home. There is Contractions, a wave-based mode that tasks players with defending a base while defeating enemies and delivering supply crates back to the base. The waves become tougher as it progresses, but the supply crates allow for more – and better – weapons and ammo, making life a lot easier. There are maps tailored for Contractions, and the rest of the maps are specific to Soul King. This mode is old-school chaotic fun. Best enjoyed with two players, the allotted number of players run around a map, possessing enemies and blasting AI while collecting souls that they drop when eliminated. These are worth points that add up to a total at the end of the round. There can be up to five rounds, and killing enemies – and other players – makes this pure violent fun. The person with the most souls is crowned Soul King, but dying will lose you points. There is also Soul Survivor, which has one player control a Spectre, tasked with possessing other players that, in turn, also become a Spectre. The match continues until every player is possessed. The last mode is F***ing Run, and it is awesome. Players must kill enemies while avoiding a "wall of death" that edges ever closer to your position. It's incredibly tense and works superbly within the setting. These modes allow only four players, but that number makes total sense for a game like F.E.A.R. 3.
Amidst all of this content, there is a clever, innovative scoring system that ranks players based on their performance in the campaign and multiplayer. There are challenges throughout that are specific to each chapter, meaning that they don't carry over to other chapters, and must be completed within that level. They can range from simple tasks like 10 headshots, using active cover for a couple of minutes and using each characters' abilities. However, there are also challenges linked to weapons (x number of kills) and grenades, as well as requirements that test the skill of the player, such as killing 100 enemies without dying and killing 20 enemies without taking damage. There are also challenges tied to co-op requirements. These challenges award certain amount of points per challenge, and this all equals a total score at the end of each campaign chapter or multiplayer match. The appeal of bettering a previous score brings in the addictive nature of the system, and I found myself obsessively hunting challenges and scores in order to meet certain trophy requirements or gain a new level. Levelling up, with a maximum of level 21, is very rewarding for harder difficulties. You can increase the speed at which the SlowMo/Possession meter decreases, gain more health and become more adept overall. Also, a run through of Insane mode is a fun but challenging task that feels tough but never frustrating.
F.E.A.R. 3 is a great time. Between its well-crafted story, excellent challenge and scoring and system and strong audio design, there is also a fun co-op mode and exciting multiplayer modes. The content in the game is admirable and you would do well to buy this game. Though it isn't perfect, the things it gets right certainly lifts it above being just another shooter. Day 1 Studios have crafted a strong experience here, and I can't wait to see where this franchise goes next.
SUMMARY
Presentation 8.0 – A solid story, excellent CGI cinematics and great style, with a moody atmosphere throughout.
Graphics 7.5 – Adept environments and effects, though the technical deficiencies can hamper the visual package.
Audio 8.5 – Strong sound effects, good voice acting and a great ambient sense of tension.
Gameplay 9.0 – Fusing a strong campaign, great multiplayer and an addictive ranking system, F.E.A.R. 3 is violent, stylish fun from start to finish.
Replayability 8.5 – An 8 hour campaign, solid co-op, great multiplayer and hugely replayable challenges and ranking, F.E.A.R 3 will last you a while.
Overall – 8.5/10