I was really, really enjoying this game, until I hit the hardest wall one could possibly hit... game-stopping bugs.
Gameplay: 8/10
The first thing I noticed when I was playing F.E.A.R., after I was done admiring the visuals, was how real the guns felt when they were fired. Each gun felt like it packed a considerable punch and like it was a real beast in my hands, something that other FPSes that I have enjoyed never seemed to be able to accomplish (Half-Life 2 comes to mind, for instance). I also got a kick out of how my view of the environment would jerk around when I got hit.
Gunfights in the game are intense. Enemies will duck behind cover, try to flush you out with grenades, jump through windows and over railings, etc. The AI seemed to be rather good, and I feel like the AI made up for the lacks of types of enemies in the game.
A nice addition to the game is the slow-motion concept, which can give you a real edge over enemies and at times can save your life.
The only downside to the gameplay is the lack of variety, and at times flavor, in the combat. You can usually hear soldiers chatting with their radios well before you can see them, which really kills the element of suprise in most instances. Most fights consist of you getting the drop on a small group of enemies, killing them, and moving on to the next group of enemies, and this is repeated WAY too many times.
Graphics: 10/10
I found the visuals of the game to be stunning. Environments are fleshed out well with boxes, electronics, furniture, etc., most of which can be messed around with through physics. Usually, an area will not look even remotely the same once you are done fighting in it. Additionally, the levels look very nice with the realistic textures and excellent use of lighting. However, all of this eye-candy comes at a price. You'll need a high-end computer to see it at a frame rate higher than 2.
Sound: 10/10
Not much to elaborate upon here. The guns sound excellent, and each fight you are in sounds like a warzone. The music is rather nice too. It isn't so loud that it is distracting, and it usually fits the environment rather well.
Value: 9/10
This game is really worth a buy. In addition to a solid (though short) single player campaign, there is a rather fun multiplayer mode to take advantage of. However, your value may not seem too great if you run into the trouble that I have when playing this game.
Tilt: 3/10
Bugs. Bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs, BUGS. To be fair, I only ran into two real bugs in the game, but those two bugs were the worst bugs I have ever come across in almost any game as they make it impossible to continue on.
At interval 5 and interval 8, at certain points in the level, everything just stops. COMPLETELY. The only way to get out of the game is using ctrl+alt+del. I've found that SOMETIMES in interval 5, you can progress through the game and continue playing, but even after trying for a dozen times or so, I have never figured out how to get past the freeze-point in Interval 8. It is really a shame. I was enjoying this game a lot and all of a sudden I run headfirst into a total crash. I suppose not everybody has this problem, but if it happens to you, it is extremely frustrating.
All in all, F.E.A.R. is an exceptional FPS, but you probably won't care how well it plays or how nice it looks if you run into the same bugs that I have.