Wow, where did this little gem come from, and why can't there be more games like it?
Being someone of good gaming taste I took his word for it and picked it up. My first reactions were a bit mixed, as I needed to run the 'performance optimization' option before the game would run acceptably. Be warned, this game is a resource hog to the fullest extent. The test system used was a P4 2.6 ghz, 1.5 gigs of ram, and a Geforce 6800GT with 256 ram. Needless to say it still had a very hard time running at those settings. Just to give you an idea though, once it was tweaked it ran flawlessly, and it wasn't like the graphics had taken a serious hit either. Everything still looked crisp, and the physics engine was still amazing.
F.E.A.R also came with a surprisingly stable multiplayer component. This has your general modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, CTF etc. However one unexpected treat is the 'bullet time' option. F.E.A.R is the first game to really utilize this well in a multiplayer environment. Basically each of the game modes also has a bullet time mode. Throughout each level, there is a syringe that only one player can grab. When they do, a meter will slowly fill up, going from red to white. While its doing this, this person becomes immediately visible to every player on the server by being highlited with a red target-like icon and they emit an eerie glow. It takes a good 40 seconds for the meter to charge to the point where they can control bullet-time, so staying alive while it charges is quite the challenge in itself.
Once that is complete, and that person activates bullet-time, it will stay active until the meter runs out (so it can not be turned on and off). Once it is active, every player slows down significantly, you can see your bullets trail through the air, etc etc. But the person who activated it wil move faster than the rest of the players (though not unreasonably, just enough to give them an edge). Again, this is all pulled off very, very well.
Down to brass tacks:
Graphics: Absolutely stunning graphics engine. The single player mode really takes advantage of it by making this one of the most thrilling and frightening FPS's to ever grace a PC. While many enemies look the same after a short while, the game justifies this through the storyline, you're fighting replicants (see Clones). The environments are some of the most destructive and interactive in any game. Weapons (though futuristic) are still believable. All in all the graphics are perfect for this game and its method of presentation.
Sound: Remember the previous statement about F.E.A.R being an all out creepy-fest? The sound does not disappoint, and in fact goes out of its way to immerse you, then scare the living pants off of you when you're not expecting it. Get a good set of headphones, shut off any surrounding lights, and hold on to your seat. The voice acting is surprisingly good as well, to the point where it never detracts or removes you from the game. Very well done.
Gameplay: F.E.A.R is just all out fun, as a game should be. The single player story is great, although the enemies do get a bit repetitive after awhile, the A.I is really good at keeping you on your toes at all times. There is never really a second in F.E.A.R where you're calming down or taking a breath. The multiplayer portion is a great deal of fun and will offer some good replayability. The bullet time mode carried over from the single player aspect really showed that not only could this be done, but it could be done very well and not leave players feeling cheated.
Value and Replay: F.E.A.R. is one of the most unique shooters to ever come to a PC. The implementation of bullet-time into a multiplayer environment is a first, and if anything F.E.A.R is worth a look just on that. The storyline is a good 10 hour ordeal, and, while feeling repetitive at times, the game still makes everything fun. Basically, if you are an FPS fan, you would be really foolish to pass something like F.E.A.R. up. It's new, it's refreshing, and just what the FPS genre needed to give it some newer direction.
That's my take, take it or leave it.