FEAR provides a creepy and enjoyable experience for any fan of shooters... It's also pretty damn creepy.
Gameplay: 8
Pretty cut and dry, nothing groundbreaking here. Typical FPS elements with the usage of analog sticks and the trigger. Would be better served if there was a way to take cover especially when you lose your energy so fast. The game is very reactive to the controls but almost to a fault as it times the camera can fling all over the place. Despite the small nuances, this game still has doable gameplay and is virtually glitch-free.
Graphics: 8
I would love to give this a 10 but after Gears of War and Oblivion I just can't bring myself to do it. Nevertheless they are still great. Gruesome to a point due to certain graphic occurrences you stumble upon i.e., dead guy in a chair and you can see brain matter spread on the wall. The character models are good but there is hardly any facial animation and that detracts from the game. The environments and effects are solid but bland at rare occasions. Aside from that the graphics are pristine.
Sound: 9
The sound adds to the creepy element of the game. There is no corny action music or lame orchestra style music playing during hectic situations. The in game sounds are sudden and incredible. The can strike fear (no pun intended) into the hearts of the weak because you can tell by the music, something crazy is about to happen but you don't know what and you don't know exactly when. Explosions, gun shots and any other sound the represents destruction are typical, but incredible at the same time. The sound is what stands out in this game. If you have a 5.1 theater system... play this game.
Value: 7
I had fun playing this so I had to give it a good score. However, if it weren't for multiplayer, this game would be repetitive and boring after the first 5 or 6 stages. The achievements can be ridiculously unattainable for most and are geared away from single player campaign. Speaking of campaign, I did say it was creepy and to me, that completely saved the replay value. Otherwise the value shrinks probably close to in half. If you like online shooters, you'll play this a lot.
Tilt: 7
Decent game, but I feel like there are a few things missing that keep it from being incredible. They could make the campaign mode a little less repetitive and have different stages in different locations. I got tired of running through vents and tunnels after the first 3 stages so some variety could help. I eventually lost interest a lot sooner than I thought I would. It's a good game that could be a whole lot better with some tweaking.
-TheNIM