For me: worked as an action game, not as a thriller.

User Rating: 8 | F.E.A.R. X360
By phoenixfoundmac | Review Date:
Maybe I'm just too desensitized. Maybe my childhood was filled with too many of the classic horror films(Texas Chainsaw, Nightmare on Elm, The Exorcist, etc). Maybe I've played games that were truly suspenseful, like The Condemned. I'm sure its a little bit of everything, but FEAR didn't scare me, creep me out, or make me jump. Not for its lack of trying. The visuals for this game are quite fine and they tried to put together a solid story. Everything is dark and ominous and there is plenty of bump in the night type of atmosphere/tone. Of course we've also got the weird little Ringesque girl name Alma with psycho-kinectic powers who pops up every so often. The story is just fine: government experimenting, psychological thriller, etc.. I had three issues with the setup of this game: 1. The character that you play as feels too capable(he has superior reflexes allowing things to slow down to bullet time and he can wield a tremendous arsenal of weapons) so I never felt helpless or outmatched. 2. The attempts at shock in this game were too predictable. 3. The level design felt claustrophobic and bland. Now that's not to say that this game isn't worthy of high praise. It is still very entertaining and it does so much well. The level design is claustrophobic and probably by design in many places, it just could have been more varied. The shooting mechanics are spot on and very enjoyable. The bullet time mechanic is fun to tinker with and very handy. The mood of the game is well played. The game looks good for its time and never displayed any major glitches. FEAR is a game that spawned many a knock-off and for good reason. There is no denying that is a blast to play. I usually just felt like I was playing an exceptional first person shooter that just happened to have a psychological tinge to it.

Judgement: Very strong FPS action that adds in the psychological element for good measure. Won't startled the jaded gamer.

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