F.E.A.R. , Ouh My...I regained my faith in computer gaming..
The game's plot is heavily influenced by Asian horror flicks such as the Ring (most of the development team claim to be avid fans of Asian macabre) with elements from the X-Files thrown in to probably please American gamers. The game starts off in a high-security prison where a man named Paxton Fettel goes totally cuckoo after seeing and receiving instructions from a little dead girl. Fettel isn't your run of the mill game grunt; he's a highly trained Psychic commander (hence he can communicate with the dead) of an army of clones with the help of whom he takes over a multi-billion dollar aerospace compound. The government retaliates by sending in Special Forces but loses radio contact with them. Once they regain transmission, they find out the entire team has been decimated.
Enter you, a member of F.E.A.R. (which stands for First Encounter Assault Recon), whose mission is to infiltrate the facility, control the situation, rescue hostages (if any) and neutralize hostiles, the demonic **** from hell included.
Even though F.E.A.R. doesn't bring anything new to the table in terms of plot; it still manages to shock, entertain and mesmerize you with its WTF-was-that scares and high octane game play, which by far is the best I've seen in any game till date. F.E.A.R. doesn't rely on cheap thrills to scare you; it hits you when you least expect it, like when you're navigating empty corridors, crawling through ducts or just trying to find your way around the place. Like I mentioned earlier, since the developer's have a major affinity towards Asian horror, they've tried to use the un-scariest thing in the world to make you crap your pants... a little girl. Throughout the game she'll try communicating with you making you wonder why she doesn't kill you like the rest. Is she trying to help you? Is she asking for your help? Why did she contact Fettel? What does she want? Don't worry though, everything is eventually explained at the end (or is it?). If you're a fan of the X-files and like this kind of conspiracy theory, you'll lap up every single plot twist the game throws at you. If not, there's always the action.
Aah, the action! It brings back sweet memories. Fire fights in F.E.A.R. are so awesome, mere words and screenshots cannot do justice to it. It's like sex, no matter how much you hear about it; you know you have to experience it yourself. The game starts on a low key, with the first level merely serving as a tutorial (usual run of the mill stuff like jumping, ducking, opening doors etc.). In the first level you learn you're not a normal soldier; in fact you're more like a super soldier whose reflexes are so fast, the world appears to move slowly when you activate them; enter slow mo. Like Half-Life 2, F.E.A.R. relies on a lot of scripted sequences which are used sparingly (unlike a certain id software game) not only to scare you but also to create that sense of urgency and panic. Once the story's laid out, you're thrust in the midst of some of the most mind blowing combat you'll ever experience; kiss other shooters goodbye from that moment on (I know it's a little exaggerated but get back to me on that once you've played the game).
F.E.A.R.'s arsenal of destruction includes certain generic weapons like shotguns, dual pistols, machine guns, rocket launchers and some weapons ripped straight from a Sci-fi movie. One of these oddities includes a gun that fires a blast of Plasma ripping the flesh of your enemies leaving them in a smoldering pile of bones. You can carry up to three weapons at a time, and you'll probably find yourself sticking to the shotgun throughout the game because it's as devastating as it gets. One of F.E.A.R.'s biggest strengths is the way the environment reacts to bullets; concrete from walls and the floor flies all around the place, paintings shatter and tilt, sparks fly when you hit metallic objects, computers literally explode, paper flies all over the place like confetti (in the office levels), cardboard boxes get decimated, glass shatters with shards raining down upon you; add slow motion to that and every fire fight is a treat for the senses. Combat in F.E.A.R. never gets old as every enemy encounter is never the same and will lead to a different experience every time. This is primarily because of the AI, which may not be as good as the Far Cry mercs, but when they gun for your blood they'll pull off some nifty maneuvers like regrouping, flanking, flushing you out with grenades (which by the way are frighteningly accurate) and at times moving around objects like cabinets and sofas to take cover behind them.
Disposing of your enemies is as enjoyable as having a hot meal on a cold winter night. A well timed shotgun shot can blow away body parts like heads, arms, legs and even entire torsos. If that's not enough, an up close and personal shot will reduce your enemy to a cloud of blood (which by the way looks beyond cool in slow mo). Not happy with all the punishment you're dishing out? How about blowing them up with some grenades and remote mines? Which, by the way, can be used in a different way if you're the creative type. Grenades are devastating; once they explode, a shock wave consumes the blast area causing a lot of damage, so much so that your screen starts shaking if you're too close. This game also features some of the most enjoyable turret scenes I've played and being able to activate slow mo during that time is just cream and icing on this bloody cake.
In between enemy encounters you'll find yourself exploring deserted corridors, abandoned buildings, research facilities etc. There were only a few times when this sort of mindless exploring does detract from the most excellent combat you've just experienced. For some, it may provide some respite from killing clones but for me, it got a bit boring. Exploring however does have its benefits, though, the first being finding power ups that'll permanently improve your health and reflex meter. Besides finding upgrades, exploring will also allow you to understand the story better as you access laptops and listen to answering machines.
Now we all know that mere visuals aren't enough to make you quake in your boots. Monolith are obviously an experienced bunch and have added some top notch sound to this game that enhances the experience by leaps and bounds. Every minute detail right to the sound of your bullet's shell casings hitting the floor sounds extremely authentic. F.E.A.R.'s soundtrack is minimalist, yet effective, voice acting is solid and convincing; add to that freaky whispers and laughter of a little dead girl and you're in for a riveting experience. However it's in combat where the sound really chimes. Weapons pack a mean punch, enemies scream their lungs out in painfully convincing ways, and the sound of debris and glass shattering really adds to the chaos and mayhem.
Visually this game is a mixed bag. While the game looks really good and does manage to make you feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic, there isn't much of variety in level design. Most rooms, labs, reception areas all look the same and level after level you will be navigating even more offices, factories and research facilities. Even enemy design is limited to very few models; only after half the game do you come across some variety. But what F.E.A.R. lacks in variety, it makes up for in quality. The game looks polished and if you've got a good rig (and by that I mean sold-my-kidney-to-buy-it good) you can experience a truly next-gen game.
Thanks to MTNL's new Triband 256 kbps broadband connection, I also had the chance to check out the multiplayer aspect of the game, which includes your basic MP modes; death-match, team death-match and capture the flag. Even though I was getting 200/250 ping on Asian servers, the game runs smoothly with hardly any hiccups. Reflex (slow mo) is included via an injection. Once the injection's picked up, the trick is to stay alive while your Reflex bar fills up. When it's full, activate slow mo and gain some serious advantage over your opponents. The chaotic nature of the game has been captured perfectly in MP as you'll have to wait a minute till all the dust and debris following a fierce fire fight settles.
If you're still not convinced about picking this game up you're already a lost cause. As a gamer, I feel this game is a must play experience and has even managed to restore my faith in PC gaming. Thank you Monolith!