F.E.A.R. 3 Review

When we first glimpsed F.E.A.R. 3 our biggest concern was whether the introduction of co-op gameplay would change the series. Our early previews looked fairly impressive, but there seemed to be a distinct lack of scares, or any trace of the titular emotion of actual fear. So, can this latest entry into the series live up to its name?

F.E.A.R. 3 once again follows long-term protagonist Point Man as he battles supernatural forces, the sinister Armacham Technology Corporation and his difficult relationship with his ghostly brother, Paxton Fettel. The game takes place around 9 months after the events of F.E.A.R. 2 and its Rebirth DLC, with Point Man being captured and tortured by Armacham. However, the spirit of his brother, Fettel, charitably turns up and breaks him free for rather mysterious reasons. The two form a fragile alliance, which is understandable after Point Man put a bullet into Fettel at the end of the first title.

Alma, the perennially scary girl who was the centre for Armacham’s research is now pregnant and her contractions are causing waves of supernatural phenomena to hit the city of Fairport. Both Fettel and Point Man must work together to try and stop the birth, although their ultimate aims are very different. This leads to the “divergent co-op” gameplay that is the major addition to the series, where the two main characters must work together, while also competing.

When playing as Point Man the title plays much like any of the other entries into the series. Slow motion gunplay is the bread-and-butter gameplay, supplemented by some acrobatic flying kicks and the pleasing return of the meaty F.E.A.R. shotgun. There is very little new here aside from a first-person cover system à la Killzone 3 which is fairly competently handled and never feels frustrating. It’s a shame that most of the classic weaponry is held off until the last few portions of the game, such as the awesome penetrator nail gun.

Fettel has very different gameplay, which is a refreshing change. He is unable to use weapons and can only attack using a psychic blast or by levitating enemies (which works well when Point Man shoots them during co-op). However, he can possess enemies when he has enough psychic energy restored, but his time in their bodies is limited by a depleting gauge. This can be refilled by killing and collecting souls from defeated foes, which creates a very different style of gameplay.

It is far more fun and interesting to play as Fettel, as Point Man’s style of gameplay is very much tried and tested and doesn’t offer anything that hasn’t been seen before. Fettel is somewhat overpowered as he can levitate most enemies and has access to an instant kill move when he gets close enough. This means that it is often easiest to ignore possessing enemies and just levitate and then instant kill them by getting near, a move which bizarrely doesn’t even cost any psychic energy. Thankfully the two styles of gameplay complement one another well and playing with a friend is where most of the fun will come from.

There are some nice ambient challenges that occur during each mission which forms that backdrop to the “divergent co-op”. Each player can earn points for finding collectables, performing certain feats of skill such as killing set numbers of enemies in certain ways or spending a specific amount of time in “slow mo” or a possessed body. At the end of each mission both players’ totals are tallied up and the one with the highest score is deemed to be the “favourite son”. At the end of the game, the character with the highest total determines which ending plays, but this is mainly a good source of argument between players as to who is the best. It’s a nice addition but hardly a revolutionary one.

Sadly, F.E.A.R. 3 is a very short title and we blitzed through it in an afternoon sitting. It has 8 levels and probably clocks in at between 4-6 hours depending on your experience with first-person shooters. The biggest issue with the game is the complete lack of scares. There are a few moments where you might be made to jump, but even these are a rarity. In co-op the game loses any ability to scare when you’re accompanied by a friend and even in single player the game is far too action orientated. The game’s title is entirely misleading and new developers Day 1 Studios have failed to grasp how to handle the atmospheric sections.

The plot too is a disappointment with far too many unanswered questions. The involvement of John Carpenter on the cinematics proved to be a good move. There are some clever and quite disturbing faux-CCTV camera clips between missions and memorably at the end of the game. However, there are some nagging flaws in the story. Why can one private company kill an entire city full of people with nobody asking questions? Surely the entire world would be aware of entire rivers turning to blood and demons roaming the streets? Why can a ghost die?

There are some attempts at diversity, including several mech-suit battles. The controls here are quite clunky and most of the time it involve stomping around very slowly while taking shots at pop-up enemies. It feels like a shooting gallery and may as well be on-rails for all the impact that it has. The handful of mini-boss battles that usually occur are one of the more positive aspects. While they can be frustrating at times, they require tactics to complete and usually test Point Man and Fettel’s unique skills, especially on the tougher difficulty levels.

Thankfully, F.E.A.R. 3 has some decent multiplayer modes that help to provide some replay value to an otherwise short campaign. There are the standard “horde mode” derivatives, including “Contractions” and “Fucking Run”. “Fucking Run” is a nice idea, which forces players to avoid instant death by killing enemies and reaching safe areas. The other modes, Soul Survivor and Soul King revolve around the possession mechanics of Fettel and are enjoyable enough, though somewhat limited in their novelty.

F.E.A.R. 3 is disappointing. The inclusion of a very solid co-op experience is welcome, but just doesn’t seem to fit in with the feeling of the F.E.A.R. series. What was once all about intense combat and atmospheric, shock-filled quieter sections has now been simplified. Now there is an overwhelming emphasis on combat and some half-hearted attempts at some jump scares, which fail to deliver. The story itself does tie together the previous chapters but feels loose and, at times, poorly conceived.

If you are looking for a competent and mostly fun mindless shooter, then F.E.A.R. 3 certainly offers this in its single player mode. For a solid co-op experience, F.E.A.R. 3 also delivers. For a feeling of fear, you’ll have to look elsewhere, which is a real irony given the title and its history. We’re sad to see the loss of atmosphere and we can only wonder what lies in store for the future of the series. F.E.A.R. 3 is enjoyable enough while it lasts but it certainly won’t keep you up past your bedtime.