F.E.A.R. Review

A lot of titles managed to scribe their name through history, A lot more withered trying. Developers grinding gamers as if they are playing a large MMO game, that is life. Every one wants his idea to be the one. The "Neo" Idea. But (I don’t know whether to say sadly or say cheerfully enough…) only a handful have the ability to plot their names through history. And that is when F.E.A.R comes in.

F.E.A.R (which Monolith Studios obviously chosen that name only to give me cramps from typing that name each time) is a game that when you play it, you either scowl your screen for more, or that feeling would perish right from the start.

The new Horror - Action game is set on the near future where the USA (and it's 1001 private agencies) have decided to (yet again) make a new "Tactical Team" that should face the worst and welcome it with open arms. In other words they breed Neo, Hercules, Gandalf, and Chuck Norris all in one team to face "Those-who-shouldn't-be-spoken-about".

When it hit he shelves no one almost believed how much glamour and luster it had coated up in. The graphics, AI, game play, and the story all were great that it redeemed the disadvantages that might accompany such game. Deffinatly if you are into horror/action games you should buy it, it has a new feeling and honestly it does surpass Doom 3.

First Encounter Assault Recon (or F.E.A.R) is set in the near future where you are a newly transferred agent to the unit. As convenient as it might be, a disaster strikes and your team gets to be summoned in for investigation. Apparently some military operation have malfunctioned (seems that this reason won't stop showing up in games), a guy named Paxton Fettle, a commander controlling a genetically modified army has gone rogue. The game picks up with a scene showing you how "bad" the guy is and what happened after. you get sent you and a colleague to start investigation on the whereabouts of that guy.

F.E.A.R isn't a single aspect success, no it excels in every branch there is, whether it being graphics, AI, Atmosphere, or even sounds. My computer as an example (which might resemble a portion of yours too) is a low end PC (considering what is offered on the market now) so I have turn down graphics and even play it on low resolution. Frankly I thought the graphics will suck probably and I won't enjoy it. But Monolith took the liberty of proving me wrong. With Anti-aliasing turned off, resolution of 800x600 and turned down into a low graphics mode. This game still have the best graphics out there, even surpassing the new Half Life 2. If it looked that "horrible" on my low end PC imagine what it would look like on one of the new GeForce graphics . Even though my processor is 2.8 Intel HT, I managed with turning some of the options down (not all to be honest, I still managed to see the ribbles and reflections on water) it plays smoothly with no lags at all.

For that we must say not only the graphics that brings you to a bewilderment but also the atmosphere, and the music in game. Not only they push you right in the story, but it also serves right when the situation comes for you to wet your seat. And sadly enough I almost did twice. Not less than once I get visited by Mr. Fettle to remind me that I am not safe as I think it is because I just killed a dozen or so of his soldiers. Maybe this game is all horror and thrilling but I have to tell you, stopping every now and then to admire the graphics and the amount of details put in the environment is massive. Maybe it seems like you are going around in dungeons and sewers but you will have to admire the Graphics' designers work they pretty much did a lot more than a good job.

The AI however is a break through, I can't stress enough on how great this AI is. Mind you I had to replay a lot of portions of this game because of that specific reason. Not only will they behave like humans. But they will convince you they are by the time you decide what to do on the next battle with your opponents. Take this for instance if you don't believe me. My objective was simple to sweep a place and to find Mr. Fettle (Well finding Fettle is the main objective from the start to the end of the game) I just got out from a "thrilling situation" and was hoping to chill for a moment. Here I am walking in a hallway when I am faced with a window and a door, but a couple of meters in front of me there is a staircase. As the lazy guy I am, I took the door of course. But I thought that I should probably take a look out the window, and I did. Luckily enough I spotted 4 guys out there with machine guns and sweeping off the place.

What would you do if you were in my position? Well I chose the staircase then, I went down and I saw a door and it was heading to the same area, only that it was guarded. I went back up and I managed to take out the glass of the windows quietly. I readied my sniper rifle (that I got from the ground not too long ago) And took aim. BAM two of them is down, that leaves two. I scouted the area with my scope and found them. I tried to kill them but as said the AI is too good, they were behind cover and shooting from behind it (They do know how to crouch behind covers, make their own covers, and even lean from behind covers to shoot). I realized the tactic immediately one of them is going to make a run to the stairs leading to the window I am sniping from while the other provides cover.
So still being lazy I took out the guy behind cover and the other guy feel back seeking shelter, too late for him because a bullet managed to rest in his temple. Win was far away for me, because the minute that guy died I was on the load screen. I was furious of coarse I loaded up the game right before I chose which way and this time I went with the same scheme to see how the hell I died.

After replaying much of the last paragraph I realized that the first time I miss counted them and there was 6 of them really and two were getting up the stairs (the ones I lazily skipped) and by the time I managed to kill of them, they stealthily managed to sneak up on me and put my digital soul to rest.
I managed to replay that very part again, this time I used the stairs and went the "Rambo" style by shooting everything that moves with a shotgun. Sadly enough they grouped up on me and I was dead. Bottom line is, unless you start dealing with those AI bots you think worthless with some respect and with some intelligence you will be as good as dead.

Ofcourse Monolith didn't want you out there un prepared so they have equipped you with some cool gadget. You will have the basic weapons of all times, The Pistols. But don't get hasty and underestimate those, because apparently a well aimed shoot to the head will put the most cunning opponent to rest, or a couple in the chest if that matter. Following up is two types of machine guns, one for low distances the other for far ones. There is also the Nail Gun. You will only find that almost with one type of mobs, the full armored guys. There is also the normal explosive grenades and flash bangs. There is also the Sniper Rifle and the Gatling Gun, beating out your opponents instantly to vapor.

F.E.A.R is going to diffently put it's mark on the market, and will find a good cozy place in the heart of gamers. But hear this playing it with your wife beside you, batting you on the back, or in broad daylight, you won't get what it is all about (not that you shouldn't play it at those times..). Waking up at 1 AM opening up your windows that looks over the creepy tree, lights are out, sitting alone in the dark and putting the sound up as high as you can however will provide you with the most sheer excitement you will ever face playing F.E.A.R.