improbablecause

I somewhat disagree with the review. I thought this game was incredibly fun but is not, by any means, innovative. In saying that though, I don't mean a lack of innovation diminishes the entertainment value of the game in any way... sometimes it's fun to play tried-and-true things over again (e.g. slo-mo, the Japanese horror aspects, etc.).

As many have mentioned, the AI is great and possibly the best yet (I say "possibly" because I'm biased towards HL2 and its AI). You think you know where that shotgun-totting soldier is, so you sit there waiting for him to come out... only to realize (at the last second) he moved when you took cover, and has flanked you. All this while his buddies lie in wait for you to panic and run into the open. Only one thing I didn't like about the enemies in the game: they are extremely loud. I mean, come on now, would a special ops group really yell out exactly what they're doing at every possible moment?

As for the creepiness of the game, it's definitely creepy... for the first few hours. I don't know about everybody else, but after those first few hours of sloooooooowly moving through the rooms (i.e. paranoid scanning of all possible doorway angles before entering a room), you're just not afraid anymore. At the 1-2 hour mark, I just trotted into rooms, saw the little girl appear out of nowhere, shrug, and move on. System Shock 2 still retains it's trophy for creepiest game ever made.

(Minor Spoiler)
One really scary moment was, when using one of the ladders, the little girl appears directly in front, giggles, then disappears. That one moment had me pissing in my pants. From that point on, I was scared as hell of using any ladders.
(/Minor Spoiler)

Oh and, unless my skimming caused me to miss something, I'm surprised nobody mentioned the melee combat integrated into the game! It's always satisfying finishing off the last squad member with a jumping kick to the face. Good times.

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slugslinger

good AI yes but u fight the same damn guys over and over again. I think it wwould of been better if there were more different types of enemys to i fight.

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lTG- 187th MICSlSlugslinger
Delta MICS
Delta Forces Mobile Infantry & Combat Specilist

IceCold

No way! It's the most leetest game EVAR!

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Mateo

I hope you aren't serious.

Maybe my next review should be: Why 1337-ness Does Not Make a Good Game.

Pfhor

What can I say, I love halo. Not the best game Bungie has ever done, but there is something about the brilliant, unpredictable AI, strategy, and cinematic elements that caused me to beat the game about 5 times on legendary difficulty. I do recognize the problems with level design in the last half, but I don't think the environment matters much given the near-perfect combat system. Hell, I didn't even notice that "2 betrayals" was just "Assault on the Control Room" backwards until my second runthrough of the game.

Marathon is better though, I'm not denying that.

Nikolas

Ever since I first downloaded the original Team Fortress for Quake, there have been very few single player games I could stand. They have to be absolutely innovative (SWAT III, Half-Life I, Silent Hunter III, Total War: Rome) - enough to get my creative juices flowing, for me to be interested at all. I tried the demo for FEAR, expecting the best, but found myself tired within 3 minutes of entering the game.

When it comes down to it, how can shooting clone troopers - quite accurately named, given their relative lack of intelligence - compare with fighting actual human beings online? That was the appeal of Team Fortress. That's why I played Command & Conquer online long after the original game wore out. And that's what makes it fun to play the same levels over and over again - the scenery may not change, but the challenge is different every time. Between CS & CS:S, I must've played de_dust a zillion times and had a blast over and over again.

I am not trying to put down FEAR, and am not poking fun at people who play single player games, everyone is into different things.

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A policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy. -F.A. Hayek

jaymind

Fear is not an revolution in the FPS genre, nor is it really an evolution. I think it's best described as an FPS done about as right as you can without innovating.

Take Doom III's gloom and shadows and lighting + HL2 texture detail and character detail = Fear as far as the graphics go. Nothing revolutionary here, just things done mostly right.

The AI is far ahead, for the most part, of any AI in any previously launched game. The AI has a real feeling for tactics and how to use them. Excellent accomplishment by the AI coders at Monolith.

The story is nice, but easily identifiable as a hodge-podge of recycled hollywood themes, nothing unique or new to be found there.

Overall, it's a solid 8/10.

Savagetone

I played the demo when it first hit the internet ,and though it ran smooth for me the game held my attention for a mere minute. the visual look of the game look great but the game play was the same throughout for me online.quick kills, hits were off, and the weapons respawned in the same places for you to sit on and get with ease . say your money and get the BF2 expansion it looks promising . IMO.

Sabooya

I love the game, but it is only best on max difficulty. The graphics are great, game scary as hell, and it is a challenge for me, unlike most games.
When they say Hard they mean it!

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Sage

If you want to talk about difficulty, play it with-out the Slow-time, it's as simple as that. I have played Doom 3, and I will say that it was quite disappointing, aside from a few bits of polish.

Fear lacks a something in it's storyline, but it's still alright, in that respect. Graphics were good....but you don't really stay for them. The combat really was a nice touch, though. Not only was the AI excellent, but each weapon has a unqiue niche, because of the various stats each can have: Power, Accuracy, Reload Time, Recoil, and Armour Penetration. The pistols gave quite a bit of accuracy and power, the MP5 was a balance of everything, the AR had more power, but less accuracy, the Penetrator, while being effective against Heavies, did less damage then the pistol to light troops.....

I'll admit that it needed more, but the basic abilities of the engine seemed to definately be there, and I hope several mods can give the game what it needs.

Mister_Penguin

Don't forget the Penetrator has good accuracy, which makes up for the damage imo.

Actually, I'm liking FEAR. I don't know if I'm brain-damaged or what, but I don't mind repetition in the game so much. I personally like the whole slo-mo thing. I totally missed both Max Paynes, so it works for me.

I like a balance of games. Sometimes I want to be tactical and think and outwit the other team, and use teamwork.

Sometimes I want to shoot the **** out of stuff. FEAR rocks for that. The guns have a good feel to them, like you're shooting something, and the slo-mo gives a slick action movie feel.

Maybe hype kills. I didn't get all revved up for the huge event that some people were making it out to be. I came in expecting a good, solid Monolith FPS, so I'm more than satisfied.

TerranGrunt

FEAR is one of my favorite single-player games ever. The atmosphere, the combat, the AI, the graphics... even the story. I loved it all. I also liked the fact that it was a challenge in a time when games have been getting easier and easier to appease the casual gamer. I went through the game a second time without using slo-mo at all, and it was not frustrating at all, just awesome. FEAR is also the second scariest game I've ever played (no, Silent Hill did not scare me; I don't care what happens to the main character in 3rd person games), right after System Shock 2. I doubt that masterpiece will ever be toppled before we have virtual reality.

I believe AI and level design to be the two most important factors in determining the quality of a single-player FPS, and FEAR has the best AI I've ever seen in one.

When it comes down to it though, I'm the kind of person who never gets tired of blasting enemies in two at point blank with the shotgun. And perhaps that is why I give FEAR a 9/10.

Sir_Brass

I totally agree. True, compared to a tactical squad-based shooter like GRAW and OGR, FEAR is lacking. However, the story, freak-out factor (scariest game I've EVER played. I've played through about 4 times and some sequences STILL manage to make me piss my pants), combat environment, THE AI (best damn AI I've EVER encountered), the weapons, graphics, and level design are the best I've ever seen. True it's linear, but it's also freakin LONG, and that's awesome.

This is an FPS done RIGHT! 9.5/10

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|TG-Irr|Hiram_Yorik
Games: GRAW, BF2142, Oblivion, FarCry, Empire At War, R6:RVS, KotOR, KotOR2, MW4: Mercs, FEAR (XP)




*Hiss* "Oh...crap!" *BLAM* "I'm down....MEDIC!!"

DirtyLude: "If we kill him and eat his heart, his magic will be ours."

Acreo Aeneas

My favorite FPS to date. I love the AI and how it has forced me to use real-world tactics, the feel of each weapon, the overall feel of the game, and the I'm-so-scared-I'm-on-the-edge-of-my-seat the first 2 or so times through.

And like tycho mentioned, the gunfights feel like gunfights, and they force the player to use some tactic(s) and to think and not just rush in like you do in other FPSs.

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stickyjeans69

i dont mind this game, but its very short and easy to beat