Navigation
In the very first level of the game (the levels in F.E.A.R. are called ‘intervals’), you only find a body and a few ghosts—it’s sort of a tutorial that shows you the basic moves within the game. Then, after this, you are accompanied by a swat team called SFOD-D team, only to see them die very early in the stage, leaving you alone to finish the job at hand. After that you meet some of the soldiers you will be fighting alongside during the game. The game’s story progresses from there, but ultimately it offers a somewhat basic plot, although the developers had promised a great, new, and intriguing storyline.
In the game, as the plot suggests, there are a lot of psychic phenomena you can encounter as you progress. F.E.A.R. is inspired by Japanese horror movies (mainly The Ring.), and it is presented through creepy sound effects and music, and abrupt noises and lights that tend to spook you at times, along with mysterious characters who suddenly walk out in front of you, only to disappear swiftly behind a corner—or even right before your eyes. Every now and then, a spine-chilling little girl named Alma appears. At first she just wants to scare you, but later on she shows you her strengths; Alma can mess with people’s heads or even cause them to explode—using only her mind. The scarier parts of the game are portrayed effectively, and some players will certainly react to the game’s eerie atmosphere.
After finishing the single-player mode, which is about 10-12 hours long, you can dive straight into the multiplayer part of F.E.A.R., which is also a lot of fun; it supports up to 16 players, in which you can play the regular Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag. The good news is that the players can also use Slowmo, which is a worthy addition. You can also use the opportunity granted by physically punching, kicking, and pistol-whipping your enemies. The multiplayer component is extremely fast, which means you can kill and be killed in equal amounts.
The enemy A.I. in F.E.A.R. is great and, along with the excellent graphics engine and wonderful sound, you can play through many intensely enjoyable combat scenes. Most of the scenery explodes around you when impacted by bullets (like shattering wood, breaking windows, and parts of walls splatter all over), and the sound is certainly complementary to the general feeling of the battle scenes. The game’s central narrative is a little disappointing, and in no way as good as had been promised; it’s delivered, as it is, via predictable plot routes like in-game movies, voicemail messages, and laptop downloads. But the fantastic graphics, sound, and firefights all blend to make F.E.A.R. an excellent game, though in order to enjoy the graphics and the game to its fullest, you must have a high-end computer system. In closing, F.E.A.R. is definitely one of this year’s best games.