So Monolith Productions has pushed out some of my favorite FPS of all time. I'm not going to say everything they've released is gold, but F.E.A.R. is definitely up there with their best, and I'm really happy to say that. It feels eerily related to Max Payne. Extract it from the gritty noir setting, place it in a cold, clean cyberpunk dystopia, pull in the camera, swap out the dodge rolls with fleshed-out melee combat, make the enemy AI just a bit more clever, and this is the result.
Though this is a horror game, I didn't really find it scary. Occasionally, it does an incredible job setting an uninviting tone, though most of its horror comes from silly jump-scares sprinkled throughout. It sort of feels as if James Cameron had penned a script for a western film adaptation of Ring, that was then cancelled, with the script being refit into a video game...? I don't really know how else to describe it, but it is definitely more Aliens than Alien. There's also a bit of Spielberg in here, with some moments of downtime being a bit light-hearted. Less Terminator 1, and more Jurassic Park. That said, while the story isn't original, I loved its presentation. It's incredibly clean, entertaining, and to the point. This is from the same folks who brought you No One Lives Forever 1 and 2, so I'm really not surprised.
The gameplay itself is super engaging, and pretty forgiving. While the AI is crafty and cunning, I felt they give you a good amount of leeway, so that you don't feel like you're constantly pressed against a wall. Even in moments of intense pressure, I always felt like I had an option. Going back to Max Payne, there are too many moments in the first two games where your only option in a room of five mobsters is to save-scum them, because they shred you like cheese the moment they walk in. F.E.A.R.'s mobs feel intelligent, but actually give you a chance to react.
This game clocks out at about five to six hours, and I personally thought it was the perfect runtime. I feel some games drag on for far too long to try and make you feel like you got your money's worth, but I would honestly have a shorter and more tightly-focused game, than a long one that starts to drag about half-way through. I suppose this will vary from person to person, but this game knows what it is, and doesn't overstay its welcome.
I'm happy to say F.E.A.R. did not disappoint. It feels like Monolith tried to make a tactical shooter while still giving it a bit of an arcade feel, and I think the result is an absolute success. If you like Max Payne, but often get annoyed by its enemies, and think the third person camera hasn't aged well, check this one out. It really hasn't aged all that much, and it wont eat a lot of your time.
Though this is a horror game, I didn't really find it scary. Occasionally, it does an incredible job setting an uninviting tone, though most of its horror comes from silly jump-scares sprinkled throughout. It sort of feels as if James Cameron had penned a script for a western film adaptation of Ring, that was then cancelled, with the script being refit into a video game...? I don't really know how else to describe it, but it is definitely more Aliens than Alien. There's also a bit of Spielberg in here, with some moments of downtime being a bit light-hearted. Less Terminator 1, and more Jurassic Park. That said, while the story isn't original, I loved its presentation. It's incredibly clean, entertaining, and to the point. This is from the same folks who brought you No One Lives Forever 1 and 2, so I'm really not surprised.
The gameplay itself is super engaging, and pretty forgiving. While the AI is crafty and cunning, I felt they give you a good amount of leeway, so that you don't feel like you're constantly pressed against a wall. Even in moments of intense pressure, I always felt like I had an option. Going back to Max Payne, there are too many moments in the first two games where your only option in a room of five mobsters is to save-scum them, because they shred you like cheese the moment they walk in. F.E.A.R.'s mobs feel intelligent, but actually give you a chance to react.
This game clocks out at about five to six hours, and I personally thought it was the perfect runtime. I feel some games drag on for far too long to try and make you feel like you got your money's worth, but I would honestly have a shorter and more tightly-focused game, than a long one that starts to drag about half-way through. I suppose this will vary from person to person, but this game knows what it is, and doesn't overstay its welcome.
I'm happy to say F.E.A.R. did not disappoint. It feels like Monolith tried to make a tactical shooter while still giving it a bit of an arcade feel, and I think the result is an absolute success. If you like Max Payne, but often get annoyed by its enemies, and think the third person camera hasn't aged well, check this one out. It really hasn't aged all that much, and it wont eat a lot of your time.