| When you get down to it, the gun is the | | | | around with, including a pistol, |
| heart and soul of a first-person | | | | submachine gun, assault rifle, shotgun, |
| shooter. Even the genre's name alludes | | | | and rocket launcher. There's also a |
| to this fact. Yet while shooters have | | | | scoped, burst-firing rifle that's a dead |
| been around for more than a decade, very | | | | ringer for the Master Chief's battle |
| few of them have actually captured the | | | | rifle in Halo 2; an incredibly nasty |
| visceral experience of firing a gun. | | | | particle weapon that sears the flesh off |
| It's an intense and violent act, not to | | | | of opponents; and a few other special |
| mention loud. Enter F.E.A.R., the highly | | | | toys. All of these weapons, even the |
| anticipated action game from Vivendi | | | | pistols, pack an incredibly satisfying |
| Universal Games and developer Monolith. | | | | punch and are capable of putting down |
| F.E.A.R. is a shooter that captures the | | | | opponents quickly (you can even |
| sensation of being in wild and desperate | | | | dual-wield the pistols, for that extra |
| firefights like no other game before it, | | | | John Woo-style gunfight action). This |
| and it's an incredible, kinetic, almost | | | | goes against the genre's convention, |
| exhausting experience from start to | | | | since most shooters usually scale |
| finish. More than that, though, is the | | | | weapons on a curve, with the smaller and |
| fact that it's also one of the most | | | | lighter ones being next to useless later |
| atmospheric and creepy games ever made, | | | | on in the game. That's not the case in |
| as well as one of the most intense | | | | F.E.A.R., and virtually every gun you |
| shooters that you'll play this year. | | | | use can tear up the place. |
| F.E.A.R. is easily one of the creepiest | | | | Combat simply looks and feels |
| and most atmospheric shooters ever made. | | | | spectacular, because the environment |
| You'll also battle some amazingly smart | | | | looks like it's flying apart due to all |
| opponents. | | | | the bullets. |
| The challenge in describing F.E.A.R. is | | | | You can't run around like a pack rat |
| trying to avoid any spoilers, because | | | | carrying every weapon, though, because |
| this is definitely a game that you want | | | | F.E.A.R. limits you to only three |
| to experience unspoiled. What we can | | | | weapons at a time. This is a familiar |
| tell you is that you play as the newest | | | | gameplay mechanic, but it's a good one, |
| member of the First Encounter Assault | | | | as you have to weigh the pros and cons |
| Recon, the military's top-secret task | | | | of each weapon. Obviously, you'd like to |
| force assigned to deal with paranormal | | | | have a close-range weapon, a decent |
| situations. And the mission in F.E.A.R. | | | | long-range weapon, and a heavy weapon |
| certainly counts as above and beyond the | | | | for those special encounters, but it's |
| regular call of duty. As explained in | | | | tempting when the game offers you a |
| the opening cinematic (which is also | | | | rocket launcher or a repeating cannon |
| game's only third-person cutscene), a | | | | that you weren't expecting. At that |
| military commander named Paxton Fettel | | | | point, something has to be sacrificed. |
| goes insane and takes command of a | | | | In addition to guns, you also have |
| secret army of cloned soldiers that are | | | | grenades in your arsenal. And unlike |
| telepathically linked to him. Fettel and | | | | most shooters, in which you have to |
| the battalion of elite soldiers then go | | | | equip grenades separately prior to using |
| on the rampage in a nondescript American | | | | them, the grenades in F.E.A.R. can be |
| city. They appear to be searching for | | | | readily thrown at the press of a button. |
| something, though their objective is a | | | | This eliminates the need to fumble |
| mystery. It's up to you and the rest of | | | | around with your inventory, and it opens |
| the F.E.A.R. team, along with units of | | | | up your tactical playbook, as you can |
| Delta Force, to find out what it is | | | | toss a grenade without a moment's |
| they're looking for and stop them. | | | | hesitation and force the enemy to react. |
| F.E.A.R. works because it elevates | | | | F.E.A.R. is quite easily one of the most |
| first-person shooter combat to cinematic | | | | intense and atmospheric games that |
| levels. And while we've certainly seen | | | | you'll play, and it's a spectacular |
| games with movie-quality combat before, | | | | blend of horror and action. You can't |
| you've never seen anything quite like | | | | help but get the feeling that this is a |
| this. Playing F.E.A.R. is like battling | | | | game that's the spiritual successor to |
| through a John Woo movie like Face/Off, | | | | the original Half-Life, because it's so |
| because when firefights happen in this | | | | obviously inspired by that classic game. |
| game, they're downright glorious to | | | | Indeed, some of the locations and |
| behold. Bullets tear chunks out of | | | | enemies are highly reminiscent of those |
| concrete and wood; blinding clouds of | | | | in Half-Life. This is a game that will |
| dust and debris fill the air; bodies are | | | | thrill you one moment and scare you the |
| torn apart or slump on the ground; and | | | | next. F.E.A.R. features some of the |
| the deathly silence of the aftermath | | | | greatest gunplay available in a |
| contrasts so sharply with the sheer | | | | first-person shooter, and it elevates |
| chaos that erupted only moments before. | | | | the art of firing a gun to whole new |
| Gunfights in F.E.A.R. just feel right. | | | | levels. This alone makes it an |
| Part of the reason for that is because | | | | incredibly intense game that must be |
| the weapons that you have in the game | | | | experienced. The fact that it's also one |
| feel powerful, like weapons should. You | | | | of the creepiest games ever made is just |
| have the standard fare of guns to play | | | | icing on the cake. |