Halloween might be over, but it is always the right time for a downright creepy first person shooter. Monolith Soft, the team behind the FPS genre classic 'No One Lives Forever,' has just released 'F.E.A.R.,' a shooter nearly as scary as it is stunning.
In 'F.E.A.R.,' players take on the role of an unnamed elite soldier referred to as 'The Pointman.' He has just been assigned to the First Encounter Assault Recon Team and is about to begin his first mission.
It seems the U.S. government has been experimenting, working on soldiers coordinated and led by a single telepathic commander, who is sinisterly (or ridiculously) named Paxton Fettel.
The problem: He's gone rogue. The player's mission is to eliminate him, which seems easy enough. Except there's no mention of the fact that Paxton's telepathic abilities allow him to fill your mind with horrifying images of the past and future.
First person shooter fans will find themselves right at home in 'F.E.A.R.'s' hectically cinematic gun battles. The controls are standard FPS fare, but the enemies trying to kill you are incredibly intelligent.
Just when you find a spot behind cover, they'll lob a grenade on you. Sit in a room with two entrances, and they'll storm from both sides at once. They'll even spot your flashlight beam and come looking if you leave it on.
The only advantage players have over their opponents is the clich??d ability to slow down time in order to better place shots and react to enemies' movements.
This 'bullet time' ability has been seen in countless games already, but 'F.E.A.R.' manages to keep it from feeling overdone by making it vital to completing certain portions of the game.
As if outwitting and outshooting scores of intelligent enemies were not enough, every few minutes the action slacks slightly to provide the player with a terrifying interlude. Paxton and an unidentified little girl torment the player, appearing just for a moment and then crumbling to ash.
'F.E.A.R.' takes graphic leaps, surpassing the amazing visuals of 'Half-Life 2.'
Textures on everything from walls to faces are crisp and detailed, and the lighting effects set a new industry standard. Real time shadows, light thrown by sparks and dynamic light sourcing are just a few of the stunning effects that a player might miss during a gunfight, but they add to the believability of the game world as a whole.
The game's action sections show off the standard effects you'll find in any modern first person shooter: gun shots, explosions, ricochets and grunts of pain from your wounded enemies.
As typical as those sections may be, the horror sections are in a class of their own'at these points in the game the audio truly shines. Whispers from an unseen presence, footsteps around a corner and maddening voices from inside your own head are all present and plentiful. You'll find yourself jumping in your seat each time the shrill violin tones come up on the soundtrack, as they signal the presence of the game's true antagonist.
Providing enough twitch gameplay to keep action fans hooked while packing in enough frightening elements to keep horror fans intrigued is no simple feat. 'F.E.A.R.' cleverly blends action and horror in just the right amounts, creating a brilliant gaming experience that transcends the FPS and survival horror genres.
