"One of the best FPS games of all time!"

Every once in a while a game comes along that changes the way games are made. Whether it's games that establish a new genre, or just games the redefine them, some games not only are good but challenge the standards of how games are made. The FPS genre is one of the most forefront genres to constantly be in need of a challenge. But the ones that have changed the genre are far and few between. There's Doom, which essentially defined it, Half Life, which turned it into a truly legitamate and leading genre of game, and now we have F.E.A.R., which not only brings the FPS genre into the modern era, but redefines it with an incredible balance of atmosphere, action, and technical aspects that will long be the talk of people for many years to come.

FEAR places you in the shoes of a point man for First Encounter Assault Recon, a group designed to take on unexplainable and supernatural threats to US security. In this perticular case you find yourself taking on a rogue soldier of sorts who has telepathically taken control of an army of clone soldiers. Your job is to infiltrate the building he has taken hostage and find out what it is they want. Naturally, this is not so easy as you must make your way through a labrynth of hallways, shafts, and offices. The story isn't terribly deep, but it is mysterious enough to keep you interested in finding out what the answer to everything is. The characters aren't terribly interesting, but many of them are creepy enough to keep you on your toes. Heck, what other game could have you afraid of a little girl (and believe me, she is very creepy). The story does get better as you go on, so if it seems to be a bit slow at first, you simply have to bear with it.

However, the story isn't this games strong points. It's strongest point is what every FPS should have as their strong point: the action. And if you were worried about the action, fear not (pun intended), it's here in abundance. In fact, the action is so good in this game, most recent FPS's will seem second rate in this aspect. The enemies are smarter than any FPS has been in a long time and make the action challenging, forcing you to use tactics to fight them. Often times, you will find yourself pinned in a corner, forced to take cover, or forced to make a temporary retreat. And don't think that they will just let this go. Your enemies will make cover out of furniture, will retreat, distract you so that their buddies can flank you, and flush you out with grenades. While they aren't terribly hard to take out, those uninitiated with FPS's will find it harder as this is a game that you cannot run n gun. You will also find yourself using more tactics than usual, not out of want, but out of necessity. Essentially, it will feel like you are facing enemies of equal caliber, ones who you have to outsmart to defeat.

The weapons are also very responsive, and for once, they feel like actual weapoons, with great response and realistic kick. To handle the guns capably will take some learning, but you will eventually find nearly every weapon to be useful in it's own way, whether it's the close quarters shotgun, the long range auto rifle, or the heavy plasma rifle, which is also one of the cooler weapons of the game. You will find these weapons fun to fire, and in most cases, will want to try them all out.

The second best aspect of the game is the great atmosphere. What makes the game so scary isn't the jumpy stuff. That's pretty far and few between. What makes it so intimidating is the atmosphere. In nearly every step, there is a great deal of tension created. There are just enough things to jump at you, and just enough moments to make you jump in your seat, to get you on the edge of your seat (in my case, literally). The lighting and sound are very effective. Think of this as having the same shadowy tension created by Doom III, but with an even creepier feeling because half the time, you don't know who, or what, you may find. If this doesn't put you on the edge of your seat, few games probably will.

Everything else about thise game is outstanding. The graphics are about typical for a game of the modern age, and although they aren't HL2 outstanding or DIII, they are excellent. The voice acting is about what you'd expect from good voice acting.

So, there you have it. If you consider yourself a fan of good pc games, an FPS fan of any kind, or just want a game that is outstanding, make no doubt, FEAR as good as it has been hyped up to be. You can't go wrong with this game, and thats a guarantee.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/21/05