"F.E.A.R. the 360, PC owners--this game rocks!"

Let me get this out of the way before we go any further:

This ranks among the best First Person Shooters I have ever played.

Day One studios has achieved a true masterpiece here. This game has somehow eluded just about every typical pitfall available to the genre and emerged victorious; from its tense and rather frightening atmosphere to its well-thought out, if awkwardly paced story, to the incredible gunfights and wonderfully done visuals, the game manages to seize you from the get go. But I digress, lest this rave last much longer--instead, we'll discuss these features in detail.

STORY: 8/10
F.E.A.R. was famous on the PC for its intricate story and it remains a positive point for the game here. You assume the role of a point man for the First Encounter Assault Recon squad (F.E.A.R.) whose reflexes are unnaturally accomplished. Accomapnying the other two members of your "squad" (this mechanic doesn't last long) into an abandoned research building, things quickly go awry and the story drives on from there (to say any further might spoil it for you.) Overall, the pace of the story is slightly awkward, and furthermore, without watching for laptops and flashing phones, you're likely to miss a large chunk of it. Once you've pieced it all together, however, you'll enjoy the slightly demented plot thoroughly, I can guarantee it.

SOUND: 10/10
There is little to no music in this game, to my experience. This doesn't detract from the game's eerily contrasting arsenal of sounds, however; the guns and bullets and explosions--all the sounds of the chaotic gunfights--ring decisive and powerful, sharply differing from the quiet, creepy ambience during the slower sequences (usually when something scary is about to pounce on you.) Everything sounds beautiful in this game, and it's one of the first games I've ever played where I've actually paid attention.

CONTROL: 9/10
I found the aiming a little difficult to manage until I adjusted the settings, but after that things ran buttery smooth. The much-sniped complexity of the game's control system didn't really present a problem for me; though for those who hadn't played F.E.A.R. before on the PC I can see how the bevy of motions and options could be intimidating and difficult to remember. The small complaint that rendered this score a 9 instead of a 10 was the headbobbing sensitivity control: I could never seem to get it pinpointed on a setting I liked. This is far from a gamebreaker, however. Overall, the controls work well for the game, much better than I figured a controller could, considering this is a PC port.

GAMEPLAY: 10/10
This game provides you with some of the most intense and entertaining gunfights ever crafted. The Replica army--your main enemies throughout the game--seem to have some impeccable teamwork: they'll flank you, flush you out, move through the room to hide and get closer and generally kick the crap out of an unprepared player even on the easiest diffculty setting. The slow-mo is flawlessly woven into the gameplay, as well--you'll often find yourself cowering behind cover, a-la Halo2, waiting for it to recharge whilst your enemies bear down on you. The checkpoints and saving system are utilizted well, as well--while providing you with good places to start, the game doesn't become too easy either (here's lookin' at you, Prey.) The multiplayer is well represented as well, with Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Elimination, Team Elimination, and Capture the Flag all present and customizable. The matches I've played so far have been largely lag free and incredibly enjoyable; the weapons are balanced and you can select which weapon you start with, eliminating most weapon superiority issues anyway (though the lack of a post-game lobby is an almost unforgiveable oversight.) Included in the 360 version of the game is an "Instant Action" mode which does away with such superfluous elements as story and simply places you on a map solely for the purpose of doing away with the numerous enemies scattered about said area; the faster you do it, the better the time and score posted on the Instant Action Leaderboards. All in all, this game plays wonderfully.

GRAPHICS: 8/10
Unfortunately, F.E.A.R. shows a little age in this department. Nothing gamebreaking or last-gen, even, but some of the textures are a little blurry and the enivronments and enemies can get repetitive (warehouse, research building, water plant...not much variety.) The game's beautiful slow-mo effects, sparks and clouds of dust resultant from a gunfight, however, showcase the game's beautiful particle system and physics engine--try nailing someone to a wall with the Penetrator and tell me that ain't awesome. A beautiful game, no doubt; with a little texture work, though, it could have been better.

OVERALL: 10/10
Ladies and gentlemen, if you've already bought this game, congratulations; if you haven't, you either already own it for the PC or have no sense. Go buy it. Now. You'll enjoy the entire experience from start to finish and then you can go frag your friends in some of the best Multiplayer for the 360.

PROS/CONS:
+Great gunfights
+Smooth controls
+Amazing multiplayer
+Slow Mo is just cool
+AI is incredible
-Slightly dated graphics
-Headbobbing is weird
-Repetitive environments/enemy designs
-No post-game lobby in MP (extremely frustrating when playing with friends)

RENT OR BUY: Rent if you're going to play through the single player and don't plan on enjoying Instant Action or the multiplayer. Buy if you are. Hell, you know what? Buy anyway, you'll want to play through the story again. Just try beating the game on the highest difficulty.

That's all. This review is over. Go buy the game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/03/06