F.E.A.R. Files

"More of the same"

F.E.A.R. Files is a compilation of both of the F.E.A.R. expansion packs: "Extraction Point" (released last year on PC) and "Perseus Mandate" (brand new). They are sort of half-sequels to F.E.A.R. These expansions don't add anything really new other than a few enemies and weapons, and the story raises lots of questions but gives few answers. They are developed by a different team than the people behind the original F.E.A.R., and the original team is working on the real sequel. But in the mean time, these expansions were rushed out to keep people interested in the series.

The gameplay is of course the same as the original F.E.A.R. Lots of gunfights against very smart opponents, and in between fights you wander around and some scary things will pop out at you. Expansion Point is every bit as scary as the original game, but Perseus Mandate is slightly lacking the scares department, focusing more on action. One of the more notable features of the first game has returned as well: your characters have what the game calls "heightened reflexes" allowing you to temporarily slow down the action to get in more accurate shots and react faster. Basically, everything from the original F.E.A.R. is here. The developer took no risks at changing the formula. This is not necessarily a bad thing though since it is an extremely solid shooter with some truly scary moments.

One thing that would have benefited from an upgrade is graphics. A lot of textures are lacking and the animation looks stiff. The graphical detail here is only on par with the original (which is aging quickly) and actually looks a little bit worse in sections of Perseus Mandate. The environments themselves aren't drastically different from the original: there are too many warehouses and streets. The framerate is also frequently choppy (a problem the original game had as well).

There are also new maps for Instant Action mode (an arcade style, pick up and play action fest) and Multiplayer mode (still no offline support though: it's online only).

The bottom line here is that if you played the original F.E.A.R., then you know what to expect, and if you liked that game then you will like this as well. If you didn't play F.E.A.R., then you should play that game before this since the story in this would be meaningless to you, and the difficulty a bit overwhelming to anyone who hasn't practiced their skills in the first game.

Story: 5/10 - Very little development compared to the awesome story of the original. Too many questions go unanswered.
Graphics: 6/10 - A few impressive moments, but a bit plain by Xbox 360 standards. Plus, the framerate is choppy.
Audio: 9/10 - Action music is great, you can hear enemies talk to each other, creepy ambient noise during slow sections of the game will build up the tension. Only flaw: teammates talking to you on the radio are hard too quiet.
Gameplay: 8/10 - Same as the first. Great game, but nothing new that's really groundbreaking.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/03/07

Game Release: F.E.A.R. Files (US, 11/06/07)