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Ah, the F.E.A.R. trilogy, known for its superb A.I., excellent use of the Havoc engine, & the scariest mom ever....Alma. For the third installment they decided to refocus what could be the epic culmination of this trilogy back on Point Man, his crazy brother, & the twisted story involving Alma. This title did not let down but was not outstanding. Despite the fact, you should find some entertainment with this game even if you're just a FPS lover or a true F.E.A.R. freak. From the ambiently creepy locales, to the surprisingly tight controls making switching between melee & gunplay as fluid as walking. Multiplayer....however, does not fair so well. With minimized content, weird gameplay modes, & only 4 players at most...I wish they had just scrapped it altogether and added more to campaign.
Finding yourself battling beastly smart A.I. enhanced super soldiers, supernatural foes, & townies turned into otherworldly "things" can be daunting. But these guys managed to combine the slick "Slo-Mo" ability with your melee and gunplay skills to make you feel like you've got a fighting chance. Not to mention a little Mech use throughout the story as well. One thing that caught me right off the bat was the in game points & leveling system for single/co-op play. You gain points for certain accomplishments, much like a multiplayer rank and skill system in other games, but you gain perks you actually need. Perks such as extra ammo and more grenades tend to help out in later stages. The overall mechanics were well done and should suit even the worst fps player to a veteran of the F.E.A.R. series.
Multiplayer......this was the worst possible type of execution or lack thereof. There is no excuse for the lessened content and overall deficient online experience. Four game MODES, twelve MAPS, & four player network play?!? The originality(that's it) of 3 of the four multiplayer modes was refreshing but undercooked and left a bad taste in my mouth. I would go into them but skipping them would be wise. However, F**king Run was down right epic, you basically run for your life with your team mates in tow kill whatever gets in your way and don't get swallowed by the Wall of Death!On a positive note, this game was a joy to see and hear, while both visually stunning and eargasmic, it was sadly no Dead-space. But it did manage to hold its own very much so...from creepy back & foreground(you could actually tell where it was coming from) noise, to the actual shadow cast by your own player. They spared no expense in making this game one of the premier fps on the market. From dark hallways and even darker stairwells the F.E.A.R. factor is always there in the shadow. With beautifully rendered environments the Havoc engine flexes its muscles in this game. From a run down over run bulk grocery store with never-ending rows and aisles to an airport complete with pushy security. They manage to make everyday settings dark, paranormally infused, and not somewhere I'd go without frag grenades and my trusty fully automatic rifle. I drink in every little detail on every stage, and this particular game goes down smooth and tastes oh so good. Just to see what would happen I melted a microwave in some back room of some unimportant part of the level...the glass broke, the door flung open, & I was impressed.I think it goes without saying that this game is worth playing. The multiplayer is junk, but the meat, the campaign is good enough for multiple play throughs on any of the four difficulty settings(Insane is what else...freakin' Insane!). A beautiful and very visually involving game, it makes you stare at things you'd normally walk right by. I recommend picking this up if you are a F.E.A.R. fan or even just a fps fan. Listening, watching, playing and completely enveloping yourself in the game will lead to some good scares, good kills, and you might find a microwave to bust up. I give this game....3 solid Bags and 1 and a half Chee Whoo's, for a final 3.75/5....this game would have been a solid 4.5 had they focused more on campaign and less on a lackluster multiplayer experience.