Surprises Abound in This Solid Horror FPS
FEAR, it turns out, still holds up 9 years later and may be one of the best first person shooters of the generation. Sure, the story and characters aren't exactly Half Life 2 caliber, but everything that FEAR sets out to do, it does with flying colours.
The story is fairly basic, and I didn't find had much sway in the experience. In fact, much of the dialogue seems very generic and inconsequential lending the game a lonely tone. Much of the dialogue seems basic, and almost robot-like. This may sound like a negative, (and also may be partly due to the game's age) but I found this disconnect between the player and the other characters was masterfully implemented. It works wonders to further reinforce the game's already stellar atmosphere. Jump scares are prevalent in FEAR, but are more effective than many modern horror games. They normally occur while the player is simply observing the environment. Normally only lasting for around 5 or 10 minutes at a time, these tense and atmospheric sections are where FEAR truly shines. The drab apartment complexes and office buildings seem fairly boring at first, but after a while they start to benefit the atmosphere in the same way the dialogue does.
Of course a good shooter must also have enjoyable gameplay, and FEAR offers this in spades. The slow motion mechanic around which the shooting revolves is implemented as well, if not better than Max Payne. Running into a room, slowing down time, and jumping through the air while firing shotgun shells into footsoldiers left and right is exhilarating. The enemy AI is also surprisingly good for a title that is almost a decade old. Foes will try to flank the player, as well as find any usable cover in a fairly lifelike manner. Most importantly however, all of the enemies in FEAR are genuinely fun to fight. Even as tougher, more heavy hitting enemies are introduced, the combat remains enjoyable and almost never frustrates. The way that the gameplay switches between fast paced shooting and tense, exploration segments is polished to a sheen.
The only area where FEAR is perhaps lacking is in environmental variety. As stated before, fairly dull apartment complexes, and gray warehouses are prevelant in FEAR, although I never found that this detracted from the experience. Rather, I found that it only added to the atmosphere, in a way that no other game I've played has. The lack of variety is only being noted here because it is technically a flaw in design. Perhaps the game would have been even better with more variety, but it's absence never bothered me. Thankfully, the few environments look great. Dust clouds erupt into the air and gun shells fly left and right during shootouts. After the player has laid waste to their foes, residual damage to the environment is very impressive. The sound works to further sculpt a sense of dread throughout the game, with some unsettling sound effects and music.
In short, I was hard pressed to find anything I didn't enjoy about FEAR. Even when it was perhaps slightly underwhelming (environment variety) worked to further heighten the game's atmosphere. Monolith Software has crafted an experience that never bores, always offering enough variety to keep the player on the edge of their seat. It currently stands as one of my favorite shooters of all time, and a must play for anyone who enjoys a simultaneously frightening, and exhilarating experience.
