Quick Review: F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate
F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate
Perseus Mandate is not as good as the original installment of F.E.A.R., though it has it’s moments. The first two or three chapters are quite drab, to say the least. There’s a pretty cool looking two-tiered server room with glass floors, but that’s it. Nothing spectacular happens until the fourth chapter.
The fourth chapter and certain parts of the following chapters are the best that F.E.A.R. has ever been. These locations are exceptionally creepy, with lighting and ambient sound used to great effect. The frequency of paranormal occurrences has also been cranked way up in these areas, creating an intense, unavoidable atmosphere. In one of the later chapters, even the automatic doors add to the tension; as they emit this oddly crunchy, organic sound when they close.
The ending does bring a bit of closure to the storyline of the series, but ultimately I found the ending to be underwhelming. The two or three boss-like encounters are tense and visceral experiences that should please any fan of the F.E.A.R. series, though I found the “cheapness” of the boss enemies attacks to make some of the encounters more frustrating than they should have been.
While its good parts outweigh its bad parts, the problem is that all the bad stuff is right up front, starting with the opening in-game cinematic. It’s also lacking a bit of polish – namely misplaced sounds. You’ll hear the “footstep on metal” sound coming out of things that are certainly not metal. Corpse? Metal. Plants? Metal. Wood? Metal. At least, according to Perseus Mandate’s sound designer.
Ultimately, if you can find Perseus Mandate for around $10, then it’s certainly worth your time. If budget thrills aren’t your style and you’d like a bit more substance with your scares, then perhaps you should skip Perseus Mandate and wait for F.E.A.R.: Project Origin to come out in 2009.
