F.E.A.R.

Carefully moving down the narrow, sterile corridor you feel the hairs on the back of your neck begin to tingle as if something or someone was blowing on your neck. You stop, your hands gripping your standard issued RPL sub-machinegun tightly and then you hear voices or the guttural moan of something not quite living. Then you see her, a tiny figure in a red sundress, and you know that people around you are going to die a very unpleasant death. F.E.A.R. has made its debut on the PC and had since became available on the Xbox 360 but now PlayStation 3 owners finally get their chance to play this horror/action first-person shooter that just doesn’t live up to two releases.

You assume the role of the new point man for the First Encounter Assault Recon team - a secret military task force that handles supernatural threats to national security. Armed with the latest U.S. Army weapons, you are tasked with hunting down a deranged military commander named Paxton who manages to infiltrate a secret government facility where he can mentally control an army of experimental clone soldiers. Yet once you and your squad touch down on the facility and its surrounding areas, you come to discover that there’s more than just this cannibalistic General you’ll be going up against. You will discover a mysterious little girl that brings death and destructions to those that cross her path and to top it all off there seems to be a connection between you and her.

The game’s story might not be particularly deep but it is involving and filled with plenty of scary much like the recent American remakes of Japanese horror films like The Grudge. Yet this is, of course, a first-person shooter and the game handles the shooting action well enough. As I mentioned above, the PS3 version just doesn’t live up to the far superior original or the excellent Xbox 360 version. For one thing, this version just doesn’t look as good but more importantly this game encounters some gameplay glitches that keep this from being a nearly perfect first-person shooter.

Imagine fighting through a small number of clone soldiers only to experience some heavy framerate stutter as if you were fighting a wave of them. Then imagine waiting a really long time for the game to load and there are quite a number of load times in the game. These are but a small number of flaws that really have no place in a next-generation shooter. It’s too bad really since the level design is actually good and the battles are fierce. Like the PC original, the enemy AI is smart and they’re able to come up with their own tactical approach to a given situation. If you pin them, the enemy will try to find a way to provide covering fire so a comrade could try to outflank you. If they manage to spot you, they will go into a formation suitable to a given situation. There’s also the supernatural elements you’ll have to put up with and the best and most frighteningly visceral moments come when you encounter the little girl.

As far as the controls are concerned, Sierra doesn’t take advantage of the SIXAXIS controller’s motion-sensor technology and that’s quite unfortunate. It could have been used for the melee moves that also include a sliding tackle, roundhouse kick and even a flying jump kick. Still, there’s very little to complain about seeing as the controls work beautifully enough that you’ll be aiming and swapping weapons on the fly. There’s also the SlowMo feature that allows you to slow time so you’ll be moving at regular speed while the enemy moves at a slow motion speed. This works great in the single-player Campaign mode but not so great during the 16-player online multiplayer mode that includes Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch; Capture the Flag, Elimination and Team Elimination. Like the PC and Xbox 360 version there’s also a bonus mission as well as the fun and action-packed Instant Action mode where you’ll go up against enemies for points that are tallied up online.

Another aspect of the game that is quite disappointing is the fact that the game doesn’t look as good as the Xbox 360 version or the PC version. While Xbox 360 gamers saw sharper textures and some impressive effects, this PS3 version sports some weak graphics. The environments look more dull in this version and effects - such as the creepy manner in which the little girls appears - just isn’t as horrific as the other versions of the game. Still, at least the enemy as well as your squad mates looks decent and the bullet-fueled action does get pretty impressive at times. The game also does a great job of inserting flashes of scary images throughout the game and the cutscenes will bring to mind recent horror films.

The game’s sound, on the other hand, is handled quite nicely. In fact, it does a better job of supplying the scares than the visuals. Making your way throughout the building isn’t easy and even more so when the sounds that creep up behind you will make you jumpy. You’ll hear from your squad as well as the enemies who will hilariously dare themselves to enter a room or inform the others if they manage to see the gleam of your flashlight. Aside from the scary supernatural noise you’ll encounter throughout the game, the bullet sound effects and explosions sound great and the soundtrack isn’t bad at all.

F.E.A.R. for the PS3 delivers a flawed yet agreeable first-person shooter that might not be as great as the other console and PC version of the game but still fun enough for new PS3 owners to enjoy. Aside from a number of glitches including framerate problems and weak graphics, the game’s lengthy load times will not fail to annoy. Still, this one is loaded with great action-packed moments and wonderfully frightful chills that first-person shooter fans shouldn’t miss. If you don’t own an Xbox 360 or don’t plan to buy this one for the PC, F.E.A.R. should be on your Must Have list for the PS3.

Gameplay: 8.2
Despite the long load times and the frequent framerate stutter, this is still one seriously enjoyable shooter with a lot to offer. The controls are near perfect and the game’s level design isn’t bad at all but the real treat here is the supernatural twist. The different melee attacks and the SlowMo feature work spectacularly in single-player mode.

Graphics: 6.5
The quality of the visuals is downright disappointing considering the fact that the PS3 can certainly match those of the Xbox 360 or the PC. The muddy textures and plain-looking environments will have you shaking your head and the visual effects aren’t stunning at all. The shooting action does look somewhat good, though.

Sound: 9.5
The music fits the game’s supernatural and horror movie theme just right but it’s the sound effects that will have you swinging your weapon around and squeezing off a shot realizing that there’s nothing there … or is there? You’ll also hear from the enemy and I dare you not to chuckle at many of the things they’ll say.

Difficulty: Medium
The enemies you’ll face in F.E.A.R. are not dumb at all and you’ll realize this the moment they’ve got you pinned. They’ll take defensive formations and will even attempt to outflank you during skirmishes. In other words, underestimating these enemies will result in starting a section all over again after you’re dead.

Concept: 8.0
Delightfully creepy and action-packed, this game might look and feel like the usual first-person shooter but the story brings so much to the table. The Instant Action and Bonus Mission are a major plus but it’s the online multiplayer that will have you playing this game long after you finish the main campaign mode.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Online the game moves really smooth and the action between 16 players is actually a joy to play considering the occasionally annoying SloMo feature. The game modes are standard fare but its Elimination and Team Elimination that will provide the real challenge for more experienced FPS gamers.

Overall: 8.0
While not as perfect as it should have been on the PlayStation 3, F.E.A.R. is a worthwhile first-person shooter that does the shooting action and the horror genre right. With a decent multiplayer mode, great gameplay mechanics and a solid campaign mode, it’s almost easy to look past the lengthy load times and the poor graphics.