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Good - but get it on sale

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The good:
A.I: Even though somewhat scripted, is the best seen in FPSs. Enemies can react in realtime to your movements, and your shots/flashlight. Enemies will also use the environment: knocking over tables or jumping through windows for cover.
FX: Bullet hits, sparks off of metal are capable even in medium-power computers.

The bad:
There's nothing original here.
The plot takes heavily from stories like 'The Ring', so the "psychic-murdering 8yr-old girl" is no longer as shocking. The entire game is set inside office buildings, so the maps are repetitive, and very little logic or strategy is needed.

I give fun rating a 3, due to repetitition and unoriginality. I give 4 starts overall because there is good potential for modding.

Nothing New Here

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: October 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I am frustrated with this game because the graphics leave a lot to be desired. I was expecting a whole lot more based on all the hype. I have a Radeon x850 XT Platinum Edition video card with all the graphic setting maxed out, and this game still doesn't compete with Far Cry, Chronicles of Riddick, HL2, or Doom3. And you often feel like a rat in a cage, as there is no place to go except exactly where the game has mapped out your next objective. I have been waiting on this game for months, and am extremely dissapointed.

Terrifying Single Player! A Must have for horror game fans!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: October 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is probably one of the best single players to have come around since Doom 3. This game provides an genuinely creepy atmosphere that is unlike anything that has ever been done. If you love Horror survival games, this game is for you.
As for the multiplayer portion of the game, I agree with the previous review. The learning curve is way too high and if you don't have time to play everyday, you will only continue to be constantly killed either by one shot kills, or unarmed attack. Its just not fun.

Get the game for the virtual and visual feast that the single player is.

Finally, not just another console port

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: October 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

After being innundated in the past year with lousy console ports, each feeling like an afterthought, we finally get a native PC game that plays and feels like old time.

The best news is the excellent Save Game system. You can QuickSave and QuickLoad to your heart's desire. When was the last time you could say THAT? Games with checkpoints-only belong on consoles, not on the PC. Some otherwise good games were ruined by their developers' laziness or ignorance in implementing a decent Save system. (Note to developers: the most successful PC games have all had complete Save systems. HL2, Doom 3, Splinter Cell, NOLF 1 & 2, Medal of Honor, etc. have all accommodated the flexibility a gamer requires.)

The completeness of the gameplay and the polished interface recall the good days of "No One Lives Forever," Monolith's past classic.

This game is in a league with the Big Guys. It looks good, feels good and plays well. This also means the game requires the latest hardware to showcase its advanced graphics. If you're a serious player, however, you most likely have already upgraded your system to meet today's demanding games.

At a time when developers are increasingly abandoning the PC platform for video consoles, it is refreshing to play a game developed entirely for the PC.

This game's high ratings are well-deserved.

OK but WAY OVERRATED and its NOT perfect by any means.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: October 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The game starts off great. It truly is an on the edge of your seat experience but by the time you reach the middle, you're left wishing for some more wide open areas to manuever around in. A couple of times I had to take a break from the game because the levels were getting extremely disorienting for me.

I wish game developers would STOP making games with this kind of repetitive shooting as well as so few different enemy types, it gets boring real fast when there's no character interaction or scary moments.

The multiplayer is absolutely horrible. Its too easy to get killed and in order to get anywhere with it, its basically FORCES you to play for hours on end if you want to improve. As an adult gamer with time constraints, the multiplayer game is designed for the hardcore gamer and not for players like me.

In closing, my recommendation is to wait until the price goes down before you get it. Its fun but it doesn't offer enough for the cost.

Hot and Cold

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: October 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing FPS games for quite a long time. I'm as much a fan of a good storyline as the combat.

This game's combat and enemy A.I. is the best I've ever seen.

However, the plot is completely horrible.

I've played the DVD version of the game completely through twice and I still can't make heads or tails of the storyline. It's full of holes, nothing is ever completely explained... or even partially explained. Heck, it's not explained at all. The game left me with this ugly empty feeling wondering, "So, what was that all about anyway?"

The graphics are very good and smooth and as I said, the combat is awesome.

So, if you're just looking for another combat game, get it. It's worth it.

If you're looking for a good plot, don't bother. You'll never find out anything.

Definitely Worth Your Time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: December 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is truly awesome. The graphics are incredible, and although they will look better on high-end pc's, they still look excellent on mid-range rigs. The game is also just straight up creepy. Some weird and freaky stuff does occur. One of the best parts about the game is the combat. Its probably the most fun that I've had fragging enemies in a single player game. They are smart and do seem to use pretty good tactics against you most of the time. The enemy A.I. probably surpasses that of Far Cry. Also, the game developers added a nice touch to the game: hand-to-hand combat moves such as bicycle and roundhouse kicks. That adds a whole new element to combat. Also, the sound effects are incredible. Basically everything about this game has been enjoyable. I would highly recommend this game. Keep in mind, however, that the game is also really gory, so it's not for the squeamish.

The Best Game of the year by far.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: December 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Believe the hype, F.E.A.R. is the best game of the year hands down. It is enthralling mix of adventure, horror, and action not only makes it in a league with Half Life 2, it sets the bar high for future 3D shooters to aspire to. Players take on the persona of the point main for an elite team know as First Encounter Assault Recon or F.E.A.R. Tasked with locating and eliminating a dangerous killer know as Paxton Fettel who is controlling a very large force of clone super soldiers in an office complex.

With the assistance of your team leader via radio link, players enter an industrial complex and soon find themselves in a pitched and sustained series of encounters against the soldiers under Fettel's command. Further complicating the mission is the appearance of a spectral vision of a young girl who often leaves a path of carnage in her wake. The eerie visions that appear only to vanish throughout the game only adds to the tension which really helps immerse players into the action. The weaponry of the game includes the standard machine guns, nailguns, shotgun, pistol, rocket launcher and energy weapon which are common in shooters, but F.E.A.R. decides to give it a nice twist. Aside from grenades and medkits, players can only carry three weapons at a time. So, while you may locate powerful weapons in game such as the energy weapon and rocket launcher, players must decide if they want to hold onto them when the ammo runs out, or forgo other weapons in the hope of locating more ammunition. I addressed this by saving two powerful weapons and swapping out my other weapon as was needed. For example, when my machine gun ran dry, I dropped it in favor of the shotgun or other class of machine gun that was plentiful. This was often determined by what my enemies were armed with as after dispatching them, I found it a good idea to stock up with whichever ammunition and weapons were most plentiful. While your array of weaponry is impressive, it is your ability to briefly slow down time and move at an increased rate of speed that is often vital to winning a battle against overwhelming odds. This is a very important feature as the game is at times a real challenge and the enemy A.I. is the best in any shooter to date. In one segment, I decided to bounce a grenade off the wall and take out a group of enemy soldiers.

This plan worked great until one of the soldiers pulled a metal cabinet from the wall and used it as a shield against the grenade blast. As the game continued, A.I. controlled soldiers knocked over desks and tables as shields, jumped through street level windows, as well as ducked behind walls to avoid incoming fire. As if this was not enough of a challenge, they would also reach their weapons over objects and fire without presenting a clear target for me to engage.
As the game progressed, the enemy became increasingly crafty and the story became deeper and deeper. Various ethereal segments also arose where in the midst of a dream like state; I had to battle demons mid segment. This was a different touch as I am sure many players would be caught off guard watching the segments rather than preparing to fight. The game is broken down into 11 Intervals or chapters though certain intervals had more than one segment to them. The variety of locales was also impressive as everything from office complexes, to labs, parking lots, and apartments were present and the games physics engine allowed me to interact with numerous map objects from security gun mounts, power switches, valves, phones and much more. A nice touch were the news reports that came in as my players passed radios that informed him of what was happening in the world around him and how the media was covering the events that were occurring in game.

Graphically the game is amazing. From the most luxurious of offices to the slums of an abandoned building complex, the detail level was accurate giving the illusion of being in the game. The smoke and warping effects from grenades as well as the tracer rounds from weapons gave a nice sense of realism. It was tempting at times to just stop and look at the surroundings to take in the splendor. A nice touch was the spackle lines in a room under construction as well as the hardwood floors and artwork in a high end office complex as well as the lab complex.

The sound quality in the game shines as with my Creative X-FI card I was able to really enjoy the creepy sound effects and the surround sound features. It is unnerving to have a voice originate behind you only to vanish to be replaced by a sound elsewhere. The communication between the soldiers is also a key as good listening skills are key to successful engagements and being aware of potential dangers around the next corner.

As good as the solo play portion of the game is F.E.A.R. also shines in the multiplay arena. From Deathmatch to Capture the Flag to name but a few of the variations there are numerous servers where players will find an endless supply of options and opponents to play with and against. The game runs very smoothly online and the action is fast and furious.

F.E.A.R. is a winner and looks to be the first in a hopefully long line of titles in the series. The game has it all, and delivers on the hype and promise. Here is hoping the next segment is not to far off as legions of gamers will be waiting.

The New Standard For All Games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: August 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First and most importantly, I would like to say this isn't a game for everyone. Stong language and violence abound here. Violence and blood is important in this game where everything revolves around horror and gun fights, but the language bothered me. I had a hard time with cyborg soldiers dropping the "F" bomb constantly. Luckily, I found a professional swearing edit mod for the game. Even still, this is one of the greatest games ever made. Why is it so good? Here is my rundown:

1- GRAVITY. The game physics feel REAL. If your falling, jumping, running, crouching, shooting or standing still. You can imagine the main character as "actually human." Perfect timing for all actions make controls and game-play smooth. Never do you feel to slow, or to fast. No "smooth walk" like Half Life 2, (which really bothered me) but not too bumpy either.

2- THE ENEMY. The combat is second to none. Arenaline pumping action complete with a "slo-mo" reflexes that only add to the experiance. The advanced A.I. works against you as a team, distracting you while the others come in from behind. Shooting around corners is the best!

3- LIGHTING. Highly detailed shadows create dark and gritty enviornments. Realistic yet frightening in it's simplicity, every room and hallway can make you jump.

4- SOUND. Every gunshot pounds into the floor and every footstep can be heard. Each weapon feels powerful by the sound it creates. (My favortie is the pistol.) The music and effects make the game.

5- DETAIL. Everyone agrees the graphics are outstanding, as long as you have a system to run it properly. (I wouldn't recommend buying this game unless you at least reach the recommended requirments.)

6- FRIGHTENING. Being a fan of everything scary, this game scared me more than any movie has. Its one thing to watch, and another to walk through it. Stopping at every corner and peeking around, waiting for something to happen. You feel safe, then it finally hits you. (The watchers really got to me the first time.)

7- STORY. Very unique and engaging. I had to know what would happen next!

That concludes my opinion one of my new favorite games.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10

CONS---

High system requirments.
Not for the weak of heart.
Cannot play with your family around. Not sutible for young viewers. Not only would it scare them to death, they would freak over the violence. DID YOU JUST BLOW THAT GUY UP? yup. heh...)

(My favorite thing is to throw a grenade torwards a group of enemies, use slow mo and shoot the grenade right when its above their heads. Creates quite a mess, but the hard part is what makes it fun. When you actually pull this one off it makes you feel unstoppable.)

Looks aren't everything

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: August 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Even though I've played a lot of games, I try to approach each one with as little pre-buy information as possible. I figure it's the best way to avoid the hype machinery that can lead to disappointment. I didn't have high hopes for F.E.A.R., but I have to say, this is a game where the demo is the best part.

I played the demo of F.E.A.R. and saw some excellent things: eerie supernatural events that would startle and occasionally terrify you, gorgeous graphics, and a feel to your movement that might give some people motion-sickness, it's tied that closely to your "body".

Unfortunately, once you start putting serious time into the gameplay, you quickly realize that the devil is in the details. For one, the "horror" elements turn out to be few and far between. They quickly take a back-seat to the core concept of "I'm running through a factory, an office, or an office in a factory, and paramilitary squads are trying to kill me." But what really dropped the disappointment-bomb was the "AI" of your enemies. Even on the "hard" difficulty level, enemies do the following:

1) Shout loudly (at times they sound like they have shoulder-mounted bullhorns)--telling you exactly what they're going to do, where they are, and whether or not they know you're there
2) Run directly at you
3) Duck behind something--say, a desk--and stay there until you clear the room, lean over the top of the desk, and shoot them at point-blank range
4) Throw grenades at just exactly the right angle to make them bounce who-knows-where

I'd like to say the badness stops there, but let's just say that, despite some good voice-acting, great dialogue, and a premise that reminds me of the days I used to like The X-Files...ultimately, it goes nowhere. The goal of your first mission turns out to be the goal of the entire game: every level begins with "Find and eliminate Paxton Fettel."

Good points are, the game has very good graphics. It balances settings pretty well to try to give you the best performance, and will even do a "test flythrough" and generate a report on how well your settings work. This is a good game for multiplayer. It would also be decent for moments when you just want to load something and shoot dummies: jump in, play a level, and come back when you're bored with everything else. Otherwise, there are a lot of good ideas that ultimately miss the mark.

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