FEAR 3 joins the previous titles in it’s series by sticking to the basic FPS (First Person Shooters) principles. It’s strange that even though this is the third title in the series, there is no exceptional progress shown in the game. You just may as well be playing FEAR 2 and no one would know better.
The cause I believe lies in the same setup being used over and over again. Taking a look back at the first title we see that the occasional appearances by Alma, flickering lights, disappearing shadows and other elements really kept players on their toes. The static on your screen, signifying an appearance by Alma would induce fear into players and that would have adrenaline pumping through your veins. Those who grew to love these horror elements would be disappointed with the latest title.
The storyline continues from the last title. The events of FEAR 2 have triggered a paranormal bomb, so to speak, in the city of Fairport. You play as Point Man, the super soldier from the original FEAR, who has to make his way to the city now in order to help out a former squad mate. Throughout the game your brother Paxton Fettel will give you company. Even though he ended up with a bullet in his head in FEAR, the psychic link still remains. As a family you both will live through old memories as you progress through the game.
You can also play as Paxton Fettel but first you have to play each stage as Point Man to unlock the option. However, playing as either brother has no effect on the game itself. Paxton is a specter and he has his own abilities to kill soldiers with. As Paxton you’ll leave behind the trendy guns and start firing deadly energy blasts on to enemy AI floating helplessly in mid-air. You can also take possession of soldiers for a short period of time after which you return to your spectral form. Playing co-op with both brothers is more exciting and fun than playing alone.
There’s nothing about this game that will stay with you as you progress through the campaign. The visuals are plain and far behind current standards. The environments lack detail and fail to pull you in like a paranormal shooter should. The sound effects however do what the visual’s couldn’t. Eerie screams, wails, faint sounds of running footsteps are most effective.
The AI is sluggish and messy. Enemy’s taking cover will always have their heads or hands popping out making them easy targets. The slow-mo fighting sequences are smooth and good. You’ll enjoy busting into rooms full of soldiers and pumping each of them with lead in slow-mo. The melee actions from FEAR are back. Slide moves and flying kicks are fun to execute and you’ll occasionally opt for that over your weaponry. Sometimes though you’ll end up performing the basic knife stab instead of an intended slide move or flying kick. That can be really frustrating.
The game also features a bunch of creative multiplayer game modes. One is where you fend off enemy soldiers from entering your building. In between waves you can also go ahead and board up windows much like the zombie mode from Call of Duty. The other mode requires you to run from a wall of death that consumes the level as you battle through zombies. Another multiplayer mode lets fallen players get corrupted, joining the zombie forces against their former friends.
In all FEAR 3 isn’t a bad game. However, it is just shocking that a game would be overshadowed by it’s predecessor which got released around six years ago. In short whatever FEAR 3 has, the original did better. The game feels more like a plain old military shooter than one with paranormal beings running around. Still it’s a good shooter and will satisfy your need of gore.
