 |
Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: First Encounter Assault Recon (F. E. A. R.)
At a Glance
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to Save and Pause:Your progress is automatically saved at regular checkpoints, but you can also save manually at any time during the main game. However, you cannot save at all during the bonus missions. To pause the game, bring up the game's menu by pressing ESC. Time needed per session:Plan for longer game sessions, as it can easily take you a while to make progress.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | Yes This game is notable for featuring unusually realistic combat, which makes all of the carnage much more concerning. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/first_encounter_assault_recon_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/first_encounter_assault_recon_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/first_encounter_assault_recon_2.jpg)
Game Overview
FEAR is the first game in a series of horror-themed first person shooters. The name itself is short for First Encounter Assault Recon - the name of the elite military unit you'll be involved with. As their name suggests, F.E.A.R.'s job primarily involves reconnaissance - ie, checking out and investigating dangerous situations before the regular troops get sent in. This unit is also unique in that it focuses mainly on paranormal disturbances, sort of like a military branch of the Ghostbusters.
Like a lot of dystopian horror stories, this series' main story arc all began with the Armacham Technology Corporation (also known as ATC) deciding it was brilliant idea to create a race of genetically enhanced super solders - a force known as the Replica army. Since projects like this tend to backfire rather spectacularly, ATC took the precaution of ensuring that their solders didn't possess free will. Instead, they'd only act when given telepathic commands sent from their psychic commander. Currently, there is only one of these commanders: a man named Paxton Fettel. This plan might have worked if not for one detail: ATC had perform a ton of unethical experimentation on a young woman named Alma.
You see, Alma is Fettel's mother. Once they made telepathic contact with each other, any chance of things going according to plan was ruined. Paxton immediately defected and went on a rampage, taking the Replica army with him. ATC's response was to hire a private security detail and task them with getting rid of anything that might be incriminating, like say, a rogue army.
Naturally enough, this is where your team comes in. Most of ATC's office staff has either evacuated or died, leaving the company offices in disarray. You're going to need to sneak into the different facilities, gather any useful evidence you can find, and put a stop to the Replica army's activities, preferably by putting a bullet through Paxton's head. For extra fun, Alma is also exploring the different complexes, and if she encounters anybody she doesn't like - which is pretty much everyone - she'll typically use her psychic powers to liquify them on the spot.
Now, while all of this makes for a fairly typical military themed shooter's backstory, it's the gameplay where things get really interesting. The enemy AI behaves remarkably realistically, starting with how they use their radios. By listening in on these conversations, the player can learn what the AI is thinking about. For example, solders on patrol check in with each other periodically, and they'll let each other know where the player is or what you're doing should they see you.
The big surprise though is that unlike other games, where the enemies are just focusing on shooting you, these solders will do their best to utilize cover, flank the player, or otherwise protect themselves during combat. This even includes turning over furniture to create temporary barriers. Additionally, since the AI is intelligent enough to remember where the it last saw the player. This makes it a bad idea to stay in one spot very long, as our opponents will change tactics to force you back into the open.
Another thing to keep in mind is that FEAR tries to be realistic in many other ways. Concrete pillars can be chipped or broken by gunfire, and everyone can shoot through windows. In fact, if enough bullets are striking walls, it can create a large cloud of debris that makes it hard to see what's going on (as shown in the third screenshot above). Likewise, it doesn't take too many shots to kill someone. Even with body armor, so you're not going to last long pretending to be Rambo.
Instead, you need to focus on more defensive tactics, like sticking to cover or sneaking up on patrols. To help with this, you have an ability called "Reflexes". When activated, time slows down, allowing you to move faster than your opponents for a few moments. It's mainly useful for short, quick actions like changing positions or popping out of cover to get a few shots off. The good news is that your reflexes meter recharges pretty quickly, and it's usually possible to recover from screwing up. You don't need to be an expert on stealth gameplay here; you just need to think before you shoot.
The last thing I'd like to mention is that you're only allowed to carry three weapons, and there is no such thing as an ammo pickup in this game. To keep yourself ready for whatever is coming next, you'll need to regularly scavenge fresh equipment from defeated enemies or their security checkpoints. As a general rule of thumb, you should use two of these weapon slots for general purpose weapons and save the third weapon slot for something that'll help with tougher foes like heavy troopers or Replica mechas.
All in all, these unusual mechanics create a unique experience that doesn't feel like your everyday first person shooter. If you're not easily scared, then I'd definitely recommend giving this game and its expansions a whirl. Speaking of which, since this is an older title, you'll generally only find it in bundles these days, so you'll get both expansions, and possibly the rest of the FEAR franchise, along with the first game.
Like a lot of dystopian horror stories, this series' main story arc all began with the Armacham Technology Corporation (also known as ATC) deciding it was brilliant idea to create a race of genetically enhanced super solders - a force known as the Replica army. Since projects like this tend to backfire rather spectacularly, ATC took the precaution of ensuring that their solders didn't possess free will. Instead, they'd only act when given telepathic commands sent from their psychic commander. Currently, there is only one of these commanders: a man named Paxton Fettel. This plan might have worked if not for one detail: ATC had perform a ton of unethical experimentation on a young woman named Alma.
You see, Alma is Fettel's mother. Once they made telepathic contact with each other, any chance of things going according to plan was ruined. Paxton immediately defected and went on a rampage, taking the Replica army with him. ATC's response was to hire a private security detail and task them with getting rid of anything that might be incriminating, like say, a rogue army.
Naturally enough, this is where your team comes in. Most of ATC's office staff has either evacuated or died, leaving the company offices in disarray. You're going to need to sneak into the different facilities, gather any useful evidence you can find, and put a stop to the Replica army's activities, preferably by putting a bullet through Paxton's head. For extra fun, Alma is also exploring the different complexes, and if she encounters anybody she doesn't like - which is pretty much everyone - she'll typically use her psychic powers to liquify them on the spot.
Now, while all of this makes for a fairly typical military themed shooter's backstory, it's the gameplay where things get really interesting. The enemy AI behaves remarkably realistically, starting with how they use their radios. By listening in on these conversations, the player can learn what the AI is thinking about. For example, solders on patrol check in with each other periodically, and they'll let each other know where the player is or what you're doing should they see you.
The big surprise though is that unlike other games, where the enemies are just focusing on shooting you, these solders will do their best to utilize cover, flank the player, or otherwise protect themselves during combat. This even includes turning over furniture to create temporary barriers. Additionally, since the AI is intelligent enough to remember where the it last saw the player. This makes it a bad idea to stay in one spot very long, as our opponents will change tactics to force you back into the open.
Another thing to keep in mind is that FEAR tries to be realistic in many other ways. Concrete pillars can be chipped or broken by gunfire, and everyone can shoot through windows. In fact, if enough bullets are striking walls, it can create a large cloud of debris that makes it hard to see what's going on (as shown in the third screenshot above). Likewise, it doesn't take too many shots to kill someone. Even with body armor, so you're not going to last long pretending to be Rambo.
Instead, you need to focus on more defensive tactics, like sticking to cover or sneaking up on patrols. To help with this, you have an ability called "Reflexes". When activated, time slows down, allowing you to move faster than your opponents for a few moments. It's mainly useful for short, quick actions like changing positions or popping out of cover to get a few shots off. The good news is that your reflexes meter recharges pretty quickly, and it's usually possible to recover from screwing up. You don't need to be an expert on stealth gameplay here; you just need to think before you shoot.
The last thing I'd like to mention is that you're only allowed to carry three weapons, and there is no such thing as an ammo pickup in this game. To keep yourself ready for whatever is coming next, you'll need to regularly scavenge fresh equipment from defeated enemies or their security checkpoints. As a general rule of thumb, you should use two of these weapon slots for general purpose weapons and save the third weapon slot for something that'll help with tougher foes like heavy troopers or Replica mechas.
All in all, these unusual mechanics create a unique experience that doesn't feel like your everyday first person shooter. If you're not easily scared, then I'd definitely recommend giving this game and its expansions a whirl. Speaking of which, since this is an older title, you'll generally only find it in bundles these days, so you'll get both expansions, and possibly the rest of the FEAR franchise, along with the first game.
Points of Interest
Expansions build on the story
FEAR: Extraction Point picks up Point Man's story from where the original game left off - and I mean that literally, as it begins with the ending cutscene, up to and including the evac helicopter crashing. This leaves you and two team members stranded in the Replica-controlled city, so your next task is to make your way to another part of town where a second helicopter waits to extract everyone from the danger zone.
FEAR: Perseus Mandate, on the other hand, doesn't continue your story. Instead, you'll follow another squad of FEAR agents who were infiltrating the ATC facilities during the events of the main game. Along the way, you'll also encounter some new enemy types, one of which is equipped with its own version of your Reflexes ability, making them a formidable foe.
Unfortunately, with the release of FEAR 2, these expansions are (more or less) no longer considered canon to the series. To be a little more specific, there are two timelines in the FEAR series. FEAR and its two expansions form the Vivendi timeline, while FEAR and its two sequels form the Monolith timeline. The latter is the one treated as "canon".
FEAR: Perseus Mandate, on the other hand, doesn't continue your story. Instead, you'll follow another squad of FEAR agents who were infiltrating the ATC facilities during the events of the main game. Along the way, you'll also encounter some new enemy types, one of which is equipped with its own version of your Reflexes ability, making them a formidable foe.
Unfortunately, with the release of FEAR 2, these expansions are (more or less) no longer considered canon to the series. To be a little more specific, there are two timelines in the FEAR series. FEAR and its two expansions form the Vivendi timeline, while FEAR and its two sequels form the Monolith timeline. The latter is the one treated as "canon".
Bonus Missions
The Perseus Mandate expansion also contains three extra challenges for players to enjoy, known as "bonus missions". These are simple, plotless arena levels where the player fights waves of enemies as they attempt to quickly reach the mission's goal area. While you have only one life to complete each challenge, they're mainly present to have some fun with the game's unique AI.
Some bugs can ruin the immersion
Unfortunately, there are some game-breaking bugs in FEAR that have never been fixed, and I found two of them while playing it for this review. The first bug I found occurs in the main game, and is also somewhat rare. There's a spot where you'll need to rescue a hostage, and if you leave the room too early, their AI breaks, causing them to get stuck in their "prisoner" animation. If this happens, you'll need to reload a saved game and try this part again.
The other problem occurs in sewers of the Extraction Point expansion. There's a place where you need to swim up to a ledge, but since the ledge's hitbox is misaligned, you can't jump to it or access it normally. The solution for this one is kind of weird, but it does work: turn off VSYNC in the graphics options, position yourself in front of the broken ledge, and jump backwards onto it. Somehow, this confuses the collision detection logic just enough to let the player climb up where they're supposed to be. Once you're safely on the ledge, you can turn VSYNC back on.
The other problem occurs in sewers of the Extraction Point expansion. There's a place where you need to swim up to a ledge, but since the ledge's hitbox is misaligned, you can't jump to it or access it normally. The solution for this one is kind of weird, but it does work: turn off VSYNC in the graphics options, position yourself in front of the broken ledge, and jump backwards onto it. Somehow, this confuses the collision detection logic just enough to let the player climb up where they're supposed to be. Once you're safely on the ledge, you can turn VSYNC back on.
Concerns and Issues
LOTS of Swearing
The amount of cursing in this game is downright impressive. It's not a case of using swear words just for their own sake though: there are a lot of alarming things in this game, and most of the cursing comes from characters responding to what they're seeing. For example, if you activate your Reflexes ability while in plain view of a Replica solder, they're likely to exclaim "Holy ****!" as a response to seeing you move impossibly fast. They may also curse if you're shooting them and they have no way to reach cover.
Disturbing scenes
This game is rated 18+ and definitely knows it. The first time you see Paxton, he's eating the corpse of one of his victims. Things tend to go downhill from there, as both Paxton and Alma are more than willing to use their psychic powers to mess with the player. This sometimes comes in the form of a sudden graphic jump scare, but they may also cause you to see your dead comrades walking around.
In some cases, Alma will send the player into a fiery "hell dimension" where you'll be assaulted by ghastly humanoid figures. As she gets increasingly agitated during the story, her powers grow, and by the end of the main game, reality itself just sort of gives up and lets her do whatever she wants, which is not a good thing.
In some cases, Alma will send the player into a fiery "hell dimension" where you'll be assaulted by ghastly humanoid figures. As she gets increasingly agitated during the story, her powers grow, and by the end of the main game, reality itself just sort of gives up and lets her do whatever she wants, which is not a good thing.
Blood and gore
As mentioned above, the game starts with Paxton cannibalizing a corpse. From there, we have the bloody messes left behind from Alma's rampages, as well as the violent combat that comprises most of the gameplay. Characters are rarely blown into bits (ie, gibs) but we're still talking about people getting shot or worse, as you'll witness Alma killing someone at least three times.
There is a way to disable most of the gore however - check the Game submenu of the Options menu. Turning gore off doesn't do much for the messy environments, but it does greatly reduce the amount of blood you'll see during the combat sequences. With gore toggled off, bullet hits are shown with a puff of red smoke, and enemies that would normally be gibbed by an attack simply vanish.
There is a way to disable most of the gore however - check the Game submenu of the Options menu. Turning gore off doesn't do much for the messy environments, but it does greatly reduce the amount of blood you'll see during the combat sequences. With gore toggled off, bullet hits are shown with a puff of red smoke, and enemies that would normally be gibbed by an attack simply vanish.
Nudity as horror
As seen on the box art and other promotional materials, Alma usually chooses to present herself as a little girl in a red dress - a very creepy little girl who sometimes sets the entire room on fire with her mind, but still a little girl. This is actually a projected image or an illusion. In reality, she's a pale, dirty, and emaciated woman. She's also completely nude, though players can be very thankful that her scraggly black hair covers everything, as it's very far from flattering or seductive.