Cold Fear

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Mar 15, 2005
  • Also On: PC
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
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  1. Next Level Gaming
    88
    It has a very good storyline backed by some great character design and some very good scares.
  2. WHAM! Gaming
    87
    The “big reveal” takes awhile, and because it takes some time to finally happen you’ll be fearing virtually everything that goes bump in the night.
  3. GamingTrend
    85
    I enjoyed Cold Fear for what it was – an average thriller with some above average story-telling and terrific use of atmosphere.
  5. PALGN
    85
    I had an absolute blast with the game’s weaponry and the ideas behind the deaths of killing the creatures ( the last boss was done quite nicely) were done extremely well. A minor downfall to the game is that I didn’t necessarily feel scared during the game.
  6. 3DAvenue
    80
    Wet floors shine, cupboards seem to have depth rather than the badly rendered facade that perhaps you are used to and the lighting is rich and really adds to the uneasiness of this game.
  7. Total Video Games
    80
    The game utilises a series of components and dare we even mutter it under our breath, clichés that can be derived from any number of horror films and survival horror titles, which is no big fault since for the most part (travelling aside) the game is an enjoyable title away from the established franchises that does offer some new ideas and details to the genre.
  8. Gamer.tv
    80
    A highly polished title that shows that Ubisoft's action-focused approached to the horrific can be gory fun, too.
  9. Times Online
    80
    Graphically impressive, to the point where those prone to sea-sickness should stay away, and the dark bowels of the ship provide an eerily effective gaming environment.
  10. GamePro
    80
    But if you've got a choice, spring for the darker, freakier Xbox version.
  11. Worth Playing
    76
    It seems a bit convoluted and rather forced, yet if you play it in the dark late at night, it will still spook the bejeezus out of you.
  12. PSM Magazine
    75
    Visuals and atmosphere are quite good, too, though still far from RE4 quality. [May 2005, p.74]
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  13. GameBiz
    75
    The gameplay is solid and enjoyable. The visuals fit the atmosphere wonderfully, the sound is suitably heroic and epic and the gameplay gets rid of some of the tired conventions of the genre and in their place introduces new ideas that help move it forward.
  14. Stuff
    75
    It's pretty short—six to eight hours, tops. The Xbox version is the way to go, since the load times between "rooms" are a fraction of what they are on the PS2.
  15. GameZone
    75
    The plentiful load times kill the tension between areas.

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 47
  3. Negative: 3 out of 47
  1. MikailaK.
    Apr 17, 2005
    5
    I'm a big survival horror fan, so I had to rent this. And I'm glad I did, because my game lasted about seven hours (which was kind I'm a big survival horror fan, so I had to rent this. And I'm glad I did, because my game lasted about seven hours (which was kind of weird, since it seemed so much longer what with all the minutes I wasted running to the wrong corners of the ships/s). The gameplay is a kind of jarring mix between old-school and new-school Resident Evil, and I really wished they had stuck with the latter. The graphics are great, but overall the game is painfully average; almost half the game consists of blindly fumbling around because there is _no map_ (and my rental box did not contain the manual). I liked that the zombies not the shuffling kind from the old REs, but there seems to be some odd disparity with the targeting system where I shot an Exocel's head only for it to connect several inches down (and this wasn't just because of the ship's rocking). Also, Tom talks too much--okay, the damn door's locked, but do you have to swear incessantly about it? I felt like pressing the "mute" button at times, even though I eventually grew to find Tom's whining funny. Although the combat is definitely more fun than the old Resident Evils, it becomes kind of repetitive, and the joy of squishing your foes' heads underfoot wears off after the first half-hour or so. So if you enjoy cheap scares followed by thirty minutes of lethargy-inducing key-searching (roughly on par with the old REs), then this game is worth a rental. It's so darned short that you can finish it in one night, and there's barely any replay value. Like I said, painfully average.… Full Review »
  2. VLG
    Aug 22, 2023
    8
    I remember having so much fun playing this game! I loved the aesthetics. It was a bit short.
  3. DrZombie
    Jul 11, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Cold Fear can be classified as a survival horror/adventure game, it takes place in an abandoned ship, right in the middle of a violent storm. As a member of the coast guard, you've just answered a distress call, lost contact with your teammates, and you find yourself at the mercy of the weather, it's up to you alone to discover what happened to the ship's crew, find survivors, if any, and make it out of there alive.

    STORY: 6
    The story is very generic stuff, Russian scientists, secret experiments, underground labs, mutated creatures, you know the drill, most of it you learn as you find memos, diary pages and documents left behind, you only come in contact with a couple of characters so don't expect much from the cut scenes, there's very few of them, and they're kinda short.

    GRAPHICS: 7
    The graphics in this game are good, weather, fire and other effects are cool to look at. It does get kinda creepy at times because most of the game takes place in the dark, you have to use your weapon mounted flashlight to see what's ahead of you, steam pipes, electric panels and flashing lights give the game a cool Alien/Aliens vibe, the character/creature designs are ok, but I've seen better on the PS2.

    SOUND: 7
    The sound effects are just ok, everything you'd expect is here, from gunfights in the distance, people yelling and screaming, to adequate zombie moans and satisfying brain splattering shotgun blasts, the voice acting is terrible, it reminds me of the first Resident Evil game. The music is very fitting, my only complaint is that there isn't enough of it. The game can be played in French or Spanish too, which I think is a neat added feature.

    GAMEPLAY: 7
    There are some control issues, but being able to move and shoot at the same time is cool, head shots are vital in order to conserve ammo for the boss fights, so I suggest looking everywhere and searching every body, as for health packs, there seems to be just enough of them, but not being able to store them once you life bar is full, is really a bad idea in my book, also, there's plenty of cheap deaths, but at least most of them occur after a saving spot. A couple of awful sub-boss fights turn out to be masterpieces compared to the final boss, and at under 10 hours, experienced players will finish this game in just a couple of days.

    REPLAY: 6
    Beating the game once is enough to unlock the artwork, stills and advertising materials, the game's only extra features, the only reason you might want to play this again is if you want to endure the challenge of the highest difficulty setting.

    OVERALL: 7
    If you like the genre, you'll have a good time with this game, and then you'll move on the bigger and better things, a solid rental for a weekend of good, forgettable fun, a purchase only if you collect games or if you like taking your time playing.    … Full Review »
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