F.E.A.R.

This is not your father’s shooter, full of brain dead opposition that makes each level a carbon copy of the previous one. F.E.A.R. is a game that will keep you on your toes, keep you guessing, and keep you interested until the final credits roll. That’s worth a lot these days.

F.E.A.R. on Xbox 360 gets high marks for atmosphere, graphics, and enemy A.I., but a stern finger-waving for a lack of a structured internet lobby or buddy system. FPS fans looking for quick frights, superior enemy A.I. and tons of weaponry should look no further.

A cocktail of equal parts exhilaration and terror, F.E.A.R. excels in every facet of game design. The definition of a must-play title.

F.E.A.R. has made it from the PC to 360 with everything that made it an outstanding experience along with a few new additions including the fantastic Instant Action mode, making it hard to lodge any huge complaints against the game.

Overall, if you like FPS titles, you like your games pretty, and you like to be scared, then F.E.A.R. is right up your alley. Proceed with caution; you will wet yourself on this ride.

In parallel with a near-perfect shooter experience, F.E.A.R. develops a hue of eeriness through subtle storytelling and powerful emotional immersion within its environments.

If you're interested in taking on a captivating yet downright terrifying single player experience, F.E.A.R. comes highly recommended.

Bear in mind, if you're addicted to racking up your gamerscore, you might find F.E.A.R. a touch frustrating...F.E.A.R. makes you work for its accolades. But even so, this is an excellent port of a great game.

A creepy and atmospheric FPS with great survival horror elements as well as all out action.

F.E.A.R. is the 360's first shooter to score a [90] on Eurogamer for the simple reason that it's such a consistently exciting game that gets the core of the experience so absolutely spot-on that most of the niggles are swiftly swept aside. Slow-mo gunplay and cunning AI don't sound like next generation ideas, but somehow Monolith combines the two so expertly that it feels more alive and more exciting than could ever seem possible.

F.E.A.R. delivers action that lives up to its name.

If you like you shooting with a dollop of tangible fear, F.E.A.R. is for you.

Just as frighteningly good on 360 as it was on PC. The combat works extremely well and so does the atmospheric storyline. The repetitive levels are still there, though. [Dec 2006]

The only real shortcoming of F.E.A.R. is how repetitive it eventually becomes.

If you're looking for an intense shooter that will occasionally scare the living crap out of you, F.E.A.R. is exactly what the doctor ordered. Thanks to some excellent visuals and sound design, this is one game that will have you peeking around corners and stopping in your tracks every time your flashlight's battery dies.

This straightforward translation of last year's hit PC game skillfully blends kinetic action with creepy atmosphere to create one of the most intense shooters on the Xbox 360.

Anyone looking for a more traditional FPS experience online will find this to be an ideal choice.

F.E.A.R.'s downsides mean it's thrilling at first and much less absorbing later on, but its magnificent combat sequences still make it irresistible for serious FPS fans. [Dec. 2006, p.62]

As cool as the horror bits are, they are somewhat counterbalanced by the story, which adds nothing to the experience. Because these horror elements worked so well, I wished all the more that a compelling story were there to complement them.

If you're looking for a new twist on an old genre, give F.E.A.R. a shot. You'll piss your pants with delight. Not for the faint of heart.

Probably the closest thing you'll get on the 360 to "Halo 3" until, well, "Halo 3" itself. If only it wasn’t quite so FPS-by-numbers, it’d be a classic in it’s own right.

But the engaging paranormal angle to the story and the violent imagery rising from it breathe a creepy chill into F.E.A.R.'s soul that never lets the game lost its powerful grip. [Dec. 2006, p.64]

It has everything a shooter fan could want as well as a genuinely creepy single-player that simply must be experienced. If you are in the market for a great shooter or just an overall fun experience you can't go wrong with F.E.A.R.

F.E.A.R. is a game that you’re going to like a lot or you’re not going to like at all, depending on your tolerance for genuinely challenging gun battles, genuinely unsettling creepiness and genuine-looking bland industrial environments.

FEAR is roller coaster of thrills and action. It is a great game and easily worth a look for anyone in the market for an enthralling experience.

In terms of playability F.E.A.R. really couldn’t be much better, there’s really not a lot more to be said about it. If you played the PC version there’s not much new here. If not, however, sit down, turn the lights out and scare yourself silly.

A technically superb conversion of a superlative shooter, if a bit creaky. [Christmas 2006, p.96]

The level of destruction and the special effects are outstanding, and while the single player campaign is a bit short, the console exclusive Instant Action Mode is a great way to continuously relive battles against the intelligent AI.

The core shooting action is so strong that these complaints fall by the wayside. F.E.A.R. is a game about shooting things, and once you get your hands on its triggers, you'll find that you won't want to let go.

As a highly competent, technically polished, but otherwise straightforward first-person shooter, F.E.A.R. is a safe bet for the Xbox 360 action fiend. It may not replace "Halo 2" in your FPS collection, but it sure as hell beats playing "Perfect Dark Zero" for the fourteenth time.

F.E.A.R. is a good-looking FPS with great sound and amazing gunfights, but it lacks variety – sharing Condemned’s bent for basements, air vents, abandoned factories, offices and so on, and the identikit enemies don’t help.

The action in F.E.A.R. is relentless from start to finish, and the AI of enemy soldiers is about the best you'll find in video games at the moment. Bar an ending that will leave you wanting a lot more, there's little not to enjoy.

A great first-person shooter, and thrilling almost every step of the way.

I would perhaps describe FEAR as "Condemned" on steroids perhaps.

An adrenaline-soaked blend of terror and action. If it wasn't for the fact that there's little between the PC and 360 versions, F.E.A.R. would no doubt have scored higher. [Issue 13, p.94]

A great FPS. The incredibly sharp AI provides a real challenge making this a game you'll come back to - if you haven't played the PC original. If you have, there probably isn't enough new content here to make this a worthy purchase.

Monolith underplays ever card in its hand and leaves us with a game of slow-creeping dread and rare maturity. A year is a long time in videogaming, but age has left F.E.A.R.'s impact undiminished. [Christmas 2006, p.114]

The story doesn’t make much sense, and there are many truisms at work here, but the gameplay and presentation are phenomenal, and both the single and multiplayer aspects of the game are impressive.

The well-paced horror elements coupled with some of the most satisfying and stylish gunfights in a FPS make this game well worth your time, especially if you managed to miss it when it was initially released on the PC.

That new price tag on an old game gives us the willies, but we love the gunplay, the new mode, and the creepiness.

An interesting and technically excellent FPS, F.E.A.R.’s refusal to play to its real strengths is something of a shame. Regardless, decent single-player modes and online play make it a shrewd investment for anyone that likes hurting people.

The sad reality is that just over a year on, F.E.A.R. is desperately showing its age. Hard-edged shadows, bland textures, and some gloopy-looking water effects make the First Encounter Assault Recon experience look quite tired, especially in light of the Goliath that is "Gears of War."