The original F.E.A.R was released back in 2005. Since that time, the series has built quite the cult following due to its unique approach to traditional FPS gameplay along with its honorific nature  Now the third instalment in the series has been unleashed upon the world. But, is F.E.A.R 3 worth another week of sleeping with the light on? Or is best to lay this game to rest? Let’s find out.

Story:

F.E.A.R. 3 follows on from the events of F.E.A.R. 2′s startling conclusion, but returns players to the protagonist of the original F.E.A.R., the genetically designed supersoldier known as Point Man. The events at the end of F.E.A.R. 2 have triggered a paranormal catastrophe of biblical proportions in the city of Fairport, and Point Man is eager to make his way there and help out a former squadmate caught up in the chaos.

However, Point Man is not alone. His homicidal and recently resurrected brother, Paxton Fettel, is along for the ride. Point Man may have put a bullet in his brother’s brain in the original F.E.A.R., but since when was a measly bullet to the brain supposed to permanently dispose of someone? The brothers form an uneasy alliance, but despite the tension between them, the story progresses predictably. There’s a pleasant sense of closure that goes with seeing the brothers confront the painful reality of their shared past, but there simply isn’t any surprises or scares that will stay with you once the story is over.

Although I found the story to be rather predictable, and despite the fact that their were several missed opportunities to add some very interesting twists to the story. It was still a rather enjoyable story and kept me interested all the way to the end.

Gameplay:

F.E.A.R 3 is fear by name but not fear by nature. F.E.A.R 3 is not a scary game, not in the slightest. Whereas the first game was defined by its scares, scares that were present but perhaps a little more diluted in F.E.A.R 2, F.E.A.R 3 is for the most part, a scare free experience. There’s no horror here, nothing complimentary to the intensity and the claustrophobic paranormal terror induced by the first two games. It’s a definitive misfire, particularly when you have such great protagonists and enemies to play with.

The solo campaign can be played co-op both split-screen and online and this is perhaps the best way to take on Alma and her twisted minions. As a solo experience, F.E.A.R 3 falls short but playing it with a friend, one as Point Man, the other Fettel, adds a momentum that’s missing from the solo experience. Co-op is what’s best, allowing you and a friend to take on the world with every inclination of ammo and telepathy available to you and yours. Of course, you can play the game alone as Fettle or Point Man, so either way you can get the full F.E.A.R experience from the hands of both brothers. However, one pretty big drawback for the campaign is that it is very short, depending on your skill level and what difficulty you choose to play on, F.E.A.R 3′s campaign can be finished in 4-6 hours and that is something that is very hard to forgive since retail games cost so much nowadays.

Overall, I find the gameplay in F.E.A.R 3 to work very well, the addition of a co-op campaign via split-screen and online is a very welcome one and helps to keep the game fresh. Although the campaign suffers from a lack of horror and a short story, it is still a blast to play and will keep you entertained right to the end.

Multiplayer:

F.E.A.R. 3  tries some very interesting ideas with its multiplayer. Instead of offering up old FPS standards like team deathmatch or capture the flag, the game features modes like “F**king Run,” in which four players flee from a billowing cloud of black smoke dubbed the “wall of death.” It’s an intense ride that keeps you constantly moving and also goes against the concept in traditional multiplayer where you’re confined to a specific hunk of land.

Another multiplayer mode that F.E.A.R 3 offers is called “Contractions”, where you and three other players defend a base from progressively deadlier waves of enemies. The twist here is that you have to go scavenge for supply crates in between waves and make it back to your base before it’s too late. To add to the modes increasingly difficult waves of enemies, as the fog thickens, the threats become much more dangerous. Players will find dangerous foes lurking in the fog including Alma herself. The two other modes, Soul Survivor and Soul King, involve possessing other A.I. characters and collecting souls for points.

The multiplayer overall is surprisingly fun and does many different things that most traditional FPS games do not.

The Verdict:

F.E.A.R 3 is overall a very good game, the campaign was extremely fun to play and the story was decent. The addition of being able to play through the campaign in co-op helps to keep the game fresh and exciting as you tackle through the story on the increasing difficulty levels. The gameplay works very well for what it has to offer and the multiplayer offers some very interesting ideas while putting rather unique twists on gamemodes that we have seen in previous games. Although the game falls short on the campaigns length and offers virtually no horror what so ever, F.E.A.R 3 is still a very good game.

The Score:

4 out of 5

F.E.A.R 3 is now available worldwide for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.