The first F.E.A.R. took the world by storm by mixing brilliant horror and first person shooting action. In addition to being genuinely scary (party achieved by successfully borrowing from Japanese horror flicks) there came a host of gameplay advances.
Next, you had F.E.A.R. 2, which built upon the first game’s rock solid foundation to create a sequel that was intensely atmospheric, plus both under your skinny creepy and in your face scary. Now we get the follow up…
Chapter three gives up a little more of chapter one actually; this time you’ll be controlling both the Point Man, the lead from the first game and Paxton Fettel the main bad guy from the same (it should be noted they’re brothers). The former will control much as one would expect, in a traditional manner, whereas the latter will mostly rely on his psychic abilities, such as telekinesis and possession, among others.
Story-wise, it takes place a few months after the first game as well. The mysterious psychic maelstrom known as Alma Wade is causing a bigger threat than ever, as not only the threat she poses for the city of Fairpoint greater than ever, but the very fabric of reality is also at stake. Basically, the bros have to band together to take care of mom before she makes everyone a big unhappy family.
In addition to the new emphasis on co-op, are four brand new multiplayer modes: Contractions. Soul Survivor, Soul King, and Fucking Run, with the last one sounding the most intriguing (gee, big surprise huh). Basically, players have to deal with waves of enemies as they get the hell away from the “Wall of Death”.
Will the brothers succeed? Will the new F.E.A.R. live up to the lofty standards of the old one? Will new lead developer Day 1 Studios be able elevate the franchise that Monolith Productions established? Time will only tell, though on that end, things look promising. They’re no strangers to each other, plus along for the ride is legendary horror director John Carpenter to provide cinematic duties and Steve Niles, one of hottest comic writers in recent years, helping to shape the story further. PS3, Xbox 360, PC