dryfter: (tc_meters)
Toby "dryfter" Wintermute ([personal profile] dryfter) wrote2005-10-22 12:45 pm
Entry tags:

F.E.A.R.

Fahrenheit was an interesting game; trying quite hard to be an interactive movie, it definately wasn't a FPS, and didn't quite fit into being an adventure game either, although that's the closest genre. Now I've been playing Monolith's F.E.A.R, and I like it too. It's quite different in terms of gameplay, being an out-and-out FPS, but stylistically it reminds me heavily of Fahrenheit, and with elements of Max Payne.

Most disturbingly, it seems the designers must have had more than a few drinks with the Fahrenheit guys, as so far in the game I keep having visions of this eerie silent child, who looks like just the Indigo Child. We shall see how she turns out as time goes by.
The plot doesn't seem very original so far - there is some secret government plan that has been running for years, which has produced one or some super-humans, some have gone rogue, and the govt is trying to cover it up - sounds just like Deus Ex to me.

The attitude and style of the game is very different to the one I mentioned under the cut though - FEAR has a strong horror overtone, borrowing heavily from Doom 3, only without the silly and predictable monster placement. (You know how in Doom you'd walk into a room, see some item in the middle of the floor, and just know that the moment you touch it, the doors will slam shut, and panels will open out of which monsters will erupt. ANd you're thinking, why would demons from hell be hiding in the closest for hours, just to wait for me to arrive so they could jump out?) There aren't any hell-spawn yet either, but I'm not even halfway through the game yet. Only a variety of types of soldiers.
There's lots and LOTS of blood though. It's a mutilated corpse bonanza, and the player is doing a fairly good job of adding to it, as enemies tend to die quite violently. Your character has a Max-Payne-alike slow-motion ability of limited duration, often enabling you to wade into a bunch of soldiers, spin around using scissor-kicks and shotgun blasts, and then as time speeds up again, corpses fall to the floor along with the now-sped-up tinkling of shell casings.
Also like Max Payne, you encounter various visions and interactive dream sequences, which are done nicely and fit into the game well.

The horror aspect is the only thing that provided enough interest for me to even play the game, but I feel like the plot development is too thinly spread out so far, and perhaps more than a little predictable. Then again, it might surprise me yet..

As horror FPS's go, the daddy is about to be released - after years and years in the making, Call of Cthulhu: Darks corners of the Earth is about to released. It has a lot to live up to, and will probably be a disappointment. But you just know I'm going to buy it and find out one way or the other.

[identity profile] strawberryfrog.livejournal.com 2005-10-22 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Call of Cthulhu ... what are the system requirements to make it play well?

[identity profile] wintrmute.livejournal.com 2005-10-25 12:35 pm (UTC)(link)
No idea.. Game isn't out yet, not even a demo, although demos have been demonstrated, if that makes sense.
maelorin: (Default)

[personal profile] maelorin 2005-10-23 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
we tried farenheit. we really did. but that simon says interface had us lost, bewildered, and confused.

not being twitch gamers, we fumbled every single one. which was not fun.

but the plot did look interesting.

as did the character swapping.