F.E.A.R. 3, sees you playing the role of the genetically-enhanced Point Man, the protagonist from the original F.E.A.R. As you may remember from the end of F.E.A.R. 2, the mysterious female foil Alma forces herself upon that game’s playable character — Becket — and becomes pregnant with his child. Alma is an evil psychic dynamo manipulated by Armacham, the same company responsible for Point Man’s genetic enhancement, but her powers far outweigh his own. Thus, stopping Alma from having this child is the name of the game in F.E.A.R. 3. Because after all, if Alma is so powerful, who knows what that kid can do?
Stopping Alma’s will be no easy task for Point Man, especially because he’s accompanied continuously by the apparition of fellow Project Origin prototype Paxton Fettel, another character fans of the series will be familiar with. One of F.E.A.R. 3′s great strengths is that you can actually play as Fettel through any level that Point Man already beaten, which gives a completely different feel for getting through the main campaign.
While Point Man is your typical gun-toting badass, Fettel is able to possess enemy soldiers and generally cause an insane amount of havoc. Better yet, you can play the campaign together with a friend locally or online, utilizing both characters’ strengths at the same time.
In terms of aesthetics, F.E.A.R. 3 provides average graphics that look slightly dated but still get the job done. The game runs fairly smoothly, with the exception of some stuttering when the game is loading and saving. Regardless, you won’t mistake F.E.A.R. 3 for a top tier shooter in terms of its looks. The voice-acting is at times over the top, but the sound effects and music add greatly to the scary feel of the game.
Both single player and co-op will require you to work your way through the same eight stages (known as Intervals). Playing through on co-op will allow you to blaze through the game significantly faster than playing on your own, but F.E.A.R. 3′s campaign is best enjoyed as a solo affair. Though the game is much more difficult this way, playing on your own maximizes the frights and scares. Co-op is a fun experience in its own right, but should definitely be left for those who have already played through the campaign once before.
Mechanically, F.E.A.R. 3 will feel familiar to fans of the FPS genre. Your characters will have access to a number of firearms, explosives and more. Point Man and Fettel can also use their own psychic powers, primarily in the form of time slow-down and enemy possession respectively. The combination of the conventional and the supernatural isn’t revolutionary by any stretch of the imagination, but it works well in F.E.A.R. 3.
