Among the glut of subpar, so-so, and typically trite shooters currently flooding the market, Monolith's F.E.A.R. (ESRB Rating: Mature) stands out as a terrifying and wonderful reminder of how creative a first-person game can be. Both a technical and narrative masterpiece, F.E.A.R. combines elements of science-fiction and horror with a beautiful aesthetic presentation and an incredible enemy A.I. The resulting game will likely convert even the most die-hard console gamer into a temporary fan of PC-based first-person shooters.
While even the best big-name games often fail to live up to the expectations placed on them, F.E.A.R. fully supports its own heavy hype. Graphically, F.E.A.R. is a sight to behold, packed with jaw-dropping lighting and particle effects, and outstanding character animation that exploits the game's killer physics engine. All of this graphical wizardry does come at a price, though: To fully appreciate the game, you need some serious PC hardware. If you can run F.E.A.R. at its higher settings without melting your motherboard, you'll be in for one of the most satisfying audiovisual experiences imaginable.
Slow-Motion Action
As the multifaceted game play proves, however, F.E.A.R. is much more than dazzling special effects. Assuming the role of a new recruit in the elite F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) unit, you have a plethora of powerful weapons and skills at your disposal. In addition to using your impressive arsenal, you can swim, climb, dive over obstacles, lean out from behind cover, slow down time with superhuman reactions (a la Max Payne), and perform a variety of kung fu melee moves, all backed by a highly intuitive and responsive control scheme. All of these abilities become essential as you face off against an army of supersoldiers who fight and react with bloodthirsty zeal and frightening efficiency. In fact, F.E.A.R.'s surprisingly intelligent foes put other dim-witted, duck-and-cover FPS enemies to shame, and help maintain a sense of excitement throughout the game.
The outstanding story mode is also matched by an entertaining and fast-paced multiplayer mode that adds a few twists on old genre standards by incorporating cool skills, and features a solid set of map varieties and distinct game types. Simply put, F.E.A.R. is the game Doom 3 was supposed to be--only smarter, scarier, and better looking. If you can stand a few good and gory scares (and assuming your PC is up to the challenge), you owe it to yourself to experience F.E.A.R. You'll likely be frightened--but you won't be disappointed.
Quake 4: Worthy, if Incremental
When a franchise is popular enough to have its own convention, hype rides along at the launch of every new installment. And Quake 4 (ESRB Rating: Mature) inspires fevered anticipation, being the first Doom 3-engine-based game featuring outdoor environments. Though it mostly delivers on the next-gen visual embellishments, the game nevertheless plays like a late-nineties shooter--albeit a well-polished one.
You touch down on the forbidding and sand-blasted Strogg planet, continuing where your predecessor in Quake II left off. Your purpose is as straightforward as the run-and-gun game play itself: Assault the desolate rock. Fellow soldiers, armor-repairing techs, and medics deftly fight alongside your marine alter ego Matthew Kane; the game deliberately fades these characters in and out to give you a break from the simple, squad-based combat.
Plot twists are scarce in this conventional FPS. Aside from the scenarios in which you get partially turned into a Strogg yourself--which seems only to grant health and armor bonuses--the biggest surprises thrown at you do little more than turn you into a high-tech Mr. Fix-It. The "twist" gets old after you're told for the tenth time that the primary switch for some mega-gizmo broke and you need to go to a dank sublevel to flip some auxiliary switch.
Following Tradition
Thankfully, Quake 4 shows restraint with the monster-hiding-in-dark-corridor mentality of Doom 3. The B-movie theatrics, however, still linger in this linear experience--bionic monstrosities burst through walls, and bald, Borg-like bots rush out from windowless steel doors. It's intense, challenging, and gripping, no doubt, but at the core the FPS fundamentals haven't changed. The Strogg thugs could use better brains, too, as the supposedly smarter Tactical Transfers frequently take "cover" behind boxes with half of their bodies sticking out.
Multiplayer mode, which shows just as much polish as the single-player version, also remains mostly status quo. Levels are tight, balanced, and fun in a simplistic, almost carnal, way, and Quake veterans will feel a gush of nostalgia as they revisit space platforms and jumping pads.
The Great Indoors
Raven Software pushed the envelope with the amazing shadow effects in Doom 3, but unfortunately Quake 4 lacks that same degree of pixel-shader pizzazz outdoors. From the blocky sky box to the drab terrain and buildings, the exterior details pale in comparison to the atmospherically cramped interior spaces. Ultimately, Quake 4 is more a refinement than an overhaul of the franchise--but it's still worthy enough for more QuakeCons.
Bones and Funky Zealot write for GamePro.com.
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