When developers started incorporating the horror genre effectively into the video gaming industry, cinema of the same category started to lose its appeal for me. A polished video game such as F.E.A.R. can frighten me vastly more than any horror movie has been able to accomplish in the past ten years. While F.E.A.R. borrows heavily from scenes seen in scary movies such as The Ring, it manages to transport brave gamers into a supernatural, first person shooter that truly elevates the bar in hair-raising video games in its own unique way.
Simply put, the First Encounter Assault Recon squad investigates paranormal activity for the United States government. As the main character, you are always deployed before the cavalry to investigate the disturbance, neutralize any opposition, and clear the area for backup to arrive. This fits in well with the obvious game dynamic of FPS games which usually requires the protagonist to take on the onslaught of attacking forces. The character in question is nothing more than a mysterious, unknown soldier who has yet to prove himself in the field. Fortunately, clues to the soldier's past are revealed along the way and ultimately the truth will be unleashed by the outcome of the frightening journey. The game's spooky presentation is absolutely terrifying and speaks to the level of effort Monolith Productions used in order to send you into shocking fits throughout the game. Seamless cut scenes are used sparsely throughout the game, but with great potency. The story begins with a dangerous situation stemming from a crazed military leader by the name of Paxton Fettel. This bloodthirsty soldier controls an army of elite commandos through a telepathic link of unknown proportions. As always, the F.E.A.R. squad is called to resolve the situation. The storyline is quite unsettling and allows the tension to build to tumultuous levels until the climactic ending is revealed. The rest of the review will remain spoiler free as I wouldn't want the impact of the final act to be diminished for anyone new to the game.Gameplay: The game integrates many of the elements seen in other popular FPS games into a tight package of bloodcurdling excitement. One of the first items that should be mentioned is the slow motion, bullet-time meter made popular by the Max Payne series of games. This white bar at the bottom middle of the screen will tick away when activated to give the F.E.A.R. operative the extra edge against Fettel's battalion of men. It's important to note that the reflex meter is an absolute necessity in order to remain alive. Without proper usage of the bullet time, you will end up on the wrong end of every firefight throughout the game. While the time allowed on the reflex meter is quite short at the outset, upgrades are available in discoverable areas on every level.
These upgrades come in the form of glowing booster shots. Green boosters will increase the amount of bullet-time available and blue boosters will increase overall health by 5 points permanently. By the end of the game, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 boosters of both types should have been found. Other helpful items along the way include red health packs and Kevlar body armor. Depending on the level of difficulty, the amount of health and armor increased will vary along with the frequency which these are placed in the environment.
The environment within each level can provide ample amounts of cover along the way so you won't even need those healing health packs. Designed for maximum apprehension, the level design can range from narrow, dimly lit corridors to wide open lots with many objects to hide behind. Complete darkness isn't overused in the game, but you will have a draining flashlight to help out when it does happen. Many times, items will fall off a table or lights will start to swing wildly to increase the dread felt when crossing an unsecured area. While the level design can become a bit repetitive, the developers use the elements within the environment to give each area distinctive qualities. Objects cannot be interacted with to the level seen in games such as Half Life 2, but shooting locks off gates and turning valves to pass though certain rooms add to the immersive caliber exhibited by F.E.A.R.
Of course, you will need a firearm to shoot that Masterlock off the metal hinge. Fortunately, there are many weapons littered along the way. Starting off with an average pistol which can be duel wielded, there are a couple automatic weapons available, a wonderfully powerful shotgun, a slow firing nail-gun, a burst fire sniper rifle, a flesh burning rail-gun, and a tri-fire rocket launcher. Each weapon has the typical inherent strengths and weaknesses, although I found the range on the shotgun to be quite long when zoomed. In addition to that arsenal, 3 types of grenades are available. The most commonly found is the frag grenade followed by proximity grenades and the remote detonation grenades. While all these fun toys are at your disposal, you are limited to carrying 3 guns at a time. Ammunition will be in short supply for the more powerful weapons, so remember to choose wisely. Also, if you find that ammo on your gun has run dry, there are a few martial arts kicks that can be performed to finish your victim. The drop-kick is a quick smack upside the head of an enemy soldier. The scissors kick is a vicious move performed in a mid-air jump and the sliding floor kick will sweep an opponent.
Using all of that firepower, you will be responsible for taking down the tactical squad AI which can be troublesome if not handled properly. Reacting to your presence, squads will change formations on the fly, attempt to flank, use the environment to their advantage, and communicate positions in order to take you out. In addition, the AI will react to seeing your flashlight turned on, so listen carefully to the audible voice cues when traveling within a level. There are a variety of enemy soldier types ranging from poorly armored soldiers to rocket pumping, metal monstrosities. Each solider has weaknesses that can be exploited for maximum damage. While that's a bit of a comfort, you will be outnumbered in every firefight and need to use the reflex meter with some strategy to take down Fettel's men. On the harder levels of difficulty, the enemy AI is perhaps the most advanced I've ever seen in a FPS game in terms of tactical prowess.
The enemy AI in the single player game can be fun to deal with, but the story eventually comes to an end. Hopefully, the enemy AI has prepared you in some small part for the multiplayer section of the game. The modes available include capture the flag, deathmatch, and team deathmatch. While theses modes are very typical of the FPS genre, the addition of the reflex meter into the multiplayer game makes for some unprecedented fun. The meter can be taken by one person or an entire team depending on the game mode. After acquiring the Reflex package and allowing it to charge up, the team that hold such an advantage is nearly unstoppable. Sending the opposite team into a fit over their speedy, untimely death makes for some nasty trash talking fun. One of my favorite multiplayer sessions included using melee combat only along with the combination of the Reflex meter for an experience that played better than any of the Matrix series of games.
Sadly, connecting to games over Xbox Live isn't as easy compared to other FPS titles on the 360. You cannot join matches already in progress and finding a match is tougher than it looks. Even at peak times, waiting for enough players to start can take several minutes. While lag usually isn't a problem, dropped connections happen far too often over Xbox Live during matches and within lobbies. A bit on the buggy side, the multiplayer needs to be patched before it's fully ready for Xbox Live.
The extremely tough achievements are broken into 47 objectives for 1000 gamerscore points. The points are split approximately 60 / 40 with single player / multiplayer. Insane tasks such as completing the campaign without dying once (Survivalist), participating in 1000 ranked multiplayer matches, or only using 500 rounds of ammo the entire game will leave many players scratching their heads. These achievements take challenging to an entirely new level and add quite a bit of replay value to the title. Also, the developer made sure the achievements cannot be cheated. For instance, reloading a save previous to dying won't allow for the Survivalist achievement anymore. The gamer just has to start all over again. Unfortunately, many casual gamers may shun the game due to these overly difficult tasks.
Graphics: The Xbox 360 takes full advantage of the premium effects found on the PC version, yet it still has a dated look compared to newer games like Gears of War. The particle effects are particularly staggering. When a bullet ricochets off a wall, a splintering effect occurs and creates a cloud of dust which can hamper the battle. The rag doll physics are fairly standard, but adding body twitching to a bloody corpse is definitely a stroke of genius for a game designed to keep you on edge. The detail that went into the facial expressions of the character design is also quite breathtaking. There is a slight problem with the frame rate when using the gun zoom function during a heavy battle sequence. But otherwise, the frame rate stays fairly rock solid. Overall, the graphics paint a bloody picture that's oozing with devilish ambience. Unfortunately, the best looking game on the PC at the beginning of 2006 doesn't necessarily mean it's the best on the 360 at the end of 2006.
Audio: The majority of the attention that the creepy atmosphere deserves should be credited to the amazing quality of the music, surprising sound effects, and the voiceovers, to a lesser extent. The music chimes in at the appropriate occasions which heighten the feeling of apprehension. By using the full range of dynamics, a creeping melody can explode into an irrational cacophony of blaring instrumentals when the action strikes. The sound effects are designed for maximal frightening force. The abrupt drop of a paint can on a concrete floor or the static crackles coming from the flicking light fixtures is enough to make the manliest of gamers uneasy. The voiceovers are pretty darn good, but you won't hear any known actors or actresses in the lot. The soldier's chatter can become a bit repetitive by the end of the game, but it can be used to understand their movement patterns and attack orders. Also, listening to the radio/TV news broadcast about the ongoing events can be entertaining.
Conclusion: On the hard difficulty, the single player game lasted about 15 hours. If you decide to play on normal, you are probably looking at a 10 to 12 hour experience. The difficulty can be changed at any time during the game, but that will effect achievements. As stated earlier, the multiplayer features flesh out the game and can dramatically increase the replay time of the title. I highly recommend this game to any fan of the horror genre, FPS gamers, or those looking for an engrossing story filled with action. I would like to mention that watching through the entire credits sequence at the end of the single player game will help explain the final act. For those looking for just the single player game, rent the title to knock out the quick campaign. For everyone else interested in the multiplayer and the achievements, it's worth a purchase price of around $30 to $40.
Eliza Dushku played prominent characters in a few popular films before Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it was her portrayal of Faith in the 3rd season of the popular television show that helped set her on the path to becoming a star. It's understandable, then, that fans of the show were not particularly happy with her when she turned down a chance for a television series based around the Faith character in favor of Tru Calling. However, it's equally understandable that as an actor, she would want to try new things, and carrying an unproven series with a new character offered her that opportunity. 
For most of the first half of the season, the series walks a very fine line between quality and clich�, and without strong performances from the leads, it likely would have run itself into the ground and off the air. The way the episodes are structured, Dushku bears the bulk of the responsibility as she is in nearly every scene, and she carries it relatively well. The character of Tru is likeable and well meaning, and as she comes to empathize with those she is trying to help, the audience cannot help but do the same. Offsetting much of the dramatic tension is quite a bit of humor with Shawn Reaves's performance as Harrison. He's a complete screw-up, but he's so charming and creative (not to mention very loyal to Tru) that his misadventures are a continuing source of entertainment. Equally effective is Davis who, although clumsy in his interactions with others, serves as a surrogate older brother and sounding board for Tru, something she desperately needs considering the double burden she carries. As the show is stumbling about in the early episodes trying to find its way, it's the performances of these actors that keep the show entertaining even when some of the plots are a bit laughable. 
Alec Newman gives a powerful guest performance as a man killed while robbing a convenient store. His motives are understandable if not commendable, but when Tru tries to help him, someone else dies. Considering the airdate, it's pretty likely what inspired this story, as Tru relives the same day multiple times, each time with a different consequence. The main plot for this episode is pretty creative, and Newman's performance is so strong that it is both an effective and genuinely emotional hour of television that is arguably the best of this season. 
Promoting television series currently on the air through DVD sales seems to be an obvious evolution, but many studios still haven't grasped the concept. Fox, however, has done very well in this area, and if the network has the faith (har har, try the veal ..) to give this series a second season (something that seems very unlikely at this point), this release could help its success. Instead of just dumping the episodes to disc and rushing them into stores, they've taken some time to make this set worth purchasing, including 6 episode commentaries with producers and cast, deleted scenes (with and without commentary) from most of the episodes, and 3 featurettes covering the genesis of the show and its evolution throughout the season. For some of the episodes, the deleted scenes are simply longer versions of those that made the final product; for others, notably "Daddy's Girl" with over 8 minutes of material, they reveal entire storylines that were removed and are well worth the time to check out. 
The "three" featurettes are all compiled from the same interview footage and, while divided by theme, could easily be a single 30-minute piece instead. Marketing at work. "Finding the Calling: The Pilot" focuses on pilot season, how the actors were cast, and why they were interested in the project. Parouse mentions the uncertainty over trying to get Dushku for the project because of rumors surrounding a possible Faith series, and Eliza herself talks a bit about what intrigued her about the project and why she accepted the role. Feldman also discusses why he felt it was necessary to cast a comedian for the role of Davis. 
