The Fetal Position Never Felt So Good

Gameplay - 8/10

Storyline - 8/10

Graphics - 8/10

Game Score : 24/30

OMFG!!!!! After my painstaking wait and multiple delays F.E.A.R. 3 is finally out. F.E.A.R. 3 (stylized in the logo as F.3.A.R) is a first person-shooter developed by Day 1 Studios for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the OnLive cloud gaming service as a sequel to the game F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and the third installment of the F.E.A.R. series. It was announced on April 8, 2010 and is stated to include John Carpenter helping on the cinematics as well as writer Steve Niles. John carpenter is most well renown for his work on the Halloween movie franchise featuring Micheal Myers; so no doubt this game has a high scare factor. Originally scheduled for a 2010 release, a delay to March 2011 was announced followed by a further delay to May 2011. On the 27th of April 2011, Warner Bros. announced yet another delay to the title; pushing it back to June 21st in North America and June 24th in the UK.

Nine months ago, the F.E.A.R. Point Man and his squad were tapped to stop an unknown man who had commandeered a battalion of Replica supersoldiers at the Armacham research facility in the Northwestern US city of Fairport. During the mission, the Point Man learned that the man was not working alone - in fact, the very person the Point Man was ordered to subdue was his telepathic, cannibalistic brother, Paxton Fettel, and his tortured and powerful psychic mother, Alma Wade — products of Armacham Technology Corporation's perverse paranormal experiments. Despite this revelation, the Point Man moved forward with standing F.E.A.R. team orders to stop the targets at any cost. In a last-ditch attempt to end the pair’s homicidal rampage, the F.E.A.R. team set in motion an explosive series of events that seemingly accomplished their goal, but at the cost of ravaging the city, its inhabitants and almost all of the Point Man’s squad mates. The game picks up a couple months after these events.

F.E.A.R. 3 includes features such as co-op, an evolved cover system, and more scares, according to Day 1 Studios founder and president Denny Thorley. In the game, the players control either Point Man or Paxton Fettel, the protagonist and antagonist, respectively, from the first game, F.E.A.R.. The controls for the Point Man are the same, with shooting enemies and slowing time. As Fettel, you assist the Point Man by using telekinesis, stun, possession, and other abilities. The Co-op mode in this game is really fun and makes play-through in my mind veyr much easier than if you were to go it alone. Once you complete a level as Point Man, in the single player mode, you can then replay that level as Paxton Fettel.

As great as this game is, it is not without it's faults; honestly I feel at some portions throughout the game it deviates too much from focusing on the scare factor of Alma and it just feels like you are playing any other military based FPS (First Person Shooter). Also the cover system doesn't allow for blind fire but the A.I. can seemingly blind-fire; not to mention transitioning from one piece of cover to another can at times be tedious. Aside from those awkward moments with the new cover system, I was hardly afforded much of a break from the intense action and gun fights. F.E.A.R. 3 definitely knows how to keep you very aware and on your toes, from the ambient sounds to the visual stimuli, you never know what may or may not be lurking around every step or closed door. Another bonus to the game-play is that there is a ranking system in the game that allows you to gain points through varying challenges which then power up certain aspects of your game-play such as extra clips of ammo and extended SloMo. F.E.A.R. 3 is definitely a must play for any fan of horror based shooter games, I really wish I could have recorded my own play-through experience to show, but I don't think I want you all to hear me screaming like a little girl when I am scared...