FEAR 3 Released

[Xeros612]

(Attempt #3 at posting this thread)
And unless you watch TV or scour the "new" tab on r/gaming, this is probably the first you've heard of the release. I managed to find a thread whereby someone who at least claims to be a part of the dev team is discussing some of the design changes and gameplay elements for the game.

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/i59rp/fear_3_i_worked_on_it_it_finally_shipped_today_so/

The results aren't sounding promising.

[Mithran Denizen]

I've been loosely following this game for a while (I loved the first two in the series, despite their flaws), and the thing I'm most skeptical about is the weird co-op gameplay angle that I recall hearing about. I haven't really looked into it much though, so I dunno, maybe it's not complete crap.

In any case, I'd still rather see Condemned 3.

[Xeros612]

A Condemned 3 would be nice, definitely, but after how the reaction to the second game's change into strange mode story-wise went I'm not sure it's all that likely.

[Clonehunter]

Saw some TV spots. F.3.A.R. A Game Informer mag ripped on this acronym because it it just looked really stupid. Also, Assault and Recon are two very different things. I don't see how it can together well. The 3 looks stupid because it doesn't make any sense. Styalizing a title like that is equally stupid.

[Belial]

Absolutely loved the first one and the expansions, hated most of the second one except for the last quarter or so of the game (around the time the huge mechs started showing up), nice ending too.

Can't say I'm looking forward to it gameplay-wise, but I'll definitely give it a spin to find out where they've taken the story.

[Use]

Bought it today, will be playing the hell out of it.

[DoomUK]

*Yawn*

The series has become progressively uninteresting for me. The first FEAR I enjoyed, back in it's day. The first expansion pack to the original game was good, if a little "more of the same". The second expansion pack to the original game was weak. The second game proper was totally forgettable. FEAR 3 (I refuse to spell it in that retarded way that it's supposed to be spelled) is one I might be skipping entirely.

[boris]

Time for a reboot of the series!

[DoomUK]

boris said:

Time for a reboot of the series!

Don't forget a movie which has practically nothing to do with the plot of the games. Surprised relieved this hasn't been done already, actually.

[Clonehunter]

Use3D said:

Bought it today, will be playing the hell out of it.

So, how was 'playing the hell out of it'?

[Craigs]

I can't help but notice people forgetting to ask the most important question: Does it have lean like the original?

[Use]

Yes it does.

So I'm a several missions into the game, I'm liking it very much. It's a great throwback to FEAR1, with bigger, better levels. I'm playing on hard, the enemies are fairly ruthless. Your ass is pretty much cheesed if you're not using cover, which by the way works very well. Lots of actions for zipping about between barriers and peeking to take shots.

The new game engine looks great, the lighting is very realistic and sets up a creepy mood. Though mostly linear, several battlezones feature multiple access points so you can move around the enemy without being seen. The AI is working together again, something I felt was lacking in FEAR2, these assholes are on top of it. Shotgun guys will rush right up your ass if your not careful. Grenades are thrown with much pain and accuracy. There's also a kickass new scoring system that awards points based on tactics and kinds of moves you use to ruin people, adding a lot of replay.

As usual, the weapons and gunplay are very fun. The typical FEAR shotgun takes center stage, blowing off arms and torsos with impunity. A new variant of the sub-machinegun appears, taking heads off with it. The cool FEAR melee attacks are also present, and come in real handy a few missions in. Jumping up and kicking people in the face never really gets old.

Overall this isn't some lame cash-cow sequel, this game was made with care by fans of the series. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes FEAR in any degree. Haven't tried the online or co-op yet but I'm looking forward to that.

[Xeros612]

Well that certainly sounds promising, but the regenerating health and lack of horror (although that aspect wasn't the greatest in the previous games, I'll admit) is still irritating to me. Good to hear lean and intelligent AI are back, though, so it isn't consolized like the second.

[Craigs]

Of all the things that pissed me off about FEAR 2, I'd have to say the armor design was what annoyed me the most. The original fear had some fairly realistic armor design in that it was what I'd imagine futuristic soldiers would going to be into combat wearing. For the most part, it was camouflaged and it allowed the enemies to hide in the dark Meanwhile in Fear 2, you had douche bags running around in colorful armor with bright lights all over them.

The ATC black ops were by far the worst offenders. There were quite a few who were running around with big explosive canisters strapped to their backs that would explode with a single hit, glowing visors, and of course, bright glowing lights all over their armor just so you wouldn't have to worry about them sneaking up on you. They might as well have made it so they run around completely unarmed pointing at their faces and screaming "HEY BUDDY! SEE THIS!?!? IF YOU SHOOT ME HERE I DIE INSTANTLY!!!

Oh and if you're going to try to cover up your corporation's messes by having a group of "highly trained black ops soldiers" break into a hospital and mow down every single person in there, it's generally a good idea to you know, make them look like terrorists, thugs, or at the very least send them in wearing unmarked armor, instead of you know ARMOR WITH YOUR COMPANY'S LOGO/NAME ALL OVER IT.

[Megamur]

Craigs said:

Of all the things that pissed me off about FEAR 2, I'd have to say the armor design was what annoyed me the most.

...Of everything you could be upset about, armor design was your top offender? Seriously? Those are some interesting gaming priorities right there.

[Scripten]

Megamur said:

...Of everything you could be upset about, armor design was your top offender? Seriously? Those are some interesting gaming priorities right there.

Way to totally miss the point.

[Megamur]

In this case, I honestly hope I missed the point.

[Chopkinsca]

Megamur said:

In this case, I honestly hope I missed the point.

Would you like doom if the demons wore clown suits?

[Xaser]

chopkinsca said:

Would you like doom if the demons wore clown suits?

Hell yes.

[Megamur]

chopkinsca said:

Would you like doom if the demons wore clown suits?

Not even close to a correct analogy in this case.

[Technician]

Megamur said:

Not even close to a correct analogy in this case.

Yeah, a game utilizing stealth has armor similar to an aluminum Christmas tree. The clown suite analogy is not a correct analogy, it's an understatement.

[Craigs]

Megamur said:

...Of everything you could be upset about, armor design was your top offender? Seriously? Those are some interesting gaming priorities right there.

It wasn't THE top offender but yeah, it was one of the top offenders, mainly because in addition to being stupid in an aesthetic sense, it also contributes to the excessively easy difficulty. Since a lot of the enemies have bright glowing lights all over their armor, you rarely have to worry about missing one when looking around simply because they stick out like a sore thumb. It doesn't help that with a lot of them, said glowing lights are concentrated around their head or other weak points.

Compare this guy who has glowing lights all over his helmet to this guy who doesn't and tell me who you think would be a lot less noticable if they were hiding in the shadows

[Technician]

Craigs said:

Compare this guy who has glowing lights all over his helmet to this guy who doesn't and tell me who you think would be a lot less noticable if they were hiding in the shadows

But then it wouldn't be easy for me to win.

[Belial]

Xeros612 said:

lack of horror

Wait, what?

Fear 2 ditched the unnerving music in favor of the usual cinematic soundtrack crap, and you're telling me the next one gets rid of the whole aspect altogether?

[Craigs]

Belial said:

Wait, what?

Fear 2 ditched the unnerving music in favor of the usual cinematic soundtrack crap, and you're telling me the next one gets rid of the whole aspect altogether?

Honestly, if they did I think it would actually be a pretty good move. When you get right down to it, the horror aspect wasn't exactly the most popular part of FEAR.

[DoomUK]

Craigs said:

When you get right down to it, the horror aspect wasn't exactly the most popular part of FEAR.

But it complemented the action well. And it worked on an atmospheric level. I didn't find Doom 3 or Dead Space particularly scary either, but these games also had the right blend of spookiness and combat.

[Spleen]

I'm not in the financial situation to just drop 50-60 bucks on one new game, but I commend them for reviving the long-forgotten tradition of including a cooperative game mode for the single-player campaign, as opposed to people having to mod it in like with Doom 3.

[Belial]

Craigs said:

Honestly, if they did I think it would actually be a pretty good move.

I disagree entirely. The first one delivered some of the best scares I've seen in gaming since System Shock 2 and one particular spot in Perseus Mandate almost made me fall out of my chair. The whole experience of playing it, complemented by the music, made it a great B-grade horror.

For all the shit I've heard about it abusing the creepy little girl cliche borrowed from Ringu and being based mainly on the *BOO* factor, it got me to the point where playing it at night in headphones was too much for me as I was jumping every time a door opened or a can I accidentally stepped on made a rattling noise.

It also had some really memorable scenes, like the small chapel that goes up in flames once Alma enters or the deaths of your companions in Extraction Point. The various spots where the map rearranged itself around you and doors leading to hellish landscapes were also key in keeping the player unsure of anything.

The creepy atmosphere is something FEAR 2 lacked for the most part, but not because it wasn't trying. The ideas they copied from the first game just didn't work now that you had lots of people around you and not just the single voice in your headset and some recorded phone messages to keep you company. That killed the sense of loneliness and abandonment that came from flying solo for almost the whole of the original. It got better near the ending, but it was too little too late.

If they're getting rid of the scary bits by design for part 3, then it's no longer a FEAR game.

[Use]

Belial said:

Wait, what?

Fear 2 ditched the unnerving music in favor of the usual cinematic soundtrack crap, and you're telling me the next one gets rid of the whole aspect altogether?

No they didn't. But it's still not as scary as FEAR1. The music however is much improved over FEAR2.

[Megamur]

Belial said:

I disagree entirely. The first one delivered some of the best scares I've seen in gaming since System Shock 2 and one particular spot in Perseus Mandate almost made me fall out of my chair.

It really is a shame that so many people turn their noses up at Perseus Mandate, because it was honestly some of the most fun I had in FEAR, and it was also the scariest of the FEAR games I've played (I admit that I have yet to play FEAR 2 or its expansion, or FEAR 3). That whole section with you going through the old city under the ground was just eerie as can be.