F.E.A.R. is a scary game, as its acronym literally spells out. The image of a long haired little girl brings to mind Ringu, Dark Water and/or The Grudge: scary stuff, alright, and enough to lure in both the curious and those who just want to be scared silly by their interactive PC gaming experience. The tale goes like this: an unknown paramilitary organisation captures an aerospace compound and takes hostages. Unlike most paramilitary groups, however, it issues no demands whatsoever. When a ... more >>

F.E.A.R. is a scary game, as its acronym literally spells out. The image of a long haired little girl brings to mind Ringu, Dark Water and/or The Grudge: scary stuff, alright, and enough to lure in both the curious and those who just want to be scared silly by their interactive PC gaming experience. The tale goes like this: an unknown paramilitary organisation captures an aerospace compound and takes hostages. Unlike most paramilitary groups, however, it issues no demands whatsoever. When a special forces squad is sent in to put the cheeky terrorists to the sword, however, they are all torn apart by an invisible force that attacks without warning. It is for this reason that the special F.E.A.R. team is put together.

Gameplay is your usual mix of high production value FPS gameplay (sparks and smoke everywhere, sophisticated AI) with the title’s horrific twists. From the outset, you’ll learn to expect the unexpected, and there’s no hiding from the fact that you’re up against a paranormal terror of some sort. Successful FPS games are all about incorporating cool stuff and there’s plenty of that. You can execute any number of martial arts moves, with karate chops, jumps and scissor kicks all in your repertoire. You have access to some pretty exciting ordnance too, with handheld cannons and guns that evaporate people in your armoury. You also get a Max Payne-style slow motion ability that makes all your enemies calm down a bit so you can take your time taking them out. All plenty of fun, and as you might expect, the game includes a multiplayer mode which allows 16 people to duke it out online.

F.E.A.R. Extraction Point kicks off where the original game ended - with a bang! The First Encounter Assault Recon Team (F.E.A.R.) are back to battle the now free Alma and her paranormal minions across a desolate city. There is a wealth of new locations, high-powered weapons and enemies that all combine to take the F.E.A.R. series to new heights.

The A.I., which was excellent in F.E.A.R., is back with a vengeance in this add-on. The replica soldiers are amazing and seem better than ever. What makes the A.I. so realistic is the way the soldiers are always on the move, constantly trying to think of the best way to shoot you.

There are numerous high-powered weapons at your disposal, including the submachine gun, shotgun, assault rifle and pistol (which can be used with another pistol at the same time). It is important to remember that you cannot carry more than three weapons simultaneously. Therefore, it's good to choose a shotgun or submachine gun for close-quarters combat and the assault rifle for longer range combat.

Extending and enhancing the experience is what expansion packs are all about, and for fans of F.E.A.R. this is a real treat. << less