FEAR 3 Review

By Jeffrey Matulef Published 23 June, 2011

Ghost trick.

Version tested: Xbox 360

If F.E.A.R. 3 has one lesson to learn, it's that horror is at its best when we care about the people involved. This is the difference between rooting for Sarah in The Descent versus cheering for Freddy as he slaughters Midwestern teenagers before making a bad pun about it in the later Nightmare on Elm Street sequels.

F.E.A.R. 3's silent protagonist, the unimaginatively named Point Man, is as bland a lead as you can find. After being busted out of prison by the ghost of his homicidal brother, Paxton Fettel (whom he murdered at the conclusion of the first game), they team up to track down their pregnant, psychic, undead mother.

Comic book scribe Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and film director John Carpenter (The Thing, Halloween) have come aboard to spruce up the narrative, though their efforts are in vain. The story of child abuse, lost innocence and macabre family matters could be intriguing, but the game does such a poor job of telling it that it's hard to keep track of why you're doing anything or what exactly is going on.

Unveiling the story through Point Man's eyes is serviceable, but undermined during cut-scenes when he simply stares blankly while the fate of the world hangs in the balance and his spectral sibling taunts him. F.E.A.R. 3 is comically ineffective at getting us to care about this blank slate of a man, and with no appealing support characters, it winds up as just a bunch of gory stuff.

Thankfully, what F.E.A.R. 3 lacks in a compelling narrative, it more than makes up for in thrilling first-person shooter combat. The series' staple slow-mo is back alongside its hefty, punch-packing weapons, and for the first time in the F.E.A.R. games there's a "snap-to" cover system.

1

'If you wanna find hell with me...'

This works much as you'd expect, but unlike its employment in more traditional cover shooters, is best used sparingly. Enemy soldiers are smart and will work as a team, seek cover, flush you out and flank you. It's unnerving when the moment you duck behind a crate you hear a foe yell "He's behind the crate!" before his comrades zero in on you. Levels are expertly designed around this, with multiple routes ensuring you could get attacked from all sides, encouraging you to stay on the move.

There's a delicate balance between being the hunter and the hunted; one moment you're scrambling around looking for cover, the next you're retaliating in glorious slow motion with a shotgun that renders enemies into plumes of blood. The default difficulty level in single-player was absolutely spot-on for me; I was constantly close to death but would often survive by the skin of my teeth.

It's worth noting that unlike prior games in the series, which consisted largely of drab, colourless corridors, F.E.A.R. 3 is diverse and detailed - if still predominantly grey. A twisted version of a department store, ravaged by earthquakes and home to deranged denizens, is a particular standout, with halls of flickering TVs, a meat locker full of pigs and mutilated corpses hanging from hooks, and bizarre, bloody symbols scrawled along the walls.

2

War of the otherworlds.

Optional challenges are a neat addition to the the game. Completing such tasks as killing 50 enemies in a row, getting 25 headshots or defeating 10 foes while using cover will net you XP. This increases your rank, unlocking rewards like longer slow-mo, faster health regeneration and increased health. You can check your progress on these challenges at any time, and more often than not you'll be on the verge of completing a goal. It's deceptively addictive and encourages you to vary your approach. It also leads to a competitive angle when players compete for points in co-op.

This is based around F.E.A.R. 3's most innovative feature, Paxton Fettel. Being a ghost, he can't pick up weapons. Nor does he have slow-mo. Instead, his abilities include levitating enemies, shooting them with a projectile, forming a shield around Point Man and a melee attack that gets substantially more powerful if used while Point Man has activated slow-mo (which affects both players). Best of all, when a meter that refills over time is full, he can possess enemies.

While inhabiting someone else's body, Paxton gains their unique powers. If he dies or spends too long in possession of a host, they'll expire in a bloody mess, leaving the incorporeal Fettel to fend for himself. He can collect glowing red skulls that are dropped by every enemy he defeats to extend his stay. There's a wonderful balancing act between being encouraged to play recklessly while in possession of a body, yet cautiously as soon as you're stripped of your skin. It gives the game an arcade-like quality that's a far cry from skulking around in the shadows as Point Man.

As an added bonus, Fettel is unlocked for every singe-player mission once you've completed it as Point Man. Playing as Fettel is such a unique experience that it could easily headline its own game. That it exists in addition to the default campaign, and can be experienced in tandem with it in co-op, is practically a revelation.

The one downside to co-op is that it makes everything less frightening, as the other player can trigger canned scares ahead of you. It's not a big loss since, disappointingly, the game is not scary in the first place. Most of the scares are based around interactive cut-scenes, robbing you of control. It's obvious that you're actually safe, so whatever apparitions appear are very clearly smoke and mirrors. For a game that's so innovative elsewhere, it's disenchanting to see these cheap tricks deployed so regularly.

Aside from co-op, F.E.A.R. 3 hosts four multiplayer modes. Robbed of slow-mo, one would be forgiven for thinking multiplayer would be a forgettable mess, but F.E.A.R. 3 continues to innovate here by eschewing standard modes like deathmatch and capture the flag for unique four-player modes.

Its most conventional is Convulsions, in which a team of four must ward off ever-increasing waves of enemies. Between waves, players can run outside their base and bring back supply crates or reinforce barricades. It's fun, but a little too slow to get going.

3

No ticket.

Next is Soul King, where each player begins as a wraith capable of possessing enemies. Wraiths are swift and agile, moving like the camera chasing Ash in Evil Dead 2. Every enemy you kill drops a skull worth points, and whoever has the most points becomes the soul king, making their location known to the other players. If you die in wraith form you lose half your souls, so it's easy to go from first to last in a heartbeat, which I found a little too topsy-turvy.

My favourite two modes were F**king Run and Soul Survivor. The former has you and your squad mates outrunning an oncoming wall of smoke while fighting enemies. If one person gets caught by the wall, it's game over for everyone. You can revive each other; taking care of your squad while booking it is extremely tense.

In Soul Survivor, one player is randomly chosen to be a wraith while the other players fight AI enemies. The wraith's goal is to convert the squad into spirits too. This is done by possessing an AI enemy, killing a soldier, then holding a button prompt by their downed body for a few seconds. Once they're converted they'll switch sides, and their comrades they fought so hard to protect are now the enemy. The other players won't know which enemies are AI and which are real people with a more devious agenda.

4

'I ain't afraid of no ghost!'

Despite subpar scares and a shoddy narrative that's simultaneously threadbare and convoluted, F.E.A.R. 3 is a finely crafted action game and an exceptionally inventive shooter. More varied, colourful and refined than its predecessors, F.E.A.R. 3's single-player campaign would be enough to recommend on its own.

Supplementing it with Fettel's brilliant body-swapping mechanic is a masterstroke. F.E.A.R. 3 is like a Siamese twin; two great games sharing the same campaign. Coupled with four unique multiplayer modes, there's a lot of lasting value here. Don't let the ridiculous acronym fool you - this is a surprisingly sophisticated symphony of bullets and bloodshed.

8 / 10

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Picture of Jeffrey.

About Jeffrey Matulef

Jeffrey Matulef is a yank, but don't hold that against him. A freelance journalist by trade, he likes eating rhubarb pies, but not baking them.

Read more articles from Jeffrey by visiting the Jeffrey Matulef archive page.

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Comments (63) Latest comment 11 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Eraysor #1 11 months ago

    /preorders

    Also considering EG gave the last one a 5/10 and I enjoyed it a lot, this is more like a 10/10 for me!

  • Architect_z #2 11 months ago

    Who ya gonna call? Mythbusters!

  • jablonski #3 11 months ago

    As a name, Jeff Matulef gets a deserved 9/10

  • cianchristopher #4 11 months ago

    A bland protagonist, you say?

    Well, that's a first for videogames, for sure...

  • graz68 #5 11 months ago

    PS3 or 360?

  • Deckard1 #6 11 months ago

    I'm really suprised by the reviews this is getting. I was expecting it to be shit.

  • richarddavies #7 11 months ago

    Well that's a pleasently surprising score.

  • Alestes #8 11 months ago

    Love the first FEAR, still consider it the best shooter out there, but I think FEAR2 just went in the wrong direction and FEAR3 follows the path FEAR2 started. So this score is a bit of a surprise to me, guess it's better than I expected. Maybe I buy it when it's cheap after all.

  • Haloboy #9 11 months ago

    Not read a single bad review for this yet. Everyone was convinced before hand that a Fear game from the makers or Fracture would never work. I guess when you read Monolith actually did oversee development that it had an extremely positive effect on the game overall.

    Day 1 Studios. Day 1 purchase.

  • ZizouFC #10 11 months ago

    "After being busted out of prison by the ghost of his homicidal brother, Paxton Fettel (whom he murdered at the conclusion of the first game)"

    Spoilers? Idk.

    /leaves

  • Fightclubber #11 11 months ago

    Glad to hear the guns are back to sounding epic. I was stunned at how utterly shit the guns sounded in Fear 2, the guns sounded like you were shooting fucking loud chainsaws in the first game the gun play was amazing but in 2 it sounded like cats farting.

  • BBIAJ #12 11 months ago

    Sadly, the supplier of the Collector's Edition to some hitherto unheard of Finnish website sold all their stock, so I'm left waiting until sometime next week before they even think about sending out my copy.

    Still, gives me time to complete F.E.A.R., F.E.A.R. Files, and F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin!

  • Luk333 #13 11 months ago

    I didn't care much for the story in the other games, but the combat.... Glad to see they're ending the trilogy in force.

  • nickthegun #14 11 months ago

    You could snap to cover in FEAR 2 but it suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked

  • Darren #15 11 months ago

    This game sounds really good from the review.

    F.E.A.R., which I first played on the 360 then later to completion on the cheap for the PC along with the two expansion packs, was awesome for its A.I. and slow-mo combat which helped it stand out proudly from other games at that time. The sequel was also very good but felt a little short on reflection and the abrupt ending was a real disappointment IMO. I'm looking forward to playing the third tonight when Steam unlocks it as it sounds quite innovative for a FPS and that can only be a good thing. Shame about the disappointing storytelling though and predictable scares but it's something few games seem to get right anyway. F.E.A.R. 2 wasn't scary either come to think of it.

  • oi #16 11 months ago

    Nice.

    I wanted to get this pre-ordered but as usual waited for the EG review so glad to know it's worth getting. (y)

  • up_the_ante #17 11 months ago

    I never did understand how you could defeat the paranormal with gun. Fun game though

  • node #18 11 months ago

    Wow, colour me surprised. One to grab for co-op then.

  • MaFlippinHeadHurts #19 11 months ago

    Sold - Great to see the series back up to the standard it should!

  • layleeloo #20 11 months ago

    F.E.A.R. games have always stood head and shoulders above any halo or killzone games I've owned so was worried about this dramatic change but seems it will continue to outshine the competition for me once more. Pleased.

  • randyronald #21 11 months ago

    I'm sure this game will be lacking in the scares, but ironically I don't think fear is the name of the game any more. Guns, blood and body swapping sounds like a pretty decent substitute.

  • mrlaurentisdead #22 11 months ago

    I'm looking forward to this game so much I feel like a kid again. Not been this excited about something for years. The weird thing is, admittedly I'm a big fan of the FEAR series, but I have no real reason to be in such anticipation. I think it's the idea of 'old fashioned' extended action sequences, lots of enemies to defeat in decent sized levels - kinda sick of the modern trend towards fighting two guys, cutscene, vehicle segment, two guys, cutscene...

  • TruWari3r #23 11 months ago

    @bbiaj forget about Fear Files, better not touch that game.

  • nickthegun #24 11 months ago

    Actually, heres one for the reviewer, if you could?

    Does the story actually come to any kind of satisfying conclusion or is it another interminable cliffhanger ending?

  • Daeltaja #25 11 months ago

    What does a game have to do to get a 9 around here ehh?! Regardless of story, the game sounds brilliantly original and innovative. Will pick it up over the weekend. I get the feeling that this would be bessed played co-op. Any idea's how it works? Do you play on someone elses save file?

    This did read like a 9, but whatever. Only I can decide if I like it or not! Hated Fear 2, however..
    Edited by Daeltaja at 23/06/11 @ 12:27

  • chrisola #26 11 months ago

    can you still do slow mo sliding kicks or jumping roundhouse kicks?

  • -cerberus- #27 11 months ago

    I'll buy it used or when the price has dropped to 20€. To me, this looks like anything but a F.E.A.R. game.

  • MrDurandPierre #28 11 months ago

    @nickthegun - It's satisfying in that it wraps up the current story arc (i.e. not a cliffhanger).

    @chrisola - Yes to the former. I think the latter too, but can't recall as I never used it. You unlock moves via XP and the slide-kick is unlocked early on.

    Edit: I just checked, and yes, you can jump-kick.
    Edited by MrDurandPierre at 23/06/11 @ 12:53

  • Gearskin #29 11 months ago

    Gotta say, I didn't think Day 1 could pull it off... Glad to be wrong!

  • Ror1984 #30 11 months ago

    'If you wanna find hell with me...'

    < 3 Danzig :)
    Edited by Ror1984 at 23/06/11 @ 13:10

  • Pulsar_t #31 11 months ago

    I'm one third into the game, and to me it looks and feels like a bog-standard FPS. The first F.E.A.R. combined stellar visuals and decent AI along with cheap scares to keep the pace going, but the sequels all felt samey to me. Would I not play them? Not at full RRP I wouldn't.

  • makeamazing #32 11 months ago

    I started playing this last night, and was (for someone who played very little of Fear 1 all that time ago), didnt have a clue what was going on, and it wasnt brilliant to be honest. I played for about 40 minutes, found that it paused (small stutters) on the Ps3 version at various times. There was some very irratating sound effects (repeated over and over) in the first level...

    I just wasnt that impressed...the score shocks me a little.perhaps i need to play it some more.

  • Haloboy #33 11 months ago

    *Remembers the time he climbed down that ladder in FEAR*

    [link url=http://youtu.be/3s0wvYeGTHc
    ]http://youtu.be/3s0wvYeGTHc
    [/link]

    Steve clearly agrees with me. FUCK OFF!

  • PixelPirate #34 11 months ago

    I have to be honest, I gave F.E.A.R 1 & 2 a good stab, and both of them failed to grab me. I just didnt enjoy them.

    But I do enjoy horror games, and FPS. Dont know why it never clicked for me.

    Nice to see those who want to buy it will be happy with the score :D

  • krakead #35 11 months ago

    I picked up all the FEAR games at Christmas in the Steam sale and played them all straight through one after the other - loved them all and really don't get the hate for FEAR2... Maybe I just have low standards :)

    Anyway, I'll really pleased to see FEAR3 getting some decent reviews - like a lot of folks I was expecting the worst. I'll be picking this one up at the weekend.

  • Ror1984 #36 11 months ago

    I'd completely forgotten this was out this week. As much as I LOVE the FEAR games, I admit I didn't have the highest hopes for this, as Monolith weren't developing it. It looks like I needn't have worried, but as I've just blown about £100 last week on Alice, Ocarina and Child of Eden, this'll have to wait.

    Still, gives me an excuse to replay the first two I guess :)

  • WeakOrbit #37 11 months ago

    I wonder if Alma's placenta is a hidden item.

  • welshben23 #38 11 months ago

    If the multiplayer is better than FEAR and FEAR 2 then this is a Day 1 purchase for me. I still play both of those games with friends.

  • Max_Powers #39 11 months ago

    That F´ing Run mode sounds genius!

  • Snake_2011 #40 11 months ago

    the first 2 games were great so not surprised this is great as well preorder came today will be playing this on PS3 tonight.

  • Old_Books #41 11 months ago

    I loved the first 3 games and am enjoying playing this but it isn't a FEAR game. It has, unfortunately, gone through the COD/Gears wringer and, as such, it can feel like a standard FPS with a coat of horror paint. It isn't scary enough and has too much of an action focus but it is a lot better than I thought it would be. Review is pretty much spot on IMO.

  • fafaf #42 11 months ago

    Point Man is a really cool name, a damn sight better name than Brody Jackson or some other nonsense developers could come up with.

  • Xardan #43 11 months ago

    So its sacrificed scares for action?

  • Eldave0 #44 11 months ago

    Really pleased this game turned out to be decent. May have to rent this next week and play through it :)

  • mumblyjoe #45 11 months ago

    @ #50 Yeah that manual is a must have :D

  • Tomo #46 11 months ago

    I would like to hear Gillen's views on this. Although his FEAR2 review was a unforgiving and a tad harsh, his points were valid I think.

  • stryker1121 #47 11 months ago

    Gotta finish the first game still. FEAR probably has some of the best enemy AI i've encountered in a console shooter. It also has a killer learning curve between default and Veteran modes. Default's too easy; veteran's ball-bustingly difficult IMO.

  • The-Jack-Burton #48 11 months ago

    Good review, convinced me to rent it from gamefly.

    Edited by The-Jack-Burton at 24/06/11 @ 06:55

  • IneptPercy #49 11 months ago

    Well I loved FEAR2 so this will do just nicely on my PC.

  • scuffpuppies #50 11 months ago

    Good to see 'Day 1 Studios' shake their reputation from the terrible 'Fractured' a couple of years ago.
    Well done guys.

  • BigDaddy82 #51 11 months ago

    Really enjoying this so far, could be a bit of a short one however - i'm on chapter 5 of 8 at the moment and i only started it a few hours ago. I think its better than Fear 2, the guns are chunkier which is great and the bad guys don't glow when you shoot them in slo mo (never understood that). Also read a review that said the graphics looked dated, i actually think they look pretty decent. Overall well worth playing...and i've not tried the MP yet

  • Haloboy #52 11 months ago

    It just unlocked on steam and the first thing that hit me right in the face is how much the combat and feel of the game instantly reminded me of the first FEAR. Add to this a very decent cover system and the return of proper punchy weapons and no more glow stick enemies when doing slow motion and it all seems extremely promising at the start. Graphics are fine IMO. Atmosphere is retained and I've already been spooked a few times as it is.

    Even after just 30 mins play I can safely say Day 1 have done the IP proud. Good job lads, good job.

  • davisorle #53 11 months ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • Subi #54 11 months ago

    Ah, making your co-op missions playable in singleplayer, excellent. Valve, please take note.

  • thebuzzard #55 11 months ago

    The PC version is a stuttering mess, hopefully be patched soon but its not very nice to play right now.

    LINK

  • Bennicus #56 11 months ago

    Ace! Loved the AI in the previous fear games, and the new co-op modes sound cool.

  • scuffpuppies #57 11 months ago

    5 hours into Fear 3, and I'm stunned at actually how good this is. I honestly expected Day 1 Studios to f**k this up, but credit where credit is due, this is the best in the series. Great game.

  • wingZero21 #58 11 months ago

    That was a great review, one of the first in years reading EG that I actually read all of the pages for a change..

    Nice to see that EG are getting someone who can write decent reviews,keep up the good work...

    wingZero

  • Svecke #59 11 months ago

    A nice game, but it could've been longer. Sure, replaying the missions from Fettel's viewpoint is interesting, but I was just getting warmed up when the credits started rolling...

  • Chufty #60 11 months ago

    Well that was an unexpectedly glowing review. I'll take the punt even though I hated the first two.

    £22.50 on GetGames, can't complain.

  • Chufty #61 11 months ago

    Actually, I can complain, having just played it.

    Great fun but the FOV is about 12 degrees. I don't normally get motion sick but it made me nauseous after 20 minutes. If you're on a widescreen monitor (isn't everyone?), I'd wait until either the devs or the community patch it.

    I didn't get any stuttering issues though.

  • TheGuvernor #62 11 months ago

    Playing on PC - no frame rate issues at all.
    Combat is simply brilliant - the true legacy & hallmark of FEAR titles.
    Amazing animations too.
    I like the graphics too - film grainy thing going on with some cool lighting.

    Played 'contractions' last night with random peeps - a lot of fun.
    FOV not bothering me but does seem like the matchmaking could do with some work.
    Also, the option to turn off tool tips - after 5 mins they're redundant & kill immersion.
    I was skeptical & on the fence after the fps disasters this year (Brink, Homefront, Duke)
    This title rocks - glad I brought it.



    Edited by TheGuvernor at 25/06/11 @ 15:57

  • dragonshardz #63 11 months ago

    That was one great review. I've just finished FEAR3 and I can already confirm that there is a spark of glowing brilliance in FEAR3 - something ACTUALLY NEW in FPS games these days.

    PS: The story isn't THAT bad... If you have played through the previous FEAR games and have the tenacity to bear with the somewhat lackluster narrative, you'll get by just fine.