F.E.A.R - E3'05 Hands-On Preview

Fear is something that many videogames allude to but never seem capable of completely creating; sure we jumped like an Olympic athlete when the dogs leapt through the windows and wept for momma whenever the Camera Obscura flashed in Fatal Frame, however thereâ??s never been a game thatâ??s had me genuinely uneasy about progressing further to the point of not wanting to move forward another step.

Vivendi-Universal forthcoming PC shooter, F.E.A.R, does this to you; it has you constantly looking around, unknowing exactly what the next threat will be, let alone what direction itâ??s coming from. E3â??05 presented yet another chance for TVG to check out Monolithâ??s latest first-person-shooter, having previously caught our imagination at a rainy Paris press event back in January.

Once again specifics on the game were kept a secret and there was a distinct lack of anything radically new; instead the 15 minute demonstration took place on a different level to what weâ??ve previously seen, and yes reacquainted us once again with the mysterious girl in the red dress â?“ who is she! That said a brief cinematic did begin to fill in the preliminary details, depicting a man kneeling in a cell who is visited by the mysterious girl - cut to a group of elite commandos who suddenly spark into action, ambushing a group of guards. The scene quickly changes to a non-descript telephone call between officials, explaining the situation and issuing frank assurances that the uprising in the â??Originâ? project can be contained. Subsequently the briefing room of F.E.A.R operatives is presented, filling in details such as the fact that the mysterious man featured before is known as Paxton Fettle, along with his apparent ability to control the elite group of commandos via a chip implanted in his brain!

Intense combat during the opening moments once again reminded us that a strong, mind-blowing, solid and visceral combat experience lies at the heart of F.E.A.R; if the game didnâ??t engage so heavily from its multitude of mind-tricks and its twisting, twisted storyline, then the actual gun-gameplay easily packs more of a punch then the likes of Doom 3 and Half Life 2! The ferocious, pulsing pace of the nail-gun reassuringly puts the power in the playerâ??s hand, itâ??s almost like you can actually feel the re-coil of the guns through the feedback and sense of impact â?“ bodies get pinned against the wall under a shower of nails, while concrete disintegrates from the walls under the sheer impact of a pulse rifle blast.

Although we didnâ??t get a chance to see it in action, brief details emerged on a new weapon to us known as the Sub-Nuclear Blaster that turns all opponents into pillars of ash! One startling introduction was the appearance of soldiers with heavy armour units alongside the tactical teams and high-tech assassins that weâ??d seen previously; think along a similar line to the shield bearing guards in Metal Gear Solid 2 â?“ only ten times as hard and needing significant firepower to take them down.

Thanks to the advanced particle system integrated into the new graphics engine, the gun-fights throughout F.E.A.R are easily the most frenetic and visually impressive weâ??ve yet to experience; particularly when slow-mo is activated and you can truly appreciate the levels of destruction taking place along with the best trail effects seen this side of The Matrix.

However we know that F.E.A.R will offer an awesome combat experience and the AI to match, what the E3â??05 demonstration shed a little more light upon were the various techniques designed to enhance the feeling of absolute terror while playing and toying with your mind to the point of needing an appointment at the nearest asylum. Once again the girl in the red dress turns up at the most inopportune times, despite knowing that sheâ??s coming you still find yourself jumping, however it was various other sections that provided a closer glimpse of whatâ??s to come. One particular example saw a figure standing over (Paxton) another bound to a chair, quickly leaping into investigate further; the lights flashed off the standing figure disappeared leaving a disfigured corpse sat awkwardly in the chair â?“ â??what happened to himâ? and â??exactly what is going onâ? are some of the thoughts musing through your brain while playing F.E.A.R.

Toying with the playerâ??s mind can hardly be labelled as an innovative or a groundbreaking new feature, however we can honestly state that no other game quite manages to pull it off with so much style and effect; to induce a sense of fear within the player to the point of having to inch your way through the game, or to have them twitching around not knowing whatâ??s going to happen is an experience quite unlike any other â?“ itâ??s all about the mind tricks.

The demonstration led to a climatic conclusion, coming across a seemingly inconspicuous hallway only to discover an exit up ahead. Once again moving towards it kick-started an event, as the door disintegrated into a pile of dust revealing a brick wall behind, the lights flashed on and off to expose a wave of blood lapping on the ceiling above, and finally a spine-chilling giggle pierces the silence, look behind to find the little kid running straight at you. Having survived through this, jumped a few times much to the amusement of a watching crowd and just about avoided heart failure, the demonstration concluded with yet another surprise, a huge sprawling mech launching a barrage of fire at you â?“ demo over...

What makes F.E.A.R stand out amongst many others is the precise timing of these events, the sudden jolt between reality and the freaky moments has been perfectly captured to create an atmosphere that is largely unique still to videogames and creates an absorbing experience for the player â?“ just make sure to play it with the lights down and the headphones on.