F.E.A.R: The Ageless First Person Shooter

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If we’re talking absolute classic PC games. Unquestionably influential tiles. Only a few names come to mind, and among them is F.E.A.R or First encounter Assault Recon, a first person shooter from industry royalty, Monolith Productions . This little slow motion shooting, kung fu fighting, mix of the Matrix and Hellraiser was far ahead of its time and thanks to that, its shooting is still some of the best you can possibly get. Come on, let’s jump into this thing!
Intro 00:00
development 01:14
Story 02:37
08:21 Spoilers
11:46 Story Cont
15:44 Gameplay
36:07 The Expansion Packs
39:46 Gameplay Cont
40:37 Presentation
49:03 PS3 Port
54:20 Xbox 360 Port
57:42 Xbox Series X Backwards Compatible
1:00:04 Side by Side Comparison
1:00:44 Fear Complete Edition Mod
1:02:14 Conclusion
1:04:15 End

[@Gggmanlives]

It's crazy how well this game has aged.

[@AvalancheReviews]

Like a fine wine

[@Fuppy636]

Seeing a Replica's ragdoll fly six feet into the air is timeless

[@huntclanhunt9697]

I felt like it aged very poorly when I bought it last year. Ended up returning it 3 levels in.

[@rapeisalwaysthewomansfault946]

Any hope for fear 4?

[@TheBig451]

@@huntclanhunt9697 Sorry about your bad taste.

[@owenhammond1880]

"It wasn't revolutionary." This game had the best A.I I've ever played. Playing on the hardest difficulty was fun. On the dock level one of the Replicas was pinning me down behind a trash bin. While that was happening one of his buddies broke through a locked door and went through a whole building just to come up behind me to try and kill me. I did kill him in the end but I just wasn't expecting it.

[@Throbingkcoc]

It's still impressive just how smart the AI is in this game. Good AI can go along way when it comes to immersion.

[@ThePsychoRenegade]

The AI itself isn't actually that smart but their communications really sell the effect. Wish more games would incorporate that.

[@civilizedsquid2455]

ThePsychoRenegade I was gonna say this. It’s not the AI, but rather how it acts. Smart decisions like referencing the players location by saying “he’s hiding under the table!” “He’s behind the corner!” “Behind the file cabinet!”

[@pRaX85815]

The AI isn't that smart as the previous comments already stated. But! Big but! The devs were really smart at creating the superb illusion of them being really smart which is still awesome for the player experience because you can't really tell unless you look into it.

[@jacobp.4593]

@@pRaX85815 I'd say the AI is pretty fucking smart solely for the fact it can recognize where the fuck you are and then call it out.

[@DJBV]

I remember throwing a grenade in a room and the AI jumped through the window in a desperate move, for clones controlled by a psychic they were more lifelike than even current AI in games

[@drama_killer]

I just remember the enemy AI in this game was so badass, you would hear them taking to each other and they would move in actual formations to attack you.

[@Jarekthegamingdragon]

I am so glad we're starting to see indie shooters inspired by F.E.A.R. It's near impossible to describe just how good this game (and extraction point) are. And ooooh man you are not prepared for the second half of extraction point if you still haven't beaten it by now. Trust me, extraction point has A LOT more horror (and MUCH better horror sections) than the base game. Just the horror is condensed to the second half. It basically does every thing the base game did, just in a much more extreme manner.

[@Chuked]

What is your opinion on Perseus Mandate?

[@stupidstufwtmyfriend]

@@Chuked not him but i liked it a lot, mostly because of that one scene where homeboy gets killed while you're trying to save him, he's all begging for help and shit. That shit fucked with me as a 12 y/o and has stuck with me ever since. Interesting side-note: The Perseus Mandate expansion is considered non-canon, but part of it is briefly mentioned in some in-game reading material from FEAR 2. FEAR 2 aint that bad either, but FEAR 3 was a bit of a let down.

[@arrowknee7356]

@@Chuked Perseus Mandate is clearly unfinished and rushed out which is a shame as with some extra work it could have been a nice addition. The enemy ai doesn't seem to know how to engage with multiple people which is an issue as you have a squad for parts of the game, and overall it just lacks both visual and gameplay polish. As it is, it is kind of a poor way to end the OG trilogy, mostly with some good ideas, but clearly pushed out well before it was ever ready.

[@4T3hM4kr0n]

@@stupidstufwtmyfriend it's not mentioned in FEAR 2 though (assuming you're talking about the perseus compound). The mistake in perseus mandate is it takes the story which was already fleshed out and tries to ret-con some elements in.

[@matteodelapaz1698]

@@stupidstufwtmyfriend I mean FEAR 3 is a lot of fun to play with friends

[@indeimaus]

I remember my dad showing me the combat trailer for FEAR when I was younger just before it came out, I was hooked instantly from that trailer FEAR lives up today just as well as it did on launch, what a fantastic game

[@AvalancheReviews]

Without a doubt! Every time I replay it, I end up being surprised how good it still feels.

[@Largentina.]

I remember this comment making me feel extremely old.

[@MJ-mu3kb]

I hope you do more FEAR videos in the future, Maus...

[@a_man_of_clay4080]

@@MJ-mu3kb we need another kickass shotgun montage.

[@darassylmoniakam]

too bad the sequels aren't that good and that we will never get a FE4R, instead we got another LOTR game from Monolith

[@ultraoverloadx9333]

The F.E.A.R. 1 by far is one of my favorite FPS’s especially on PC. The way it blends Paranormal Horror and Jon Woo Military and Action together is just Epic. The other 2 games although not as Great as the first game they still made for fun Shooters.

[@Furzkampfbomber]

Sadly, the story got a bit convoluted especially in the last game. And that ending is screaming for a sequel, which it most likely will never get, like so many other games that would have deserved one.

[@nfsrival1499]

Fear 2 was great imo, not as holy as the first, but still great. Fear 1 is among my favorite games of all time, with Darkwatch, Outrun 2006 C2C, and Spec Ops the Line.

[@righteouself9928]

I fondly remember playing the 3rd one with a friend. The Game just has a lot unique ways to approach combat

[@daksans6764]

@@nfsrival1499 I'm totally with you. Fear 2 was amazing game and is one of the best shooters I have ever played but Fear 3 had barely anything in common with Fear 1 and 2 and it was developed by a different studio.

[@terminaldeity]

I played this game for the first time just a couple years ago, and was really impressed with it. The enemy AI not only holds up, but is better than most of the games coming out now. The atmosphere is great, the visuals still look good, the gunplay is awesome. It's aged like a fine wine.

[@AvalancheReviews]

It sure as hell did

[@pRaX85815]

Can't wait for Trepang2. It's a spiritual successor focusing on FEAR's combat feel (and Indie).

[@MrHeadshot10101]

From Metro to FEAR, can't wait to see your thoughts on this series.

[@TalkingRaven_]

Out of all the media that I've watched regarding F.E.A.R. you're the only one that didn't rip up the story and say "story was ass, gameplay was good". Which I greatly appreciate since I actually enjoyed it's world building and story, the reveals were genuinely exciting for me when I played it. Good to see someone else also appreciates the story.

[@swedisheinherjer]

I have one particular memory of this game series that I will always remember. I don't remember the level but this is what I remembered: You are in a apartment complex where all apartments are closed-off to you. I was running around with the nailgun... I got attacked and I nailed a headshot on the dude that attacked me. But then I noticed I've nailed his head on the frickin wall and the body was laying there next to him. Then I knew that this game was something special.

[@conan2096]

pistol/penetrator is so op til you get the bfg lol. i always think its fun to slow time and pop them in both eyes and make a smiley face on their heads with it :P

[@AvalancheReviews]

It's the little things that stick with you. HA! I've got a few of my own versions of that kind of moment with this game.

[@AvalancheReviews]

Good news guys!!! I talked Good Old Games into discounting FEAR and its 2 expansion packs. It's less than 2 dollars! Head to this link to grab it. Also, big shout out to my two supporters who let me borrow their copies of FEAR for this video. Thanks so much guys!!! af.gog.com/partner/Avalanche_Reviews?as=1672895661

[@berniekatzroy]

Please do fear 2

[@ldragon2515]

There’s a reason this is my all time favorite FPS of the 2000s, and one of my all time top favorite games period. :) Shame that this sort of game isn’t made as much nowadays. Because it is truly one of the most finely crafted shooters ever made.

[@zany_zombie7276]

The slow motion assault rifle gunshots are burned into my brain, and it's extremely cathartic

[@warlogaful]

This game is permanently etched in my gaming memory, strengthened by the fact that this was the very first game my wife bought me as a surprise gift wayyyy back in November 2005. Till this day, I've kept the retail box & everything in it in pristine condition. I've even included its menu theme music as one of the night ambience music in my Stalker Anomaly playthrough for the memories. F.E.A.R. has great sound design and one of the most satisfying to use shotgun in gaming history. Too bad they nerfed it in the sequel.

[@ShaithMaster]

The sequel wasn't THAT bad but I get your point. But you're right, this game has a special place in my heart too, im not sure how old you are, I'm 33 so when this came out I was in high school and had just played half life 2 amd before that doom 3. That era was the golden age of story driven fps games.

[@daksans6764]

@@ShaithMaster I love Fear 2. Fear 2 was absolutely fantastic like the first game but Fear 3 was a let down.

[@McGeezle]

​@@daksans6764 Fear 2 was just a better version of CoD

[@daksans6764]

@@McGeezle Fear 1 and 2 were very much like immersive sim

[@josedorsaith5261]

The lighting and particle effects still look amazing

[@AvalancheReviews]

They sure as hell do

[@CaptainEggcellent]

Love your videos! I listen to them when I clean the house 😂😂

[@AvalancheReviews]

I think that entitles me to at least 30% of the credit for that cleaning getting done.

[@DigitalFulcrum]

What he failed to explain is that it's a survival horror house

[@Grafzaaiers]

Loved the Nail Gun in this game. Worked perfectly with the rag doll.

[@corpsecandy2076]

The very first game that ever made me go "Holy shit this AI is good".

[@dukernuker3844]

and the last one...

[@sparda9060]

FEAR 1 and Halo 1 and Halo 2 Legendary campaign had very good AI (not including activation of skulls).

[@lechking941]

@@sparda9060 well they all had what ai could BE at the time but all 3 games made the ai feel more. rarly do you find that. as most games just give you banter from them.

[@matthewjones39]

@@dukernuker3844 What about HL2? Or had that already come out? I forgot.

[@innoclarke7435]

@@matthewjones39 It'd already come out, but HL2's AI isn't even particularly great. Above average, yes, but in terms of how it operates, it's a downgrade from the first game, despite the *capabilities* of the AI being greater. Valve just never managed to really get the AI to be put in situations where it could truly shine. I think the three FPS games with the best AI in practice are FEAR 1, Halo 1, and Half-Life 1. Sad how it feels like none of the sequels to these games managed to improve upon that foundation of the AI. Also sad how it's been 18 years since FEAR came out and no shooter I can think of has actually managed to do better. Like, yeah, good on FEAR, but really that just feels more like a damning fact towards the industry as a whole and how it absolutely fails to make any real improvements over games from decades ago.

[@greatdelusion7654]

A timeless gem indeed. It’s impossible not to see, to hear, to feel, to know that heart and soul was poured into FEAR.

[@modernmobster]

Ah, the game I've probably replayed the most in my life. A timeless classic that'll never grow old.

[@Abezilla]

You what I love most about F.E.A.R., it is the unsettling feeling you have just walking around the environment. Literally the environment is just a generic corporate office. Simple, yet somehow unnerving at the same time.

[@realbr1koo]

Man, i wish monolith would do a new fps game.They created such unique pieces and they are the masters of creating gory, and horroristic themes with amazing weaponry in the genre.

[@Gruntvc]

Monolith Productions is unfortunately owned by WB Games, yet another soulless corporate AAA company. They will likely never let them make something like FEAR today. They wouldn't even let Nightdive Studios remaster No One Lives Forever and just sit on the IP. I think most of the talent who made their awesome FPS games are long gone too. Best to look to indie and AA devs to find a spiritual successor like Trepang2. AAA game companies suck.

[@TurboNutterBastard]

All of the main guys left Monolith not long after the WB purchase. The team that developed the first F.E.A.R. game were blocked from working on the sequel, probably due to the team containing 5 of the 6 founders of the company who WB clearly wanted gone.

[@daksans6764]

@@Gruntvc No one lives forever is in a licensing mess. The rights of that game are disputed between Monolith, Activision and Fox.

[@Excalibur01]

This game creeped me out the first time I played it and even FEAR 2 was actually kinda scary

[@davemeads859]

This 💯 both of them got me a few times at least 😱😨

[@papalegba6759]

that 1st office level in extraction point at 38:04 is fkn awesome. one of the best FPS levels of all time.

[@johns6265]

It would have been interesting to see a Resident Evil cross over with F.E.A.R., Umbrella and Armacham could easily be rival corporations within the same World, competing against each other and pursuing their own equally ridiculous weapons research. I've only ever had the PS3 version of F.E.A.R., you just have to make your peace with what it is, a port to the system from the bad early period when most ports weren't great. The alternative was not having the game at all.

[@ltmurphy8038]

Its also worth noting that another great mod for this game that keeps it vanilla is Rivarez mod. Some really nice QOL changes like bodies/blood splatter/ shell casing and bullet holes don't despawn, it removes the noticeable LOD pop-in for models, has some optional weapon changes too, and theres also an AI upscaled texture pack on the moddb page as well. Really worth getting as it gives an even better atmosphere with bullet casings/blood/gore not immediately going away so it actually looks like a firefight happened if you go back to an area/stay there longer than a minute.

[@monkeybone1080]

A part of my yearly Halloween playlist, the FEAR series is just so good. You're spot on with the lighting comment as it's something I've been saying for years myself, a well done lighting system is timeless and can compensate for A LOT visually. I lament that developers focus on better graphics and textures when it's the lighting they should be doubling down on. Great vid as always dude, would love to see a follow-up on FEAR 2! (despite it not playing as well it ramps the horror and cheese up to 11 which I'm all about, being an RE fan and all lol)

[@AvalancheReviews]

People really don't give lighting enough credit!! Thanks for the love man!

[@muzien87]

i used to drag my gaming pc over to my friends house on the weekends during highschool as he had high speed internet...many hours we spent on our systems playing final fantasy 11 online, then wow, but i remember we were both so blown away by FEAR that we spent one entire night playing the demo over and over and over again.

[@DanMcLeodNeptuneUK]

Fear from 2005 has some of the best bullet effects in any first person shooter ever! The sparks and craters that appear upon every bullet shot is still unparalleled! It's insulting that such an old video game still has some of the greatest gunfight particle effects of all time...

[@Jvpko.]

The AI in this game not only immerses me but has actually terrified me because they actually try and flank, cover each other from what I can tell, and are proficient in actually using their guns. They even do suppressive fire.

[@fernandohood5657]

Yet ppl shrug That off , has "oh Thats because of level design" "oh the AI has sound cues and plays specific sounds in order to look Smart " , this review Also does the same mistake. Its not the first time i come across a amateur reviewers saying the same exact things about fear

[@zachrabbit5463]

@@fernandohood5657 its not really shrugging it off its true. Its the goal oriented ai. It sets goals and then tries to achieve them and yes it only works as well as it does largely because of the level design and callouts.

[@4T3hM4kr0n]

The accuracy of the weapons was a balance decision, theres even a tip on the loading screen that explains it: "Weapons are balanced based on several factors, their accuracy, damage, armor piercing potential, and movement incumberance" (something along those lines) Fun fact: theres an option to "walk" in the options menu but its unbound by default. Once you bind a key and begin using it to test out weapons reticule bloom then things get interesting as you can tell just how accurate the weapons are. (walking gives about half the reticule bloom while running gives you full bloom)

[@oh-not-the-bees7872]

The shotguns spread is dependant on the crosshair. At max accuracy, aiming, crouched and still, it becomes much more usuable at medium range if used while peeking as it a lot of damage very fast. If theyre within 30 feet

[@4T3hM4kr0n]

@@oh-not-the-bees7872 they rebalanced it further in perseus mandate, pretty much starts firing sabots (3 pellet tight spread if the impacts on walls are to be believed)

[@motivat3dVergil]

Left lean through walls is always a blast

[@CrookGX]

When I was a kid and this game released, I remember watching every bit of media I could find on the Internet about it. The graphics were amazing, and my computer never would have handled it. I was also a kid without money. Every day, I searched for more information on this game: it scared the hell out of me, but I loved it.

[@jgamer9307]

God I love this game. Such a fantastic shooter. This was my first Monolith game and first FEAR game.

[@AvalancheReviews]

Talk about a hell of a good intro to Monolith's work.

[@jgamer9307]

@@AvalancheReviews yup

[@Varil92]

Still kicks the shit out of any other modern FPS around when it comes to the enemy AI and the atmosphere.

[@PostMesmeric]

Man, this game's campaign has got to be one of the best of its era and beyond. Holds up so, so well. Wonderful review, as per usual, sir. Great to see such a deep dive on a classic like this.

[@DigitalFulcrum]

I love the replicants. Good AI, good style, and good personality. It's the kind of grunt personality that makes a delight to fight these guys.

[@arsonne]

This game blew me away when it came out, single-handedly got me into FPS games and still impresses me every time I play it.

[@TheGodKingOfMusic]

One of my favorite games of all time. The style, the atmosphere, the gun battles, and special effects make it such a blast to play.

[@SynthwavelLover]

I also recommend FEAR's crazy unmedicated homeless cousin Condemned Criminal Origins. Too bad the PC port has a lotta issues.

[@dbstop9194]

I beat that game a week ago for the first time, great survival horror game with an amazing melee combat system. The level in the house reminded me of the Resident evil 7´s demo.

[@Elend002]

My god this game is a masterpiece. It still holds up well to this day.

[@thelastminuteman7513]

Dude you are on one hell of a roll. Every single franchise you've been doing retrospectives on are some of my absolute favorites. Most of these games are timeless classics that are just as fun to play now as they ever were. Thanks for having impeccable taste in videogames. I'm interested in seeing your video on the rest of this franchise. Especially the 3rd game.

[@jeffg3343]

FEAR did have some pretty cool close quarters AI that I hadn't seen before even with games like Half Life 2. I remember being pretty amazed when I threw a surprise grenade through a window at an enemy, only to have him immediately dive out the other window to avoid the blast, then call out my exact position his team "he's behind the crates!" and they all started engaging me and flanking. The multiplayer was also spastic as hell, you were never alive for more than 15 seconds. But it was addicting.

[@casedistorted]

FEAR is so amazing, it just makes me sad after seeing the E3 2007 gameplay demo trailer for "Project Origin" as the sequel was called then, and knowing that existed and it was something we never got. The music, the gameplay, the graphics were all so amazing and was supposed to be the sequel to this incredible game, but somehow they mucked it up and released a mediocre product over 2 years AFTER that E3 2007 trailer. What's even worse is we never even got to play that gameplay demo because it was never released. I still pray that one day someone will 'access' their servers like they did to Nintendo's and find the files for that demo and release it publicly. The music in that E3 2007 trailer for FEAR 2 was some of the best I've ever heard, and it wasn't even put in the released game. Also FEAR 1's horror sequences gave me nightmares when I was younger. I was in High School btw.

[@NebLleb]

Um... The E3 demo looked almost the same as the final product for F.E.A.R. 2.

[@aninfinitemindofmusicandreams]

Project Origins was my first FEAR game on the PS3. Even as I've played the first FEAR and all its expansion packs at this point, I still wouldn't call Project Origins a bad game and I have a soft spot in my heart for that game. It's definitely a lot easier than the first FEAR though, even on the highest difficulty and the combat sections don't offer the intense firefights like the first game does. YMMV and you may think it's a bad game for those exact reasons, but I'd still take Project Origins over most modern FPS games.

[@Ren99510]

I'll literally never forget this game, man. Such a classic.

[@OmegaBlades]

Great review! FEAR is a great series. One thing to mention when regarding the ports is that both the PS3 and Xbox have their own an exclusive mission that the other console doesn't have and were never released on PC either. They add a little bit of a challenge as you do not play as the Point Man and therefore are not able to slow down time. They aren't really necessary to the main story, but adds just a little bit of behind-the-scene events in the story. The PS3 mission regards playing as member of the SFOD-D while the X360 mission you play as Douglas Holiday. Both missions play very different from each other.

[@AvalancheReviews]

I wish I wouldn't have had to rush this one so much. I would have loved to have been able to see those missions.

[@ChadHellgado]

Playing as Holiday sounds pretty sick. Except if you’re playing Extraction Point

[@darassylmoniakam]

that was a waste.

[@TheBig451]

I know it was probably a bit, but your content rocks man! As someone who watches both you and Mandalore, I'd say there's no need to worry about your quality. You both have different vibes, taste, etc. You've come a really long way in a fairly short time. You're killing it dude. Keep up the good work!

[@12ealDealOfficial]

So much nostalgia in that introduction. Great game as well, and your review did it justice. Also want to add how incredible FEAR's ambient sound effects are. I love the way casings sound when they hit different surfaces. Footsteps, pipes, soldier dialogue (which you mentioned), the weird noises which accompany explosions to give them that extra "bwomp," etc. Now excuse me while I get my friends together for another trip to the mall for a movie and some arcade games. I hear the new volume of Death Note is in stock at Barnes and Noble.

[@C0T0HA]

5 years ago I decided to revisit F.E.A.R. Was wondering how much of my fond memory of it was just nostalgia and rose tinted glasses. I think I ended up enjoying it even more than back in the day, because like you said, it was normal back then to have vastly different shooters release constantly. Replayed the whole thing and both DLCs, had a blast.

[@Mankey619]

F.E.A.R. Brings me so much memories back when it came out. Seeing it now still brings me so much nostalgia in me. It has a mix btw horror and sci fi combined into one unique story of this game,and Alma is in fact one of the most best and scary characters I’ve seen in video game history. The atmosphere and the enemy A.I is what this game so much fun.

[@TheMrDewil]

A little side note on the gross details of the experiment you talked about in the spoilers section. You forgot to mention that Harlan Wade used his own "genetic material" to spring Pax and Pointboy into existence. So apart from grounded paranormal stuff and political thriller, we also have a "healthy" dose if incest thrown in the mix.

[@alexjuarez1902]

Always used to love this series, keep up the stellar videos!

[@AvalancheReviews]

Thank you!

[@owenmertens1231]

I loved that game. Those were the days when games were actually good when they were launched. What a time to be alive! No social media just gaming and living!

[@williamlydon2554]

That SMG retort is one of those weapon sounds forever burned into my brain. *RatchRatchRatchRatchRatch*

[@mindrockingimages]

That intro was packed with so much nostalgia, forgot about most of it until you mentioned it and it all came back. Really digging your vids, just finished the Stalker video, and I'm looking forward to watching more!

[@fartoplata308]

I remember getting this for Christmas back in high school. Our PC couldn't run it so my dad took me to Circuit City to get a graphics card and helped me install it. I was really into Call of Duty 1 on PC back then so I didn't have much patience for this game. Finally gave it its due back in 2020, glad I did. Friggin sweet game.

[@rachaeldangelo1337]

This was the one scary game that actually scared me as a kid playing it even more than doom 3

[@purplenurp5590]

Bruh when FEAR came out it was the fps trend to have a mute protag

[@Stunlokked]

when the garage music kicks in. HOLY that gets me pumped

[@Nate_the_Nobody]

F.E.A.R.'s environmental "destruction", art direction, gunplay, combat pacing, (((ATMOSPHERE))), and A.I. are what makes it timeless, its graphics are dated as fuck, but, graphics don't matter when the art direction is solid and the natural gameplay loop feels good. It's just too bad WB destroyed what made the first game good by the second entry.

[@arrowknee7356]

That was more Monolith targeting consoles over pc, and prioritizing pretty visuals (for the time) regardless of there impact on gameplay.

[@Disconnect350]

I like it's graphics though. Wouldn't consider it as a flaw.

[@A5tr0101]

@@Disconnect350 It looks very dated though, i don't think i could play it when better games are playable today.

[@Disconnect350]

@@A5tr0101 Sounds to me you became a gamer very recently. Also, what better games?

[@darassylmoniakam]

that's crazy how the game industry can destroy the legacy of a special game

[@Schopenhauer667]

The AI on this game was groundbreaking. I think it still is one of the best.

[@FEARCompleteEdition]

Thank you very much for taking a look at our mod. Work on it is ongoing to this day and we want to fix all the problems that the mod has at the moment.

[@Svafne]

You always make great reviews! :)

[@saloz9483]

I remember trying to play this on my PC and it could barely run it even on the lowest settings. I'm happy it came to consoles eventually as I really dug this horror shooter. The AI was really good and the gun fights felt pretty dam fun especially with the whole slow mo thing. I feel the sequels never captured what the first game did. Good vid as always.

[@Grandmaster-Kush]

Same it melted all our combined computers of friends and older brothers of friends, and seeing it played on a for the time good gaming laptop was amazing never been so impressed by gametech as by FEAR

[@DrDeadP00L]

Actually just played through it for the first time when xbox released it on new consoles, the combat has not been a let down in the slightest, it's different with the controls and everything is so close range but the lighting effects make it quite stylistic. My only slight gripe was how much time i was wasting navigating at times in the office level, everything else was somewhat intuitive, halo 3 tier difficulty with the navigation.

[@rarecandy3445]

the most distinct thing about FEAR for me is that its set in a suburban office/industrial district, something i had never even considered being “scary” given how bland, flat and the aesthetics of its utility. its clean, its quiet. its familiar but at the same time its designed for violence. its full of cover, corridored to choke off enemies, and then open for the arena fights you described earlier, which can also bounce back to the utility of the structure being build to send and recieve trucks. i think it also helped optimize performance since it wasnt full of the craziest textures to offer at its time. looking back now, i see more than just the j-horror influence of alma with the likes of the ring or the grudge, but, real life influence of conspiracy. horrible ideas are often concocted in corporate offices between humans in business suits rather than dingy basements or mars bases. sometimes simplicity can offer us really unorthodox complexities to think on after.

[@Detective_Bonghits]

I had a demo disc that contained the first like 20-30 minutes of the game and i was hooked on that shit. Something surreal about being given slomo bicycle kick kung fu powers and a bomb shotgun, but its still acting effectively as a horror game. It makes me wonder how sick a horror vanquish would be. Probably fucking radical

[@SirBigWater]

First time I played this was on an OXM demo disc, which also had a Demo for Prey. And for some reason I never picked up the game. I would play the demo every so often, then the game came out and it was until maybe 3 or so years ago that I picked.it up for 360. Played a bit. Still enjoyed it. And when it came to backwards compatibility recently on Series X it was even better. Those OXM discs had so many games I would only play the demo too, enjoy very much, and then years later would play and find out what I was finally missing out on. Still have all of mine, and many of those magazines too. Good stuff.

[@rickomax1]

FEAR has no “normal” AI. Just search for their presentation on it, it is a pretty clever system, very different from the basic finite state machines many games were using at the time

[@TurboNutterBastard]

Goal-Oriented Action Planning (aka GOAP) was what the system was called iirc.

[@fernandohood5657]

KZbin game reviewer: "nah dude the AI in fear is dumb, what makes it look Smart is sound cues and level design." Sry didnt resist the Lil joke

[@livingthedream0527]

I think Percy and his Mandate is the perfect example of what typically happens with expansions a lot of fresh ideas and visuals, but is nothing more than an over the top orgy of cutting floor ideas.

[@NothingIsKnown00]

I played the first fear game a lot. The office environments sure aren’t very varied but imho it contributed a lot to the corporate, barren, inhuman atmosphere. This is definitely how a company like armacham would decorate their offices.

[@RetrospectiveGaming]

I was so young and seeing this on a friends xbox 360 really hyped up my overactive imagination ..also one of the few games I played the MP obsessively Good times.. F.EAR. will be always be appreciated

[@OdinPerez]

Love your content man, i'm glad to see you back in the fold!

[@RetrospectiveGaming]

@@OdinPerez Thank you Odin! .. I figured out what i wnna cover next so im working on my first vid of 2022!

[@OdinPerez]

@@RetrospectiveGaming i’ll be there my man! Have a nice one!

[@TwitchyTango]

Fear 1 and it’s dlc are the ones games I was terrified to keep playing. I completed fear 1 and one of its other dlc but Perseus mandate had me in actual tears I couldn’t play it all the way through so I skipped to the final missions to complete it

[@Bizzarovid]

What was so bad In perseus mandate? Lol I remember the end half of extraction point being more horror driven

[@jpow4893]

@@Bizzarovid Extraction Point was excellent with the horror. Especially when a long time character kicks the bucket. I think Perseus Mandate was solid on the part with the lady from the FEAR team getting caught up, but overall wasn't as good as EP.

[@TwitchyTango]

@@Bizzarovid it might have been extraction point honestly it’s been so long since I played like probably 11 years

[@rickyray2794]

Put your head around that, 2005 and it still holds up. FEAR was the first Multiplayer game I ever played and I loved it.

[@pvtbx4198]

Thanks for posting this along with the links. Sadly I didn't get to play this in the early 2000s but I'm about to play it now!

[@JangoTheBlueFox]

do you not know that when you buy a bundle on Steam that contains stuff you already own you don't have to pay for the stuff you already own a second time?

[@knowtheplan472]

This game used to scare me shitless as a kid and I never even played it back when it was new. My brother played probably only the first two levels before getting bored but that was enough to stay with me for years. I remember hiding the disk thinking it was cursed for some reason. Real fun to play now though, would love to see a remaster.

[@kobra6660]

I hated how quiet this game gets because it feels like something unusual is about to happen and the levels were confusing at times

[@Zarsis]

lmfao I did the exact same thing when I was a kid. The game scared me so much that I gave the disk to my mother to hide until I was 18 lol. funnily enough it was my idea.

[@CyberXviking]

You made me laugh hard with that "not too far off! line XD And great video, man. Don't know why you think your content isn't that great. It is. I almost exclusively watch your and GmanLives' videos. You guys are great, make good content and are entertaining. I preciate your work here. So thanks.

[@fiddlestickjones]

What i really mean when I watch your videos is that I listen for like 20-30mins and then sleep thru all the rest

[@marcellosilva9286]

Finished replaying this for the billionth time earlier this evening and wanted to hear your thoughts on it, and I do have a few things to say: - I found the G2A2 Assault Rifle to be quite a lackluster weapon when it came to accuracy, the rate of fire and damage is good, but akimbo pistols really do have less crosshair bloom while moving, especially when zoomed in, and they perform the best out of all weapons while in slow-mo, perhaps fittingly enough. Carried them from start to the end of the game. - As for the heavily-armoured enemies, the 10mm HV Penetrator performs well enough on the mechs (the REV6's), but yes, using anything else on them that isn't a Rocket Launcher, Particle Weapon or ASP Rifle is not a fun experience. In this latest playthrough I ran out of HV ammo during the parking lot fight and had to resort to my pistols to shoot down a Heavy, since he was too far away for my shotgun, and it took a substantial amount of time and bullets to kill him. - Speaking of shotgun, the F.E.A.R. shotgun has a feature more commonly seen in more recent FPSs, which is, the spread is tightened while zooming in (or ADSing, in the case of more modern shooters, such as Titanfall 2), and in my experience doing this made gibs and dismemberments more frequent, as well as increasing the weapon's range from short to mid, you'd be surprised how far away I was from some of these enemies and it only took me 2-3 shells to put them down. - Despite the art style, F.E.A.R. is also secretly a big pile of anime. You have a huge megacorporation that developed advanced tech like laser-firing drones, mechs and particle beam guns, there's a black-haired ghost girl with long hair that is clearly ripping off japanese horror movies, psychics and clones - hell, even the heavily-armoured Replicas look a bit like Eva Unit 02, with their four-eyed helmet, prominent shoulder pads that look a bit like the Evas' shoulder pylons and their inhuman roar when they die. The elevator you take to go down into the Vault where Alma is locked up inside also looks like the one in Akira, albeit smaller.

[@onceyougozach2607]

Played thru it for the first time recently, great game, AI still embarrasses most modern games. Environments get repetitive towards the end and the horror element is kind of meh

[@AvalancheReviews]

I've seen a lot of comments so far saying they only just played through fear for the first time recently. I don't know what's getting so many new eyes on the game, but I like it.

[@onceyougozach2607]

@@AvalancheReviews I think it's just that there haven't been many worthwhile AAA games coming out, so people are starting to go back and play games they've never tried for entertainment. Almost all of the best games I've played since Covid started have been released in the 2000s or earlier. Helps that these kinds of retrospectives/ game analyses have become much more popular in the last few years.

[@bipstymcbipste5641]

@@AvalancheReviews I found FEAR last year too. It was pretty addicting and I haven't had so much fun with a game in a while

[@darassylmoniakam]

why the AI isn't that good in other games? It's frustrating

[@AgatBro]

watching toonami late at night always gave chill vibes for some reason. it’s like a reward for getting through the day. plus it’s the only channel that aired family guy AND animes

[@ismokemadherb4677]

Super Excited you did this one. I love this game. Keep up the amazing content and keep up the AWESOMENESS

I've recently been playing it on Steam, and it's a fantastic game.

[@mattlandry]

Awesome review! This brings back so many great memories.

[@dyneermi7742]

The gun that shoots the giant nails and Sticks the enemies to the walls was a favourite. My friend and I called it the Candy launcher cause it was sweet watching them fly off up to the ceiling.

[@Sev3617]

0:56 I absolutely love that opening animation, wish you used it more! The way he runs though looks super goofy and I mean that in the best way possible haha. I’ve yet to play this game but I’m gonna nab it soon once I can afford it off Xbox one backwards compatibility, great video by the way!

[@jsb1944]

FEAR was the free game given out with PCs and GPUs for like 2 years back in the mid 2000s. I remember lusting over images and videos of this game wishing I had the horsepower to play it. Eventually played the series on 360, Its still a stunner all these years later

[@Born...]

You do know when you look at a steam bundle, if you have items that are already in that bundle the price is cut automatically right?

[@papahippie2847]

Man just wanted to say I haven't watched one of your videos in like 2 years and damn boy got an opening now.

[@mateuscastro6046]

"Ladies and gentleman, I give you marriage" Holy crap, that caught me SO off guard

[@darthfrosty5146]

For the tracers thing you were talking about, irl in a lot of military for automatic weapons they will load something like every 3rd or 5th round a tracer, this makes it easier to aim during a long burst. So thats why they did that probably also cool military fun fact for everyone

[@DaKussh]

The engine was so well made and focused specifically to enhance the experience of FEAR that even today that game still looks amazing.

[@too-bright]

Fear 2 was one of my favorite games growing up , im gonna have to go back and play it now

[@jimwu4579]

Great review! It brings back a lot of memories.

[@jake1988h]

Your reviews are always very detailed, I like that a lot. It contributes to the overall quality a lot! Great review of a great game! Nice!

[@Malefication]

The "destruction" from bullets hitting the environment; walls, pillars etc. was so groundbreaking. I remember reading in gaming mags back in the day before the game's release some articles focused specifically on how they developed the destruction from bullet impacts.

[@rohambahraee]

F.E.A.R and Extraction point are great games. After finishing extraction point a few times and learning about enemy locations I would spend hours experimenting different bombs on enemies to see the screen shake and the effect on environments. Man throwing a sticky bomb, a land mine and a grenade near a fire extinguisher was a blast. And don't get me started with the scary sections in both games. The first time I played Extraction point and when the ghosts would appear I started shooting at everything in the room. Then I realized the ghosts or apparitions wouldn't damage me

[@blacklaceredroses]

"Behind the eyes of a guy simply known as the Point Man, presumably having been recently promoted out of his last rank, Point Boy" This made me lol!