F.E.A.R. (PS3)

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Enemies in F.E.A.R. exhibit some of the best AI seen in video games

It's clear that Monolith focussed on the engine's ability to render particles flying through the air, but the overall visual package is rather a mixed bag on the PlayStation 3. The most disappointing part of the port is the game's rather sluggish frame rate, which is significantly worse than the generally smooth Xbox 360 release. The PS3 game also suffers from a slightly blurry appearance which hurts the look of a game that had PC-quality sharpness on the Xbox 360.

Firing a gun at another carbon copy soldier never feels repetitive in F.E.A.R. and the difficulty can be set to match your skill level. Health packs (of which you can store ten) and Armour are scattered quite freely around the environment, and they are usually in plentiful supply in the sections leading up to big confrontations, so you won't enter a fight thinking you've got no chance of a good outcome. It can get tricky, but it's always fair. There is no 'quick save' option, but the health packs usually mean you can take quite a battering before dying.

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Given the game's heavy emphasis on guns, the selection could be better and the three gun limit is a little annoying. It's not realistic to carry seven weapons at once, but it's not that plausible to be able to slow down time either, and having to continuously drop weapons to change to something else becomes pretty tiresome. It didn't happen often, but I was left ammo-less for short periods, which ruined those short sections of the game; I had to run from enemies, rather than take them on, which isn't what the game is about. In the end it balances out well, but some of the better weapons (a rail-gun alike weapon in particular) are left rather underused as it's safer to enter a combat zone with fully loaded machine guns than a couple of semi-depleted devastating weapons. The PS3 game features a new SAS-12 fully automatic shotgun, but it doesn't alter gameplay all that significantly.

Another complaint could be levelled at the range of enemies. For the most part you'll take on soldiers (occasionally accompanied by a 'Heavy') or generic armed forces. This is fine as they display some great AI, but some more variety wouldn't have gone amiss. A few bit-part enemies come into play now and again (with one in particular causing a reaction no other videogame has been able to. To say I was freaked out is an understatement), but the supernatural menace isn't actually a threat for most of the game, simply being used to scare you at various points.

An area where the game never stumbles is its audio. It's simply superb, with a creepy atmosphere, great soundtrack and awesome sound effects. From the sounds of your weapons to the groans from enemies as they die (particularly while you're in slow motion), everything is top notch. The story is mainly told through short in-engine cutscenes, recorded messages left on phones around the office area and abandoned laptops containing info on what's gone on, and while the voice work can't be faulted, the story is rather underdeveloped and certainly could have been fleshed out a little more.

It feels a bit dated, probably because it first hit PCs in 2005.

Multiplayer is also supported for sixteen players, with ten maps on offer for standard team and solo game types (Deathmatch, Elimination and Slow-mo variants), and three maps designed for Capture the Flag. The use of slow-mo in multiplayer (by giving one person the ability to use it at a time) is a nice touch, and games are fast, frenetic affairs, which isn't something that many PS3 shooters offer online at the moment. If you're bored of tactical shooters, F.E.A.R.'s online mode might be just what you need, with solid performance and plenty of maps.

New to last year's Xbox 360 version was the Instant Action arena mode, in which you attempt to achieve a high score to be placed on the global online leaderboards. This mode also makes an appearance in the PS3 game and, while it initially seems like a cheaply tacked on feature with only four arenas based on single-player levels to fight in, it takes some real skill. You'll be playing for a new high score well after you finish the single-player campaign, which is sadly quite short - the PS3 exclusive level is nothing to get too excited about. Had the recently released PC expansion been included, the PS3 version would have been a package well worth its next-gen price tag.

The action in F.E.A.R. is relentless from start to finish, and the AI of enemy soldiers is about the best you'll find in video games at the moment. Sadly, the core game is let down by some sloppy technical issues that really shouldn't be seen in a port of a game first released in 2005. F.E.A.R. is certainly worth experiencing, but you're better off with the PC or Xbox 360 versions if you've got that option.

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