F.3.A.R (Xbox 360)

F.3.A.R is, as the slightly unwieldy title suggests, the third instalment in the F.E.A.R series of supernaturally scary first person shooters and places you back in the role of Point Man - the key player in the first game.

For those unfamiliar with the series so far, a recap. This will involve spoilers, so skip past the italics if that worries you.

Point Man is a specialist soldier attached to the F.E.A.R (First Encounter Assault Recon) team, sent into dangerous situations where there are paranormal elements present. In the first game his team were responsible for locating and stopping Paxton Fettel, a genetically engineered psychic commander with the power to mentally control legions of soldiers. During this game it becomes clear that a young girl known as Alma with astonishing psychic powers was used as the basis for this project by Armacham, the tech company behind it. She was impregnated and had her child stolen for experimentation, and had effectively been treated as a lab rat and kept in containment. Fettel is genetically her son and Point Man slowly comes to realise he's from the same batch - effectively Fettel's brother, and technically son to Harlan Wade, the head of Armacham. The game ends with Fettel dead at Point Man's hands, and Alma's vengeful spirit breaking free of her prison.

F.E.A.R 2 introduced Becket, a Delta Force member, as the main character. His task is to understand more about the mysterious Project Harbinger that appears to connect him with some of his team members, to locate and destroy Alma along with his team, and the discovery that she's not just out for vengeance but wants to make up for having her child stolen. This game ends with Alma's spirit presence somehow becoming pregnant after a psychic encounter with Becket, and the understanding that she's got what she wanted.

OK, that's a good 40 hours of gaming condensed into two paragraphs. Now for the latest instalment.

This time we're back in control of Point Man, but have an unlikely ally of sorts in the form of the ghost of Paxton Fettel. Point man was captured by Armacham after the Alma incident and has been in prison until Fettel helps him to escape his cell. From then on it's a race to find out what's happening to Alma, for better or worse...

The first F.E.A.R game was not only a slick shooter with extremely challenging and smart AI, but played heavily on the paranormal with a lot of scary psychological set pieces. It was undoubtedly one of the finest titles in the horror shooter genre, so when the sequel dropped a lot of this edge for a more explosive FPS feel many of the fans were disappointed. It was still a great game, but just not as psychologically intense.

F.3.A.R continues along this path, but stays in touch with the supernatural origins of the series through cut scenes that piece together the early lives of the two brothers in the Armacham institute. There are precious few 'I really don't want to go along that corridor...' moments though, which is a shame.

The game mechanic is largely the same as before. you get three types of grenades, a variety of heavy weapons, a smattering of melee combat and Point Man's ability to go into a hyper-alert bullet time mode which effectively slows time for a few seconds. A new departure comes in the form of levelling, which is carried out by meeting non-essential challenges through the levels - score 25 kills with this gun, spend 60 seconds in cover, etc. Ascending through the 20 levels grants more bullet time, greater health, more ammos slots, and various other bonuses. The ability to pilot heavy armour has been retained from F.E.A.R 2 although again it's not the most exciting way to spend a few minutes.

The single player campaign is substantial and offers a consistent challenge albeit with a few irritating difficulty spikes. The environments you'll traverse aren't the most striking, but are well designed and in keeping with the series' aesthetic. Everything effectively works as it should with no surprises.

Actually, one surprise. If you're of a mind to play co-op, one player can control Fettel and assist Point Man directly. As he's dead this suggests a few issues, but the game works around them. Fettel can be hurt, so clearly has some physical presence, but can't use weapons. Instead he can shoot energy blasts, psychically throw items around the levels, and can even possess enemies for a short while. This gives him access to their abilities and weapons, but he can only stay in their bodies until his psychic energy runs out and needs to recharge. If you're not into multiplayer you can still play as Fettel after you've completed each level with Point Man. This is a nice touch and offers a very different experience on the second playthrough.

F.3.A.R is a solid shooter that's maybe best suited to fans of the series so far, as the story probably doesn't stand up on its own. That's not to say you won't enjoy it, but you really need to know Alma to get the best from the experience.

8/10