F.E.A.R. 3
I didn't get into F.E.A.R. until the sequel, F.E.A.R. 2 (F2), two years back; and aside from being occasionally creeped out at times, I enjoyed my experience. Admittedly my initial reactions to the first "Alma" sighting was much like a grade school student seeing their parent naked for the first time unintentionally. Though a bit squeamish at the outset I played through F2 with renewed zeal to conquer my fear of the dark.
In some instances of the game I was reminded of specific scenes from the movie "The Ring". Alma, the ultimate antagonist in this franchise, struck a very striking resemblance to Samara, the little girl who's voice you would he auspiciously hear after watching a tape and would presumably kill you in 7 days time.
F.E.A.R. 2 had a very interesting ending where we know Alma lives since the last image Becket, the protagonist, has is her being pregnant. Those of you have played the game to the end know the scene being referenced so we won't discuss who the - ahem - father is. That said it was only logical that there be a third iteration. But like many other games that follow this path, will F.E.A.R. 3 pale in comparison to its predecessors?
Based on the press release that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) sent out today, that might not be the case. The next version of the game will introduce a cooperative (co-op) mode. This could add some interesting play elements but only time will tell. Check out the following press release.
Burbank, Calif. - April 8, 2010 - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces F.E.A.R. 3, a heart-pounding paranormal horror first person shooter unleashing intense combat, compelling narrative and co-op play that evolves the franchise. F.E.A.R. 3 is set to release on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC in fall 2010.
Alma returns in F.E.A.R. 3 but this time her sons Point Man and Paxton Fettel introduce divergent co-op, giving players distinctly different abilities affecting their own play as well as the experience of their co-op partner. Gamers participate in single player or co-op modes as Point Man, a genetically enhanced super soldier originally introduced in F.E.A.R., or they can play cooperatively as his conniving brother Paxton Fettel, whose incredible telekinetic power has given him life beyond the grave. The game is developed by Day 1 Studios, developer of the original F.E.A.R. console games in collaboration with Monolith Studios.
"Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is evolving the F.E.A.R. brand with top horror, co-op and first person shooter combat in F.E.A.R. 3," said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "Monolith Productions has passed the torch to Day 1 Studios to create a quality, powerful game that stays true to the roots of the F.E.A.R. franchise but takes players to a heightened level of gameplay."
To further ensure extreme terror in F.E.A.R. 3, legendary horror director John Carpenter (Halloween, Village of the Damned) and critically acclaimed horror comic and script writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) have provided consultation to enhance several of the game's frightening aspects. Steve Niles co-wrote the game script with the development team and John Carpenter provided his expertise in crafting the in-game cinematics.
"After working closely with Monolith, Day 1 is honored to bring the next iteration of the F.E.A.R. franchise to gamers with key elements of the past games yet providing fresh combat and horror experiences in F.E.A.R. 3," said Denny Thorley, Founder and President, Day 1 Studios. "Players can look forward to new features such as divergent co-op, an evolved cover system, and more scares in F.E.A.R. 3."
For more information about F.E.A.R. 3, please visit www.whatisfear.com.