F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) won PC Game of the Year in 2005. In 2007, the dual-expansion of F.E.A.R., aptly named F.E.A.R. Files, contains both Extraction Point (ported from the PC) and Perseus Mandate (brand-new for Xbox 360). TimeGate and Day 1 Studios did an adequate job laying the foundation for Project Origin with this title.

AzraelPC has the review.

Review score: 7.7/10

Introduction

If you played through FEAR, then that was your introduction to FEAR Files. If you need to refresh your memory, playing through the final chapter in FEAR should be enough. This is a true expansion in that the gameplay mechanics and graphics that you are used to from the first game honestly have not changed. The environments, enemies, hallucinations, etc., are all here.
I will be under the assumption that you will begin with Extraction Point, as that is the first of your two choices for expansions. After you make your choice of difficulty (Low, Normal, Hard, Extreme), you begin the story (or pick up where FEAR left off) watching the nuke was placed to destroy the Origin facility.

You then hop into the chopper and see the mushroom cloud from above; however, the chopper crashes soon thereafter, and you are off on your journey to get to the… you guessed it… extraction point. The Perseus Mandate expansion details the storyline of a team that was dispatched into the facility in the middle of the first storyline, which may cause some slight confusion, but suspense and thrillers thrive off of misdirection, which is precisely what this is.

She's Baaaaaaack..

Storyline

The background for this storyline all lies with playing through the first game. The Extraction Point expansion takes roughly 4-5 hours to complete as you ultimately try to find your way to the roof of the nearby hospital. Along the way, you learn more about how your character relates to both Alma and Paxton Fettel, the person you thought that you killed in the original game. Apparently, a nuke doesn’t work as well as it used to (my apologies, Japanese readers).
The Perseus Mandate expansion adds little to the equation, and seems to leave you scratching your head more than nodding with understanding. Perseus Mandate also takes roughly 4-5 hours to complete.

These visuals were cutting-edge... two years ago.

Game play and Combat

I’ll make this short and to the point. Nothing has changed, gameplay-wise, from FEAR to its two expansions. The AI will still flank you, as the maps are laid out in a fashion that allows for flanking. I played through on the lowest difficulty, so the majority of my kills were headshots because the enemy couldn’t see me and was standing out in the open. A better challenge would likely have presented itself on Normal or Hard. Extreme is only for the hardcore FEAR enthusiast. Needless to say, here is a rundown of the controls:

D-Pad Up – Change Grenade Type
D-Pad Down – Toggle Flashlight
D-Pad Left/Right – Lean Left/Right
A Button – Jump
B Button – Melee; Holster Weapon (Hold B)
X Button – Reload; Activate/Swap Weapon (Hold X)
Y Button – Use MedKit
Left Trigger – Throw Grenade
Right Trigger – Fire Weapon
Left Button – Toggle Slow-Mo
Right Button – Next Weapon
Left Analog Stick – Move Character; Toggle Crouch (Click Left Analog Stick)
Right Analog Stick – Look/Aim; Aim Down Sight/Zoom (Click Right Analog Stick)

Graphics and Presentation

These graphics were top-notch in 2005 when FEAR came out on the PC; however, the expansions did little to incorporate anything new graphically. The environments haven’t changed, nor have the character models, or even the weapons. Everything graphically about this game screams 2005. Even the annual ‘Call of Cuty’ installment upgrades the graphics slightly. I suspect that Project Origin (the actual ‘sequel’ to FEAR) will have a significantly upgraded graphics engine that will push the Xbox 360 hardware.

Sound

The music for the game presented a tone that was suspenseful enough that I needed to play it with the lights on, but I was never frightened to the point that I jumped out of my seat with… pardon the pun… fear.
The sound effects were well-done. Footsteps sounded closer as I closed in on enemies. Voices also made realistic comments that squads would actually make, such as ‘take cover!’ or ‘did anyone spot him?!’

The Straight Dope

To be perfectly honest, this was an expansion, and it showed. Both storylines were short (4-5 hours), even for expansions, the graphics were obviously dated (not awful, not eye-popping), and the gameplay was rehashed from the original (as it probably should have been). The music and sound added suspense, but after playing FEAR, you should have expected it coming. The best parts of the game were what likely should have been the best parts: the questions that remained unanswered and the new questions that surfaced from playing through each installment. In my opinion, these expansions were made for the sole purpose of laying the groundwork for Project Origin.

**Thanks to IGN.com for pictures used above

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