There have already been a slew of first person shooters released in 2006, and none of them come close to matching F.E.A.R.'s unbridled intensity. Monolith's 2005 release is both wicked and marvelous, a delicious concoction of blood, shattered glass, and creatures from beyond the grave topped off with fantastic visuals. It's quite the delectable treat and we most definitely want some more, which is why we're eagerly looking forward to playing the upcoming expansion, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point.
The original F.E.A.R. is an excellent game for a plethora of reasons, the most notable being its feverishly destructive gunplay as well as Alma, the creepy little girl that bears a striking resemblance to the monster in The Ring, and thankfully, both of these elements are present in this expansion. In fact, things get rather crazy in a hurry. The game picks up 30 seconds after the conclusion of the original. You'll still play as a special ops soldier, except instead of going after the bad guys (in the original's case, the enemy is scum bag Paxton Fettle), you're the hunted, on the run from not only cloned soldiers looking to bust multiple caps in your behind, but also the supernatural critters that want nothing more than to decorate the walls with your intestines. So you're really getting it from all sides. Not only will Alma show up to make things difficult, but waves of soldiers will look to take you out as well as shadowy horrors from beyond the grave.
To quickly glance at it, Extraction Point looks and plays exactly like its predecessor. The exquisitely-detailed graphics make a triumphant return, as do the superb gunfights. Bullets tear through flesh, glass, and stone while the discarded empty shells clink off the concrete floors. Walls are torn apart, rocketing plumes of dust into the air while large chunks of debris fly every which way. But most importantly, the body count rises about as fast as a speedometer in a Ferrari. There's just blood and shredded corpses all over the place.
Fortunately, it's not going to be easy decimating your opponents. Extraction Point's AI is just as intelligent as it was in the previous game, so don't expect enemies to just mindlessly wander into your sights. They employ dynamic thinking, which basically means that they'll assess a given situation depending on the actions that you take, so they'll respond differently if you're camping versus running into the open, guns blazing.
Soldiers are one thing, but supernatural beasts are another matter entirely. Alma is going to give you all kinds of hell, but she's not the only ghost/monster to be wary of. Some of the previous game's enemies make a return, but there are some new additions, most notably the shadow puppets, creatures that are only half visible and attack with their sharp claws. They appear to be quite a handful, and just like in the classic scene from the film Predator, it's possible to unload hundreds of rounds, tear the environments to pieces and miss your intended target. The situation makes using something like a combat shotgun or an assault rifle a bad idea, though if you really want to increase the likelihood of doing some serious damage, it's probably a good idea to bust out the all new mini gun, which can spit more than 200 rounds in a matter of seconds. In fact, and as a side note, it appears that the area you walk into right after acquiring this weapon has been specifically designed to showcase its destructive power. You walk into a fairly normal looking office (PC monitors, large glass windows, desks; the works) and you can flat out obliterate everything. It looks superb running at normal speeds, but we recommend slowing things down (which is another cool feature carried over from the original) and watching the bullets decimate the environment.
Aside from the killing, what'll make this experience so enjoyable is the ambiance. The developers are doing a good job screwing with the player's head. Lamps will mysteriously swing back and forth, eerie voices will be heard down the hall, and you'll see a lot of things that, while not harmful (bodies appearing and disappearing, for example), will probably cause you to think twice before bursting into a room.
Thus far, it appears that Extraction Point has the exact same system requirements as F.E.A.R. and will take roughly 6-8 hours to complete. That's certainly not a long time, but we're more than willing to accept it if it means that the final product is the best 6-8 hours money can buy. F.E.A.R. Extraction Point will be released sometime this October, and we'll hopefully post impressions in the very near future.
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