Gears of War 3

The epic end to Epic's epic is upon us. And to be entirely honest, it's pretty epic. I've spent the last week on the edge of my bed, eyes wide at how far this franchise has come, and where, if anywhere, it could possibly go from here. But you don't want to hear about the future, if you came here, you came to read a review. So let's get into it.

STORY
The story of Gears 3 follows on 18 months after the story of Gears 2. The locust hollows have been flooded, and COG settlements on a previously uncharted island are being attacked by lambent infected locust. Driven out of thier new home, Delta Squad (led by Marcus Fenix) attempt to find and rescue Marcus' father after a mysterious recording implies that Adam Fenix is not actually dead, as everyone had believed.

The story is action packed, and conveys the feeling of desperation almost as well as the Resistance series, a series long recognized for it's hopeless, desperate setting. You can feel that this is the Gear's last shot at reclaiming their world again.

Returning characters from Delta Squad gain alot more character devolopment this time around, and as a result are much more likeable. You can also feel the friendship that has developed between these characters in some key scenes, which I really shouldn't mention for fear of spoiling some fantastic moments.

PRESENTATION
Gears of War 3 is an epic improvement of the sights and sounds from the previous games. On the visual side of it, Gears 3 seems a lot smoother in graphical quality, as well as more detailed and more colourful. While the older games were quite grey and black, Gears 3 has a very gold tinge to it, and while black and grey are still present, there are also some nice greens and blues in certain scenes as well.

The voice acting is as good as ever, with old hands John DiMaggio (Bender from Futurama, Craig Marduk of Tekken fame), Carlos Ferro (Leo Da Vinci in Assassin's Creed) and Fred Tatasciore (Mario from Assassin's Creed) lending their talents to 3 of the main characters. Surprisingly enough, Ice T's cameo is more than (probably) anyone excpected, with Griffin being a possible jumping point for a new Gears universe game (perhaps).

The soundtrack for gears is suitably epic, and it works well enough, but the most interesting part is the use of licensed tracks. While theres really only one there, until the credits at least, it really hits home and intensifies the already extremely emotional scene. Basically, when it happens, you'll know.

GAMEPLAY
Gameplay remains largely unchanged from Gears of War 2, but let's face it... Cover based shooting is probably at the best it will be for some time. Lambent variations of the Locust enemies from previous installments are available to diversify your killing activities, as well as some new, messed up Lambent (mutating Drudges and Gunkers are the larger variety).

While the gameplay may not have changed much, the mechanics seem a lot more responsive. Each bullet impact seems like it has an effect and its satisfying to see an enemy go into the downed animation. And after that, you're able to hit them with an execution, which are all satisfyingly gorey. And theres a large variety of them. Which is awesome.

So in summary, theres not a lot new in Gears 3's gameplay, but it's all been polished to a mirror shine. Even the ally AI seems more responsive and less brain dead than last time; and that can be nothing but a good thing.

REPLAYABILITY
The campaign has plenty of collectibles to find, as well as the option to play it in 4 player co-op. Let's face it, even games that are shit become fun when you have a friend along for the ride. Add another two and it's like a party. With guns! On top of that, GoW 3 is a fantastic game on its own, and gets even better with some mates watching your back.

The multiplayer is also pretty fantastic, with a range of standard modes (TDM etc) and some not so standard modes, such as Capture the Leader or Wingman. The gameplay is still pretty solid here, and there were no glaring connection issues. Alongside standard multiplayer, there is also Horde mode (a wave survival mode) and Beast mode (basically a reversal of Horde).

OVERVIEW
To reiterate, this game is fantastic. There are few problems at this stage, with an interesting story, slightly more vibrant visuals and highly polished gameplay to back it all up. My only possible complaint is that some of the story points don't live up to the series' previous sense of scale. Most of the boss monsters have either been seen in previous installments, or just don't match up, scale-wise. But all in all, Gears of War 3 is a fantastic game, and if you own an X-Box 360, you really should get your hands on a copy.

So, I'm still loving Gears 3's multiplayer, but next week, I assure you, I'll have a review of Driver: San Francisco. See you next time!

Dead Island

Just want to put a disclaimer up here, I've played through ALOT of this game, and I still haven't reached the end. I'm about 86% through the storyline, and I've done a buttload of side missions; but I don't see myself playing through to the end in time to get this review up (more on that later). So, lets get on with it.

STORY
Dead Island takes place on the tropical island of Banoi where a strange virus has turned the natives, tourists and resort workers into flesh devouring monsters. You play as one of the only 4 characters who are seemingly immune to the strange condition, and as such, you are tasked with finding out exactly what is going on, as well as providing supplies for the other, non-immune survivors.

The story, as it is, isn't the most riveting thing we've seen in games, but its by far not the worst. It works well enough in that it gives us some fairly interesting goals to pursue while trying to unravel the undead mystery. Without it, we'd just run around bashing zombie brains out. Though, that isn't bad.

PRESENTATION
Dead Island is most certainly NOT the best game you'll play this year. It'd have a hard time standing up against certain games from a few years ago. The graphics aren't particularly smooth, but zombies look suitably dead, and certain main characters have distinct looks that suit them.
The game has a number of visual hiccups, from textures taking a while to pop in, to waypoints on the map not showing up at all.

The sound design, on the other hand is fairly good, especially in the music and sound effect department. The larger zombies actually roar, and after playing this game for so long, it still makes me anxious. The sound track captures the somewhat depressing, desperate mood prevalent in the game, and it really works.

Voice acting is a bit hit-and-miss on the OTHER other hand, with there being more than one horrible aussie accent in the mix. That said, they aren't all bad, and it helps give the game a broader national scope than, say, gta 4 in (not) New York City or any other game that generally features an all american cast of characters. So, the voice acting isn't stellar, but its fun and diverse.
The playable characters fair a lot better, with some real experience in the form of Phil Lamarr (Futurama, Metal Gear Solid), Kim Mai Guest (Metal Gear Solid, No More Heroes) and David Kaye (Resistance, Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions).

GAMEPLAY
Here's where we get into the diseased, rotten meat of why Dead Island is a mostly enjoyable game. Zombies aren't new to our medium, but very few games actually feel like zombie games. So many use zombies just as cannon fodder, but never truly replicate the feeling of desperation or resourcefulness that one would think would come with a zombie apocalypse. Left 4 Dead did it, and I truly believe Dead Island has pulled it off as well.

Gameplay revolves around killing zombies, and fetch quests/escort missions; the latter of which we're all more than familiar with. What makes Dead Island fun is the way it lets you decide how you want to take on the undead hordes.
Do you go in guns blazing, or throw knives to soften them up before landing a killing blow? Do you bash in some brains with a mallet, or do you strategically dismember the horde with a katana?

Each of the above options is a viable solution to the undead problem, and they allow players to choose the way they want to play. Adding to this choice are the 3 seperate skill trees for each character, allowing for even deeper customization of one's play style.

The quests all tend to feel the same after a while, but the feel of the combat and amount of potential loot to grab certainly make up for it. Very few games do 1st person melee combat well, but dead island is certainly one of them. The amount of weapons is truly stunning, with mod blueprints available to customize your weapons and play style further.

Just a few minor issues, stop this game from playing perfectly. As I said before, visual issues pop up now and then, and occasionally get in the way of the combat. Aside from that, there are some minor collission detection hiccups, as well as a sometimes annoying (occassionally infuriating) autosave function that seems rather schizophrenic. Sometimes it doesn't autosave for a while, other times it autosaves every 5 minutes, causing yours truly to get stuck 86% of the way into the game because my AI escortee continues to get his head ripped off a minute after reloading.

In short, Dead Island's gameplay is THE reason to play this game. The visceral, satisfying combat makes the game feel powerful, while the shooting mechanics also feel like theres a tangible weight to them. Missions tend to feel a bit samey, but the core combat makes up for the games few gameplay faults.

REPLAYABILITY
While there are multiple characters to use in Dead Island, the initial choice doesn't mean much, aside from a few weapon specialties and different stats. There are no multiple endings, as far as I know, and aside from further exploration, there isn't much reason to play through the campaign again. Co-op is always fun, so i suppose theres an option if you feel so inclined.

OVERVIEW
To sum things up, Dead Island is one of those games that has quite a few faults, but the overarching gameplay is more than enough to save it. While Dead Island doesn't look great, aside from the landscapes, and the story is rather so-so, the violent gameplay at its centre is enough to make this definately worth a buy. If you like zombie games, you should really already have this. If not, go get it right now!

Also theres a half Australian Aboriginal ex-cop lady as a playable character. Thats certainly a rarity in gaming, so yea. Some food for thought.

Next week, Gears of War 3, the (possibly) final installation of the chainsaw gun wielding dudebro fest from Epic Games. See you next time!

Resistance 3

Last week I didn't really have much to review and my internet was playing up a fair bit, so I neglected to post a review. To make up for that, I've done a marathon effort with Resistance 3 and completed it in less time than I would usually alot to a game. Luckily I took part in the multiplayer Beta in it's later stages, so I have a good idea how well that works without actually touching the "complete" version. Not that I dwell too much on multiplayer in these things anyway. So, let's get into it!

STORY
Resistance 3 starts 4 years after the events of Resistance 2, and it follows Joe Capelli's journey to New York to end the Chimeran invasion once and for all, and to make a better life for his wife and son. Resistance veterans may recall what happened to the series former protagonist, Nathan Hale, but for newcomers, I won't spoil it (though Resistance 3 will in the first cutscene).

The setting for Resistance 3 is very depressing when you think about it, but very immersive at the same time. 90% of the worlds population are now either dead or chimeran converts, and the desperation of humanity can be seen in various lines of dialogue between Joe, his family, Malikov and the Remnants.

What I found most intriguing about Resistance 3's story is that it tries to tell a more intimate story than it's very militaristic predecessors. While you're still fighting in some fairly large battles, you're only one man. There's very little backup, and you aren't fighting to win, you're fighting to live. This helps give the game a very helpless, desperate and human quality.

PRESENTATION
Resistance 3's visuals and musical score fit the tone of the game perfectly. It may not be of Battlefield 3 standard graphics, but it's bleak and grimy and it works. Very few games can have a grimy look like this and have it work so well. Many environments have a sepia tone to them, helping remind us that this game is actually set 54 years in the past.

The score sets scenes in the game perfectly, whether its the screech of violin strings in dark, claustrophobic corridors, or epic war drums in the larger battles. You'll very rarely notice a part where the soundtrack doesn't fit the part of the game you're in.

The voice acting is more hit than miss, but some of the country accents in the first few chapters of the game are rather funny. I've never been to Oklahoma, so if people do actually talk like that, I'm sorry. that's not to say all of them are bad. just some. Like I said, more hit than miss.

GAMEPLAY
The gameplay of the Resistance series has always been an interesting beast. Despite the name, you would always feel equally matched with your alien opposition due to squads of friendly NPC's or something akin to that. While Resistance 3 starts similar to that, you soon learn that the games tagline, "You are the resistance" is more than just a line. For most of the game, you'll have maybe one friendly NPC helping you out, and for the rest of the game, you'll be on your own. The chimera are vicious opponents, and it'll take every trick you have to come out of this alive.

But don't worry your little nooby head. You aren't completely helpless. Making it's return from Fall of Man is the much coveted Weapon Wheel, a concept that would have improved countless games in the last few years (did I hear you say, Duke Nukem Forever)? And in that weapon wheel, you have some truly epic weapons. Yes, there are your standards like the shotgun, the carbine rifle and the sniper rifle, but as well as having more unique weapons, each weapon has a useful secondary fire and upgrades.

By the end of my time with it, I was kicking ass left, right and centre with my Incendiary shotgun and magnum with exploding rounds. Insomniac games have proven themselves once again as the innovators in game weaponry.

Gameplay never really evolves past the whole "go here, shoot things, go here, get friend, shoot things with friend, win" scenario, but so many other games do that with so much less to back it up. The gameplay may be repetitive, but you'll barely ever notice it, simply due to the amount of variation in the ways you can take your fight to the chimera, and the constant tension you feel when searching for a health pack in the heat of battle. And for me, that makes Resistance 3 one of the best FPS games of this generation.

As for the problems, I had some minor clipping issues, and got stuck in the environment once or twice, but I played without any patches or updates. I've read in other, more "professional" reviews that enemies will occasionally float into the sky, or just stop moving all together, but I never had any problems with this.
I did, however, have a problem with my console picking up the fact that there was a disc in it, but I think that's probably an isolated issue.

REPLAYABILITY
R3 has a strong single player, replayable campaign on its own, but it also has a number of collectible journal entries and audio diaries that flesh out the already riveting story. As well as that, theres a number of trophies to unlock, and weapon upgrades to attain.
Now, if you're the type who doesn't like to replay single player campaigns, then the multiplayer is for you. It's like a mix between Call of Duty and Halo, with similar gameplay and controls to CoD and special abilities mimicking the armour abilities of Halo and the perks of CoD. To some, that may seem like a rip off, but is it really so bad that many FPS games are trying to replicate CoD multiplayer? I wish more would take the CoD template and put their own spin on it, like Resistance 3 did.

OVERVIEW
Is Resistance 3 a perfect game? No. It's often too easy, the story goes a bit quickly and the gameplay (for some) may be a bit repetitive. Is it a damn good entry in a great series? Hell yea. I would say it's the best in the series. Sure, theres no Nathan Hale, and Capelli isn't as strong as a character, but the story itself gives us some closure, I believe, and the gameplay is as strong as ever. The lack of regerative health may seem to difficult for some, but it's balanced nicely with the fuckton of guns you get in the weapon wheel. It all allows more choice in a genre that generally puts you on a path with very little deviation.

Game of the year contender? In my book, you better believe it.



Next week, a review of Dead Island, which is shaping up to be one of those "B Movies of gaming". Stupid fun, if nothing else. See you next time!

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Hey guys, another week down and another game to review. This week, it's Deus Ex: Human Revolution, brought to us by Square Enix and Eidos Montreal. This is the prequel to the original Deus Ex, released around eleven years ago.

STORY
Dues Ex: Human Revolution is set 25 years before Deus Ex, and nanotechnological augmentation's are not yet been developed. With biomechanical augmentation being state of the art technology at this point, the social views on what it means to be human being the main talking point concerning Human Revolution's setting.

The story, however, follows Adam Jensen as he tries to unravel the mystery of an attack on his employer, Sarif Industries that results in his near death and the apparent death of his former partner, Megan Reed. As Adam learns to use and accept his new Augmentations, he dives deeper into the murky world of corporate conspiracies.

PRESENTATION
Human Revolution is one of the most interesting visual styles I've seen in a game recently. Yes, it's dark and gritty for the most part, but it's a cyberpunk, dystopian future, so what do you expect? The game's gold tinge add a certain something that makes the world seem so much more visually appealing than the usual greys and blacks of dystopic media.

The soundtrack isn't particularly memorable aside from the main theme; but for the most part, it gets the job done. It's more of an atmospheric thing than a standout, emotion tugging effort.
The voice acting is fairly good, however Jensen himself sounds like Christian Bales Batman. It's honestly a bit annoying at first, but it grows on you.

The CG Cutscenes look pretty fantastic, however in-game human models leave a little bit to be desired. Though there are worse games, Human Revolution comes away looking technically average. Stylistically, however, it's quite interesting.

GAMEPLAY
Deus Ex: Human Revolution has an interesting gameplay style, using the four pillars of Social, Stealth, Combat and Exploration to move forward through the game, with fairly deep RPG elements allowing players to play any way they want.

The game is played mainly in first person, while switching to 3rd when in cover. This works surprisingly well with combat and stealth gameplay. The combat works just like any FPS, with RPG elements like upgradeable skills and weapons allowing you to tailor your weapons and skillset to your play style.
Don't shoot much? Use your experience points to buy hacking, cloaking or social augments. Shoot alot? Completely upgrade your weapons with mods and augment your arms to dampen the recoil of your weapons.

There's a multitude of different paths and skillsets to choose from in the game, and they're all equally viable. During my first playthrough I decided that Adam Jensen should be a sneaky, stealthy pacifist, and so far I've only killed the boss characters. It's an interesting way to play, and I intend on doing a full on homocidal maniac playthrough too.

REPLAYABILITY
As I said earlier, Deus Ex features many different paths and skillests, so no two playthroughs will be the same if you so choose. In addition to an interesting main questline, there are a multitude of side quests that help flesh out the world and pad the game time with a couple of extra hours. There are lot's of interesting flavour text's to find as well, but more often than not, they aren't anything special. So yea, Human Revolution has a high replay value in my eyes.

OVERVIEW
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a well written, visually interesting game that allows a large amount of freedom when it comes to tackling most of the games challenges. There are a lot of quests to undertake in DE:HR too, so I doubt boredom will set in quickly.
Right now, there are a lot worse games you could get your hands on, and Human Revolution pulls off a few different play styles surprisingly well. If you like choice in your games, this might just be one for you.

Next week, I have no idea what I'm going to do. We shall see, yes? See you next time!

Splinter Cell: Conviction

Been playing lots of older games on my new 360 this week, one of the more recent of which, however, was Splinter Cell: Conviction. And It's a 360 exclusive, something that I didn't used to have access to. But now that i do, I think it's high time I did a review of this stealth action game.

STORY
Splinter Cell: Conviction takes place after the events of Splinter Cell: Double Agent, and the events of the game are framed by the interrogation of Sam Fisher's former squadmate Victor Coste. Victor informs his interrogators of Fisher's search for the truth about his deceased daughter and his attempts to unravel a nation threatening conspiracy.

The story of Conviction isn't the most stellar piece of writing you'll see in a video game. A lot of it is actually pretty cliched. And even more of it was just plain stupid. Tell me how this sounds: You've constructed a brilliant plan to take control of the US government, and the only person who can stop you isn't even in the country and doesn't care. So clearly, you should try to kill him. How retarded does that sound? No wonder Sam Fisher is considered so fantastic if this is the sheer retardation that he comes up against.

PRESENTATION
As a whle, the game looks really good. The graphics are slick, the animations are fluid and the environments are varied and interesting. At one point I was sneaking through a villa in Malta, then later I was killing trackers at a carnival in Washington, and it still felt like it fit.

The voice acting is rather bland, on the other hand, with Fisher sounding somewhat like a bear when he speaks. I exaggerate, but it was seriously difficult to tell what he was saying without subtitles. In the other sound design departments, gunshots and explosions all sound suitably powerful.

A quick mention for the cutscenes too; they use a feature that looks almost like a projector, to flash information clips and directions on the walls. It's certainly an interesting way to keep track of objectives.


GAMEPLAY
Splinter Cell: Conviction continues to be a rollercoaster of good and bad design choices. The "hold button to take cover" system works and is quite comfortable, and the shooting is solid. But like I said, it isn't all good.

Conviction uses a context sensitive button, which would be fine in most games, but this time requires you to stare directly at the 3 square inches of wall where the context command is placed. I found myself going to turn off a light, and instead barged into a room full of guards, where I proceeded to get raped by bullets.

Then theres the fact that while Sam Fisher does some awesome things in this game, it doesn't feel as if the player is that involved. Take a guard down with CQC and you gain the ability to mark and execute. It looks pretty awesome, but the lack of player input is worrying. It's almost the same as having a quick time event, but without it needing decent reaction times.

While it was enjoyable enough systematically taking down guard after guard, it didn't feel like my skill was actually being put to the test, besides perhaps my problem solving skills. As far as stealth games go, picking which target to take down first at close range isn't the toughest thing ever.

REPLAYABILITY
SC: Conviction allows enough freedom for you to play through the campaign multiple times, trying different strategies each time. However, if you're the type who plays a campaign once only, then good news for you, theres also multiplayer modes and challenge maps. The challenge maps are reminiscent of Arkham Asylums "Silent Predator" maps, and the multiplayer... well, I havent tried it. However, theres also a co-op storyline, and if you can find a friend to play with, then it's a great way to spend an hour or two.

OVERVIEW
Splinter Cell: Conviction seems good on paper, and it works well enough in practice. It just lacks the challenge that I would find with other stealth games like Metal Gear Solid. Allowing the game to "Mark and Execute" for me is all well and good, but then wheres my challenge? Aside from that, it's certainly one of the better stealth games out at the moment; despite annoying context sensitive buttons and the lack of challenge on a normal setting.

Next week, Deus Ex Human Revolution, perhaps? or maybe Catherine, if I can find a copy! See you next time!

Halo: Reach

Well well well, look who decided to post a review! Just to update you guys (whoever reads this) on where I've been, I recently got a proper job. Like, full time proper job. The good news there is I'll be able to keep up to date with the latest releases. The bad news is, I may not have enough time to finish a game a week. We'll see. I'd love to keep doing this weekly, but I may not be able to. luckily, this came at one of the few slower points of releases during this year. In a week or so, this should pick up again with Deus Ex Human Revolution, but hey, whatever happens happens.

As it turns out, I recently acquired an X-Box 360, so I thought it was about time I reviewed the consoles current flagship game, Halo: Reach. And awaaaay we gooooo.

STORY
Halo: Reach puts players in the customizable power armour of Noble Six, the newest member of Noble Team, a Spec Ops unit composed of elite soldiers known as Spartans. The game is a prologue, and therefore allows players to play through the events leading up to the beginning of the Halo Franchise.

Reach can be taken as a seperate story to the main Halo games, and is ultimately better for it. The characters are more interesting than the Master Chief, and the "Fall of Reach" is certainly an interesting storyline to set a game to. You always get the sense that the situation is hopeless, and that you are doomed. That said, the little scene at the beginning showing a flash forward to the end of the game kind of ruins the experience a little.

Without wanting to spoil anything, the ending (the REAL ending) is one of the best instances of gameplay and story merging seamlessly that I've seen in any game.

PRESENTATION
Halo Reach is by far the best looking game in the series, and it's certainly visually interesting, what with all the bright colours and interesting character/vehicle models. The various landscapes that Reach has to offer are all nice to look at, and varied enough as to not get boring.

The voice acting is fairly mediocre, however, with certain characters being acted suitably and others just being forgettable. The soundtrack, on the other hand is fantastic. The signature theme of the song is just fantastic at getting me in the mood to pwn some noobz.

The biggest problem I've ever had with Halo was the weapons, and how they always sounded like plastic mattel toys. And for the most part, they still do. They just fail to sound powerful, and as such, they feal like they have no real weight behind them.

GAMEPLAY
If you've played a Halo game before, chances are that Reach isn't going to surprise you. The running, jumping, shooting fun of the series remains intact, and it's about as solid as it's going to get. The vehicles continue to handle retardedly, but that doesn't make them any less fun to use.

Reach has made various improvements over the previous games, the biggest of which would have to be the AI improvements. For the most part, your AI teammates aren't completely useless, and actually help you complete your goals. Clearly this doesn't happen all the time, as I've seen numerous examples of teammates inadvertantly causing the players death.

New features to the Halo formula are the addition of armour powers and assassinations. For the most part, assassinations aren't a huge game changer, though they are a nice little addition rewarding players for their sneakiness. The armour abilities, however, add depth to the fairly simple gameplay by giving players the choice of 5 or so different, interchangeable perks. These perks can be as simple as Jet Packs or Sprint, or as complex as a cloaking device.

My biggest problem with the gameplay would have to be how Bungie teased us with a space flight/combat level, and never let us play it again. And it was a fantastic level too, probably my favourite of the whole campaign. To have something that different and fun dangled in front of you, only to be snatched away is terrible!

Space combat gripes aside, Reach delivers on the solid gameplay that the series is known for.

REPLAYABILITY
Chances are that if you're buying or have bought Halo Reach, then part of the reason for that would probably have been due to the games multiplayer feature. With a huge variety of game types, there are worse ways to occupy your time than Reach's multiplayer modes. My personal favourite is Grifball, but the traditional game modes are great too.

Aside from that, there are achievements to get, as well as a theater mode to mess around with. Also the games level creator, Forge mode. Haven't played much with that, but what I did use was surprisingly simple to interact with.

OVERVIEW
Ok, so I'm no huge Halo fan, but Reach would have had to have been one of the best games of last year. It has a solid single player campaign, with interesting characters and settings, as well as one of the best multiplayer experiences that the current generation of gaming has ever seen. If you have an X-Box 360 and don't have this title, theres almost no question that you should get it soon, if not now.

Next week (hopefully) a retrospective of Splinter Cell Conviction. Hope everyone has been well, I'll see you next time!

F.3.A.R

Survival Horror is an interesting genre when it's done right. But so many so called "survival horror" games of this generation go more for the gore and pop out shock horror factor. F.3.A.R (FEAR 3) is the latest in one of these games, which seems to distance itself as far as possible from its fairly scary roots.

STORY
FEAR 3 follows up where the last game left off, the city of Fairport was being turned into a nightmarish world as Alma's power grew stronger and she finds herself pregnant after her rape of Sgt. Beckett. The game puts players in the shoes of the Pointman or his deceased, psychic brother Paxton Fettel, as they form an uneasy alliance to reach their powerful, pregnant mother.

The story works as a way to end the series, by tying up any major loose ends and dealing with any prominent surviving characters. However, theres a lot of ambiguity when regarding the brothers' motives for finding their mother. We know that the alliance is an uneasy one, but its never quite explained what each of them are there for. Having Pointman as a non speaking character doesn't help either, as we often have to read snippets of text to know how he's feeling.

PRESENTATION
F.3.A.R isn't a huge step up from the graphics of FEAR 2, which isn't to say they aren't adequate, it's just that there hasn't been much in the way over improvements. But, the character models and areas still look interesting, and that's all you could really ask for, isn't it?
Looking past the graphics, and we find a visual aesthetic that is both creepy and familiar. Locales such as department stores or standard family homes go from looking fairly normal to creepy as all hell with just a few flickering lights, a coatof blood red paint and some shadows lurking just outside your vision.

The soundtrack is also very similar to the previous game; hard rock guitar riffs during the action sequences, and ominous, deep string arrangements for the more eery sections. And let's not forget the signature violin stab as something pops out at you! The voice acting is pretty standar, but the voice for Paxton Fettel is just perfect. It oozes phsycotic malevolence, which is perfect for such a despicable character.

GAMEPLAY
When I think "Survival Horror", I often think of a lack of ammunition or weaponry, being alone against an unspeakable evil, with fleeing always being a more favourable option over combat. But F3AR seems to be trying to do everything it can to keep itself from being a horror game. The atmosphere is there, but when you realise you can just go into bullet time to take off a mutants head, then theres no real threat, is there?

As an action game, F3AR works superbly, with tight controls and a nice amount of oomph from each weapon.While the range of weaponry doesn't seem as vast as last time, they still feel just as good to use on all your squishy targets. If you've played a FEAR game before, this will be familiar, if not heres how I'd explain it. Fast paced cover based combat againts soldiers and occasionally a cosmic monstrosity. However, with the added bonus of co-op (or multiple playthroughs as different characters if you have no friends)in the form of Paxton Fettel, we get a break from bullet time shootey fun.

Paxton felt like alot more fun to me, if only because I was zooming around the battlefields to possess enemy soldiers while my co-op partner crouched behind a wall trying not to get shot. Possessing an enemy soldier at the back of a group provides extra tactical layers to the FPS formula, but in the end, I think the co-op feature hurts FEAR 3's reputation as a horror game more than anything. F3AR 3 is mildly scary at BEST, but with two people playing, any sense of hopelessness or tension goes out the window.

Putting the last nail in FEAR 3's horror coffin is the levelling system. While I did find it challenging me to play in different ways, having a challenge notification pop up certainly didn't help me lose myself in the creepy atmosphere of F.3.A.R's environments. So while the game works perfectly well as an action game with a creepy aesthetic, it fails to deliver on any decent scares.

REPLAYABILITY
Having two playable characters to use in the campaign mode will definitely provide some players with an excuse to go through the main story again. Paxton Fettel does play rather differently, and I had fun using both of the brothers.

The game also features some unique multiplayer modes, such as "Fucking Run" where 4 players work co-operatively to fend off enemies while escaping Alma's "Wall of Death". The Soul King and Soul Survivor games are also interesting, forcing players to possess Bots and gains souls for extra points. Lastly, there's a horde mode called Contractions, which is a fun little distraction.

OVERVIEW
There's a few things that make survival horror games, in my mind. You need the right atmosphere, a constant sense of danger lurking around every corner and the ability to pit the player against terrifying, unbeatable odds. While F.3.A.R delivers the atmosphere, the gameplay screams Action by giving you powerful weapons and a buddy to hold your hand. That all being said, the game does work well, and it i fun. If you're looking for a fun action FPS with a creepy aesthetic, look no further.