F.E.A.R Files (Xbox 360) Review
Posted by Dan Marsicano on 12.14.2007
The darkness will get you, it gets everybody...
Hey everybody. It’s Dan Marsicano, 411mania music man, doing my first video game review. I’m going to dwell into F.E.A.R Files for the Xbox 360, which is an bundle that contains two expansion packs off of the original game. F.E.A.R Files contains Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate, both released over the past two years on the PC. Let’s find out if these two expansion packs are worthy of the F.E.A.R name.
(all screenshots from Gamespot.com)
Graphics
F.E.A.R Files uses the same graphics engine that the original game did. Even though the original F.E.A.R was released over two years ago, the engine still holds up pretty well. The guns are detailed, the environments are destructible (for the most part), and the lighting and fire effects are solid.
That’s not to say that the game has the best graphics on the 360. There are really three noticeable problems with the graphics. The first is the frame rate. It is wildly erratic at times, especially with a lot of enemies on the screen. The ends of each expansion pack, which have crazy gunfights against dozens of enemies, shows the frame rate dropping into the teens at times.
The second noticeable graphical problem is the blandness of the levels. While Perseus Mandate suffers the most from it, both expansion packs have the player covering the same offices, apartment buildings, and drab hallways over and over again. Even when the player goes somewhere new, it just feels like the same old same old.
The last problem is a little one, but something that still has an effect on the game. There are the occasional glitches throughout the game. For example, near the end of Perseus Mandate, you walk into a bedroom and see a bunch of dead bodies and skeletons. The effect is pretty awesome, with blood everywhere and flickering lights. It’s a shame that one of the skeletons is glitching in between two of the beds, which makes the whole foreboding mood worthless. I was actually laughing at it. Things like that ruin the atmosphere of the game completely.
Gameplay
The first expansion pack is Extraction Point, which immediately takes place after the end of the first game. You, as the time-slowing superhuman soldier with no name, are on the helicopter when it crashes. Basically, the next five hours has you trying to get to a local hospital to get back on another helicopter to escape the destroyed city.
The second expansion pack is Perseus Mandate, which has you as another time-slowing superhuman soldier on a completely different team fighting during the events of the first F.E.A.R and Extraction Point. Your goal in the game is to basically stop the Nightcrawlers and get DNA from them that they are trying to steal to create their own army…I think. Perseus Mandate has a whole new storyline that really confuses the player if they don’t pay close attention.
Both games are basically unchanged from the original F.E.A.R. So that means shooting it out with the clone army using many weapons and your slow motion capabilities. The fighting is still awesome, as using a shotgun to blast an enemy in half in slow motion never gets old. The enemy AI is still as smart as ever, using cover and grenades to flush the player out if they spend too much time in one place.
I can’t forget about the hallucinations and creepy events. During the game, like the original, ghosts will appear out of nowhere and other scary things happen. Some of these things actually do work and will make you jump out of your seat. Other hallucinations sequences go on for way too long, some even lasting an entire level, and others appear way too much (Trust me, wait until you get sucked into the shadows by a monster in Perseus Mandate for the 20th time).
Out of the two expansion packs, I enjoyed Extraction Point the most. It followed the end of the first one, the firefights were great, and the hallucination sequences were actually scary. The ending is really the only disappointing part of Extraction Point, as it is too open ended for my tastes, and has some of the worst graphics of the entire game.
Perseus Mandate has a new storyline, new enemies (Those crazy night crawlers are in abundance) and new characters, but it still feels the same. The levels leave the players with a sense of déjà vu and the game never stands out. It’s still a decent five hour expansion pack, but not one to go crazy over.
Once you get done with both expansion packs, there are a few extra modes to play around with. Instant action is eight levels of straight up firefights, set up like a time trial mode. You are timed in each level, which ranges from a subway to a hospital, and you can post your times online. There is also a multiplayer with new maps and the same game modes from the original game. I’ll go into further detail on the multiplayer in the lasting appeal section.
Sound
Like the original F.E.A.R, the sound is great. The guns sound realistic and the enemy chatter is highly entertaining. The voice acting is good for the most part, if not cheesy at times. When the music kicks in, usually during a battle, it is appropriate to the situation. I can’t fault the sound too much, except that I wish the voice recordings from message machines that were sprinkled throughout the expansion packs were a little louder.
Lasting Appeal
Like all Xbox 360 games, there are achievements. If you are crazy about getting all 1,000 achievements, F.E.A.R Files will keep you busy. Your first time through everything, you could probably get about 600 or so. Playing multiplayer and upping the difficulty to extreme is the way to go if you want to collect all the points.
I want to talk about the multiplayer for a brief moment. The multiplayer has many options and it isn’t too bad. The action is fast paced and the frame rate stays constant throughout. The problem with the multiplayer, and the one thing that ruins it, is the fact that nobody is playing it. Seriously, I spent two nights playing online, and only met about ten people online. Yes, I tried to get into different games, but I kept getting into the same one. So obviously, nobody is playing the multiplayer. That is not too surprising, considering the fact people have Halo 3 and Gears of War out right now. Because of these factors, the multiplayer is almost worthless.
Fun Factor
The game was fun, but in the end, it felt like F.E.A.R.-lite. There is some great content here, and would be worthy of a possible purchase, if they were selling it for $30. However, it is full price, and I would not recommend buying this at full price. There is not enough content, or a good enough experience, to be worthy of a purchase for $50.
Will you have fun? Probably, but in small doses. The expansion packs don’t do anything to impress you, like the first F.E.A.R did, and F.E.A.R Files seems like a cash-in for fans waiting for the inevitable sequel.
The 411
F.E.A.R. Files is a good game, but not one that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath of the original. For an expansion pack, it does its job, but the player will feel like more could have been done to make the expansion packs more worthwhile. gets a solid rental recommendation from me.
Graphics
7.0
The guns look awesome and the environment effects are solid, but a erratic frame rate, repetitive level design, and glitches bring the game down.
Gameplay
7.5
Both expansions packs are good, but don't really stand out. The firefights are the same as the original game, but are still enjoyable even after two years.
Sound
8.5
The guns sound amazing and the music is atmospheric. The voice acting is consistant, but won't win any awards
Lasting Appeal
6.0
Once the game is over, the player has achievements and the multiplayer mode to turn to. Too bad nobody else is playing multiplayer. So unless your crazy about achievements, F.E.A.R Files won't last you long.
Fun Factor
7.0
F.E.A.R Files is a worthy rental, with fast paced shooting and some creepy moments as well. The game is too short and doesn't have enough lasting appeal to be worthy of a purchase.
