Alma returns 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...

For fans of the F.E.A.R. franchise, F.E.A.R. 3 is more than just a lazy follow-up.

There are two main game options: Campaign and Multi-player. In Campaign you have four options. You can play the standard single player game; host a network co-op game; join a network co-op game; or play a split screen co-op game. If you play the single player game then you play as Point Man, unlocking the ability to replay as Paxton Fettel each time you complete a level. If you play the co-op games you'll play as either one of the brothers.

With the Multi-player mode you five options. You can play the solo practice game; host a network match (with up to four players; join a network match; join a quick match; or play a split screen match. The Multi-player games are also split into two games (each of which have three different gaming arenas to chose from). There's Contraction (where you have to face off against wave after wave of enemy - reviving your team mates if they're seriously injured) and Soul King (where you run around the gaming arena as a spirit, jumping into any of the computer controlled enemies. For every enemy you shoot you can collect their soul, but be warned if one of your gaming opponents shoots you while you are in spirit form then you loose your collected souls and they can pick them up. The winner is the person with the most souls at the end of the game).

The Campaign is quite short but the ability to play over again as another character with different abilities mean it's a game you'll come back to. And the Multi-player games are addictive, but a little limited when compared to other online FPS games.

The only slight issues (and these are so minor it's hardly worth pointing out) are the rather dated looking graphics (but to be fair this game leans on the gripping story more than the graphics) and the fact that every now and then, during game play the game pauses momentarily while it loads the next section (but it's not long enough to be annoying).

All the usual check boxes are ticked. There's the creepy atmosphere; the engrossing storyline and the sound game play. If you're a huge FPS addict then this is well worth picking up.

8

Darren Rea