Just Tried F.e.a.r Sp Demo.

[New Horizon]

Initial reaction. Impressed. It scales fairly well for my low end system. I can play it quite well...although at low detail. The sound is really quite good. Control is very well laid out. It feels very sneaky. I can creep around in the shadows and the AI seems fairly smart. They seek cover and all that jazz. I could believe they were working together. One thing that impressed me...body awareness that works. Sure, you get sucked into position to go on a ladder but it's done in such a way that you have to initiate it first...by centering the ladder on your screen and hitting the 'use' button. Definately how TDS should have done it.

 

At any rate, I'm enjoying the experience and think I'll buy the full game when it comes out. I'm hoping there is an editor released with this game, I really want to see how they setup body awareness.

[Dram]

Yeah, i tried it before, it was good, but there were some things i didnt like. The ai were ok, but the demo was'nt long enough to fully test the ai.

[Redface]

I didn't like it at all.

It was lagging everywhere, even in empty rooms, even on low detail (and I can run D3 on high settings and it also looks so much better).

AI was mostly pre-scripted and didn't act any better than the AI in other shooters, at least not in this demo.

The action was dull, shoot and cover, bullet time, shoot and cover etc.

 

I guess I just got sick of the hype around this game.

[Dram]

Redface

 

Member

Group: Contributer

Posts: 45

Joined: 18-February 05

From: Slovakia

Member No.: 162

 

Hey, just noticed you're from Slovakia I'm from Czech Republic.

 

Dobry den

[Redface]

Nazdar :-)

[New Horizon]

I guess I just got sick of the hype around this game.

 

I find that happens a lot. Hype can really ruin an experience. I don't pay a lot of attention to media anymore. Watch maybe two hours of television a week to keep up on world events and catch the odd show but that's about it. Usually when I see a movie these days, it's a fresh experience because I've known nothing about it.

 

What kind of equipment are you running? I was able to run fear on the same settings I use for Doom 3 [a mix of medium and low settings] and it was just as smooth, if not a bit better. I wouldn't be surprised if it bogs down some systems though, it a newer game so I imagine it will be more demanding.

 

Overall, I think it's really well done. I found the controls very intuitive.

[Redface]

I have an athlon 2500, radeon 9600xt and 1gb ram. Maybe the demo was just badly optimalised for some configurations.

 

And I'm not absolutely against this game, I might still get it if it gets good reviews. It certainly has some nice features and multiplayer will probably kick ass.

[heXen]

Neutral to the game, the demo is OK, but DooM 3 wins. I don't think I will buy it, the so-called AI is scripted and predictable - I came through Ultra Difficulty in a juffy. The enemies are typical, weapons are, places are, the only thing I liked is medkits, which reminded me of Heretic quartz flasks.

[New Horizon]

Neutral to the game, the demo is OK, but DooM 3 wins. I don't think I will buy it, the so-called AI is scripted and predictable - I came through Ultra Difficulty in a juffy. The enemies are typical, weapons are, places are, the only thing I liked is medkits, which reminded me of Heretic quartz flasks.

 

Goes to show how lacking my gaming skills are. I barely limped through the game on medium.

[heXen]

I was playing 640x480 resolution but with effects on - this way it doesn't slow down. Maybe yours is slow a bit? I only had problem with the samurai, but I figured out he's killable with a few shots of shotgun.

[loudogskank]

I found it laggy as hell and really not as scary as the name would imply. I mean, they name the game F.E.A.R., it should be fair to expect a few real pants-wetting moments. Then again after being traumatised by Return to the Cathedral, The Inverted Manse and System Shock 2, I might be getting desensitized.

[heXen]

I don't like the way they named it. If DooM is just a name, F. E. A. R. is an abbreviation of First Encounter Assalt Recon, but they made it on purpouse that it sounds like Fear. Showing of, I call it.

[Ombrenuit]

Ya I agree, with a name like F.E.A.R. it seems a bit pretentious. I'm still trying to play through Resident Evil 4 though , and I think that is scary enough for the moment (the dreaded chainsaw sisters...I can't stand them). But considering I got the Gamecube and RE4 for $50 dollars US, I think it was worth the cost for my first console at least (I really wouldn't have spent anymore heh)

Edited October 19, 2005 by Ombrenuit

[kwc]

I've downloaded it (yeah, I admit it) it's not like it's going to bomb or anything. With so much hype and everything kids are going to piling up in front of gaming stores anyway.

 

I've come to, say, 2/5 of the game and I think I can give my opinion so far...

 

Story: cheesy... although I like the constant-first-person approach like in half life

 

Atmosphere and immersivenes: okay, this is no Thief, but it's easily the best new game I've played since half life 2 in this respect. It isn't so much scary as it is tense. It doesn't make you jump often, though it does happen. And the body awareness is GREAT here...

And then there are GUNFIGHTS... Now, this is where this game really shines. They are so over-the-top, exciting, frantic, destructive and thrilling that you'll be grinning in no time - if you like that sort of thing, of course. I do - although I still much prefer the introverted thief-like gameplay.

 

Also worth noting is that graphics are technically amazing, but art direction is REALLY bland in every respect. However, I find that for some reason it seems to work well for that game... there's a sort of a creepy sterility to everything around you.

 

The final verdict is... like, 9/10 for action, 4/10 for artistic value. There...

 

PS While the game itself is very linear, the AI, contrary to what some have said, doesn't appear to be scripted - for the most part at least. I've replayed many sections just to toy with different approaches and I've been impressed with the interactivity I've got. Lightyears ahead of other shooters. Try experimenting with grenades, different weapons, distractions... it actually works in this game... sometimes I felt like playing thief, and that's a hell of a compliment coming from me....

 

my 2 cents...

[heXen]

Atmosphere, as always, does not exist.

 

Body awareness - yeah, especially when your feet hover in the air. CoR has body awareness.

 

Gunfights - the visual effects are really low. Especially in slo-mo(stupid name).

 

Graphics are HL style, which I hate... DooM 3 was better. So was the design.

 

AI - scripted and idiotic. Staring at one point sometimes, carefuly traveling somewhere when you are right in front of them, showing their heads over boxes, jumping out of windows, as though they want to commit suicide. No thanks, better demons just jump on me, then travel in circles when I am clearly in view.

 

7/10

[Napalm]

well those are two contradictory reviews...

[heXen]

Compare - thief fan and hexen fan! I wonder what of Thief he found in fear... Thief is a lot more complicated... I played half of the game on extreme and didn't meet much opposition. heXen is harder.