F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon

Overview

F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon is a 2005 first-person shooter and psychological horror game for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Monolith Productions developed it and Vivendi Universal Games published it. The Windows version came out worldwide in October 2005. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were ported by Day 1 Studios, in October 2006 and April 2007.

You play Point Man, the newest member of F.E.A.R., an elite U.S. Army unit that investigates supernatural events. A paramilitary force takes over an aerospace compound and the first Special Forces team sent in is wiped out by something that is not human. Your job is to evaluate the threat and eliminate the intruders, while a mysterious little girl in red keeps turning up.

Monolith drew the atmosphere from Japanese horror but aimed to make the player feel like the hero of an action film. To do that it combined a slow-motion technique called reflex time, semi-destructible environments and a detailed particle system. The enemy AI was a big focus. Soldiers can flank, lay down suppressive fire and retreat when under heavy fire. Nathan Grigg composed the music and the sound design follows Japanese horror films, which build tension from ambient sound.

The PlayStation 3 port was announced in August 2006 as a launch title for North America on November 17, then pushed back to February 2007, then to April. It has the Instant Action mode from the Xbox 360 version, a street sweeper shotgun that is exclusive to it, and a bonus mission that follows the Delta Force recon team through the ATC headquarters. It runs at 720p natively, but the other graphics upgrades of the Xbox 360 version were removed.

The Windows release was very well received, with special praise for the AI. The Xbox 360 version was also well received. The PlayStation 3 port received mixed reviews, with critics pointing at long load times, an erratic frame rate and weaker graphics than the Xbox 360 version. Monolith itself said the ports did not do everything they could have.

The two expansion packs, Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate, were made for Windows and Xbox 360. A PlayStation 3 release of F.E.A.R. Files, which bundled both, was planned and then cancelled.

Game details

Genres

First-person shooter, Psychological horror

Developer

Monolith Productions (PS3 port by Day 1 Studios)

Publisher

Vivendi Universal Games (Sierra Entertainment)

Series

F.E.A.R.

Engine

LithTech Jupiter EX

Composers

Nathan Grigg

Designers

Craig Hubbard

Writers

Craig Hubbard

Producers

Rob Loftus, Chris Hewett

Directors

Craig Hubbard

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

Yes

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Subscription history

Playable today

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale	Reviews
Metacritic	PS3	72	100	31

Critics

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale
IGN	PS3	8.1	10
GameSpot	PS3	7.1	10
PSM3	PS3	7.2	10
Electronic Gaming Monthly	PS3	5	10

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Director	Craig Hubbard
Designer	Craig Hubbard
Writer	Craig Hubbard
Producer	Rob Loftus
Producer	Chris Hewett
Programmer	Brad Pendleton
Programmer	Kevin Stephens
Artist	David Longo
Artist	Wes Saulsberry
Composer	Nathan Grigg

Notes for collectors

• The PlayStation 3 version was first announced as a launch title for November 17, 2006 in North America and arrived in April 2007.
• The PlayStation 3 version has its own exclusive weapon, a street sweeper shotgun, and its own bonus mission set in the ATC headquarters.
• The Xbox 360 version has a different bonus level and a dual-wielded handgun instead.
• Load times on the PlayStation 3 version were criticised, with one reviewer timing them at up to a minute.
• This is the original 2005 game, not the sequel F.E.A.R. 2 or F.E.A.R. 3, and the PS3 disc has no trophies.
• The PlayStation 3 version of the later F.E.A.R. Files bundle was cancelled.

Credits

Region

US

Time to beat

about 8 hours