F.E.A.R. Platinum

Amazing graphics for as old as this game is. With a GTX 960 at 1080 and every render option cranked, their benchmark never got under something like 100 fps. I never saw a skipped frame playing. Yet the graphics look WAY better than other stuff from 2005, with lighting that exceeds what I see in some current games. True, one of the ways they achieve this is to keep the world small, but that fits the game plot. The AI is ahead of its time as well. They dodge and flank realistically. You can pin them down or slow down shooting and they advance into the proximity mine you planted for them. I had some issues because of some global NVidia settings I had made, but when I turned those off I didn't have a single bug in the game that I can remember. All of the elements of the game work together, the graphics, music, physics, etc, it's nicely done. You get a quick save, (and you'll need it). You get tons of useful options and full configurable controls. The "T" key, which is basically the console, serves as a great old fashioned pause, as in freezes instantly no matter what - even in a cut scene including stopping the sound. I wish all games had that. I guess if I have a downside it can be a little repetitive, same type of enemy in the same type of environment most of the game.

I love these older games and this one is a true classic. Watch Gmanlives review on Youtube for a better review then I can give. As for running on Linux, using the latest version of Wine on Linux Mint 20.2, no other special configurations, everything runs perfectly. System specs: Dell Optiplex 3020 CPU: I3 GPU: Intel Onboard HD 4400 Ram: 8GB Obviously this is one of those cheap $100 Ebay refurbs and as such I had to turn the resolution down to 1280x720, but otherwise super stable and smooth gameplay.

This is the epitome of what every Shooter game should aspire to be. Amazing physics and the second to second gameplay makes Destiny 2 feel like ass by comparison. The AI is also smarter here too despite not having much variety. Some of the time the enemies will appear to "rubber band" from where they are standing when shot and then snap back into position while the frames get slaughtered in the firefight even on modern hardware. No one else mentions this in their youtube videos (fuck off Mandalore) but you will definitely see that subtle rubberbanding several times per encounter and the SMG feels like it has a stormtrooper bullet spread even when aiming down sights, shittiest gun in the game. Other than that, most objects are destructible, bullet time is optional but helpful, and there really hasn't been any AI since that had felt so real to fight against. As for the sequels? Don't bother. This series fell victim to the Halo/Cod Killer trend of its time and never recovered. Fear 2 looked and played worse in many ways as a soft reboot of the franchise with its expansion of the lore being the only thing it did better (not that anyone cares, it plays like a generic COD clone.) Get it on sale if you are curious. Its worth the about $4 it is now and includes the "MINIATURE REPLICA SOLDIER" DLC. Though the multiplayer for Fear 2 and 3 are long dead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymMYuH6iQJ0 Fear 3 was a random out of place bad joke no one talks about where Point man suddenly becomes a schizophrenic cro magnon and fights for control of his body against the dead ghost of his Brother that was a lame character that everyone loved to play for some reason. Don't bother spending your money on it. The survival mode could have been great if it focused on fighting armacham and Alma's demons instead of trying to be Left 4 Dead + Cod Zombies.

This is one of those games that is fun to play more than once. The combat is fun, with sparks, smoke, blood splatter, and bullet shells flying everywhere. There are physics on the enemies too, which especially when combined with the stake-hurling gun make for some fun times (you can play "pin the enemy to the wall"). The story and horror are decent--more about creepiness and sporadic scares instead of trying to be horror throughout. It is paranormal/little girl horror, like the Ring series. Graphics hold up fairly well The save system is like older games: some automated checkpoints that go to their own save slot, but otherwise it is save anywhere and quicksaves are allowed (yay). The game is fairly linear with only small deviations (like Half Life 2 or Doom 3 in levels). The deviations allow for you to take a few different approaches to some enemies--or for them to take different approaches to you, so watch your back. Highly recommended if you like story FPS's

Don't get me wrong; the first three to six hours of F.E.A.R. are a joy to play. The shooting mechanics are on point, there is a variety of enemies to deal with (from generic shooting dudes to heavily armored dudes, to spooky melee jumpy dudes). Bullet time gives you the much needed downtime for dealing with overwhelming numbers of enemies. The arsenal at your disposal is minimalistic, but it does its job -- the nail gun is particularly satisfying when dealing with tougher enemies. The levels are mostly linear, but have that engrossing Duke Nukem vibe to them where you are always on the lookout for extra ammo and medkits. The only issue is... that's about it. There's nothing really besides it and it turns the game into a crawl after several missions. The story, although not devoid of its strong moments, is sadly predictable and will likely not be enough for you to continue playing if you're not particularly savvy on first person shooters. The graphics are serviceable for its time, but the aesthetic department is a complete failure. Get used to this depressingly post-modernistic grayish-whatever palette prevalent in every level and terribly forgettable enemy and NPC design. No creative use of color like in Mirror's Edge, no interesting change of scenery like in the first Call of Duty -- just the same dull, uninteresting series of corridors, courtyards and offices, like you are were doing circles in The Stanley Parable over and over again. If you consider yourself an FPS savvy, give F.E.A.R. a shot when it's on sale. I'm certainly in the minority when it comes to disliking it and if you can somehow stomach its repetitive nature, you might get some enjoyment out of it. Maybe it's dumb to expect something more out of a first-person shooter, but there is ultimately nothing captivating about F.E.A.R. Somehow a game like Medal of Honor from 1999 made me feel way more immersed than this travesty ever did.