To say F.E.A.R. holds up over a decade later would be doing it a disservice. Monolith have always crafted great shooters (just look at No One Lives Forever, Tron 2.0, or Shogo: Mobile Armor Division), and F.E.A.R. is a perfect example of their talent. Atmospheric presentation that still uses dynamic lighting like almost no other, satisfying shooting and weapons (the VK12 alone makes this memorable), fantastic AI that feels dynamic and responsive to the player's actions, and horror elements that work really well with the environments that Monolith created make F.E.A.R. feel like a game that could have been released recently. This even extends into the expansion packs, even if it is to a much lesser extent with Perseus Mandate. While the sequels went in an arguably generic direction (F.E.A.R. 2 is alright, and F.E.A.R. 3 is forgettable outside the cooperative and versus multiplayer modes), the original is still a highly original classic, and having it complete DRM free makes this more than worth the $10 price tag.
Before Apogee would rebrand as 3D Realms and give us classics like Duke 3D and Shadow Warrior, we had this 1994 shooter. Running on the Wolfenstein 3D engine, it's surely a very unique shooter that is as campy and silly as it is over the top. Weapons like the Drunken Missiles and Excalibat are nifty and fun additions alongside other weapons like the MP40. The enemy AI is pretty advanced for the time, and vicious in numbers. Some of the additions are just strangely hilarious, like Dog Mode or Ludicrous Gibs. It's all rounded off by a timeless soundtrack from Bobby Prince and Lee Jackson. Can Rise of the Triad get repetitive? Prehaps. But every game does after a long play session. Rise of the Triad does a lot to keep things fresh and enjoyable, which is something to commend the game for. Plus, the game gives off a lot of value for its cheap $6 price tag. You get the Dark War campaign, along with the shareware episode The Hunt Begins, the addon Extreme Rise of the Triad, and an additonal set of maps. It really is worth checking out, especially for fans of old school shooters and Apogee/3D Realms games.
