I remember playing FEAR the year it got out. It was a random pick at the store, and I never regretted it. It was - and still is - an shining example of just how horrifying and exciting FPS can be. Its AI was capable of outsmarting you, staying in a corner for too long was a recipe for disaster, and rushing in (even with slow-mo) was a suicide. It was predictable at times, but even at moderate settings game provided more than enough challenge. Although story got really over the top with expansions and further installments, the original was pretty decent in that regard. The atmosphere, the corpses laying around, telephones beeping with messages explaining the backstory, smashed offices... It was believable. And there was "Unknown origin", Alma, and numerous flashbacks, hallucinations, and other scares that made FEAR what it is. Even at repeated playing the game is scary. Beating this game truly is a rewarding experience. Expansions, on the other hand... Well, they are fun. There are some cool new weapons, new enemies, but... Story expands in a boring, over the top way. And scares are barely there for the most part. Unlike FEAR in which at moderate setting you still had to watch over every medkit and bullet, the Perseus Mandate is childplay at moderate. I don't even want to know what is it like on easy... Overall, Original: 5/5, Extraction Point -haven't played (no 1080p, a big no-no), Perseus Mandate (has 1080) 3/5.
