F.E.A.R. Platinum

I picked up F.E.A.R. after reading about its highly-praised AI, and I was curious to see whether the hype held up in 2025. Spoiler: it absolutely does. From the very first skirmish, it’s clear that this game set the bar for squad-based enemy behavior, and even after all these years, it still feels deeply innovative. The standout feature of F.E.A.R. is easily its enemy AI. During combat, your adversaries don’t simply run at you—they strategize. They’ll pin you down, flank you, and flush you out of cover with grenades, all while issuing tactical orders you can overhear (like the chilling “Flush him out!”). This design elevates every encounter into a high-stakes experience where survival requires quick thinking and adaptability. The game’s level design rewards strategy. Instead of packing the maps with filler enemies, F.E.A.R. focuses on delivering tight, impactful engagements that feel more like tactical puzzles than mindless action. Each fight is its own unique challenge, encouraging experimentation and creativity. I often found myself reloading quicksaves just to test different approaches, because these battles are as rewarding to solve as they are to survive. The horror elements, unfortunately, didn’t quite land for me. The ghostly apparitions and hallucinatory sequences feel tacked on, distracting from the game’s otherwise razor-sharp focus on combat. These moments lack the same compelling design as the fights and rarely deliver the scares they aim for. More nuisance than necessary. Narrative flaws aside, F.E.A.R. remains a remarkable experience, and it’s hard to believe I paid just $2 for it on sale. The battles alone provided me with several hours of satisfying and I know I’ll remember its masterful AI long after I’ve finished the game. While I don’t see myself revisiting it after one playthrough, the legacy of F.E.A.R as a game that shaped modern shooters is undeinable.

Pretty much this game looks ans plays incredible. Enemy AI is refreshing. The levels while samey brings realism to the game. My only complain would be that ending was weakest part and in general game could have been a bit shorter because some levels overstayed their welcome. Nonetheless atmosphere of this game is outstanding.

My favorite game! Thanks GOG for support!

A good old game, still stands up after 20 years, a testiment to what a great game it was for it's time.

...RUN! I usually end up playing single-player games with cheat codes, since after a while I really would like shooting that really big gun more than twice per game, etc. But F.E.A.R. is something else. Even *knowing* I can't be killed, have every armament in digital creation, and am functionally the most dangerous thing around, I STILL tense up. This game has atmosphere in spades, and will give you memories for decades to come. Like the first thunderstorm in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., or your first dragon in Skyrim, there is something about walking through abandoned offices, hospitals, and city streets at night... These are no zombies to be killed en masse: nightmares are coming to life, and nothing can be done by the US military. In fact, this game has the ONLY satisfactory answer for why you, the player, don't immediately suffer the horrific fate of all who come before you! But first, you have to go where you really don't want to: forward. SPOILER ALERT: A man name Paxton Fettel, incredibly powerful (and *seemingly* insane, but not) escapes from Armacham Technologies Corp. (ATC). One of the most gifted telepaths known, he was to be the commander of armies of soulless clones. These clones are armed to the teeth, better than humans in combat, unfeeling, relentless, with armor, modern and futuristic weapons, helicopters, and one goal: do whatever Paxton thinks. You play an unbelievably gifted soldier working for the government, a paranormal-event military reconnaissance group called F.E.A.R. Your mission starts off as "kill Fettel, everything goes back to normal". But a ghostly little girl, Alma, keeps showing up, and where she is, people die. Horribly. But not you. Play this game. Find out the relationship between you, Fettel, and Alma. And near the end, just when you think you're safe... watch as nightmares tear through the walls of reality and step into the new daylight. LITERALLY.