| F.E.A.R. 3 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Day 1 Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment |
| Director(s) | T.J. Wagner |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Frank Rooke |
| Programmer(s) | Matthew Singer |
| Artist(s) | Heinz Schuller |
| Writer(s) | Steve Niles |
| Composer(s) | Jason Graves |
| Series | F.E.A.R. |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter, psychological horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
F.E.A.R. 3 (stylized as F.3.A.R.) is a 2011 first-person shooter psychological horror video game for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. Developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, it was released on all platforms in June 2011. It is the third game in the F.E.A.R. series. In 2015, it was released on GOG.com, and in 2021, it was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making it playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Filmmaker John Carpenter consulted on the cutscenes and script, which was written by comic writer and novelist Steve Niles. It is the only F.E.A.R. game to feature co-op gameplay.
The game takes place nine months after the conclusion of F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, with Alma Wade's pregnancy nearing its end. When a resurrected Paxton Fettel rescues Point Man from captivity by Armacham Technology Corporation (ATC) in a Brazilian prison, the two distrustful brothers head back to Fairport. Point Man plans to save the still-missing Jin Sun-Kwon and prevent Alma from giving birth. Fettel, however, has an entirely different motive. Meanwhile, a new threat emerges, one of which even Alma herself is terrified.
Beginning life as F.E.A.R. 2, the game was initially to be published by Vivendi Games as direct competition to Monolith Productions' Project Origin. However, when Warner acquired the rights to the entire franchise, the game was reconstituted as F.E.A.R. 3. Subsequently, a difficult development cycle saw Day 1 and Warner clashing over multiple gameplay and tonal elements, with Warner forcing Day 1 to build the game as a co-op. Enamoured of the success of the Call of Duty games, Warner also mandated more focus on action and less on horror, the exact opposite of what Day 1 had originally planned for the game. Forced to crunch, many of Day 1's staff left the project before it was completed. After three postponements, the game was eventually released, but few at Day 1 were happy with it, feeling that although it was a satisfactory first-person shooter, it was not a F.E.A.R. game.
F.E.A.R. 3 received generally mixed reviews, and was felt to be significantly inferior to the original F.E.A.R. and on a par with Project Origin. Critics generally lauded the multiplayer, co-op, the differentiation between the play styles of Point Man and Fettel, graphics, gameplay and the combat mechanics, but they were unimpressed with the plot, the absence of any real horror, and the short length of the campaign. Many critics felt that although it was a solid, if by-the-numbers, first-person shooter, it failed as a F.E.A.R. game. The game's sales were disappointing, and the F.E.A.R. franchise has been on hiatus since its release.[a]
- ^ Phillips, Tom (June 27, 2011). "Out This Week - 24/06/11". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (June 21, 2011). "Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Launches F.E.A.R. 3". IGN. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ Parker, Laura (June 27, 2011). "AU Shippin' Out June 20-July 1: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
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