DISCLAIMER: I LOVE MY PS3 but whatever gaming system blows your hair back, go with it. I am seriously considering picking up used Xbox 360 just to get the “Left4Dead” series, but that is a story for another day. Anyhow, the PS3 porting of F.3.A.R. continues the trend of great sequels this year, so far. Dead Space 2 was great, and Gran Turismo 5 full version was worth the wait. Now, a game whose previous two instalment were worth the wait has hit the shelves. Yes, Alma is back and so are her two sons. That’s right, the 1st and 2nd games’ back stories come to fruition in the 3rd instalment. It exists as a true standalone but you would be denying yourself a great gaming experience. This review is spoiler free for THE THIRD INSTALMENT ONLY. If you are one of the few who have not experienced Armacham’s madness and the following mayhem, go play them now. We will wait for you, meeting you in the paragraph after the next. That’s for my on-line friends in recovery.
In so many ways, Play-station 3 is as much a token of recovery to me as a multi-year key-tag is to others. Games are instant money which, in turn, makes owning them a barometer of a program. Each game is a new world, and defeats the boredom that is so dangerous to my abstention. Like many addicts, I have some OCD leanings, especially when it comes to video games. Religiously working through all the difficulties and NEVER hit the walk-through for a game is how I really get my moneys worth out of a game. Many moons ago I got a walk-through for the Resident Evil for the GameCube. Our recovery program based on honesty, so I can’t claim a perfect run. Incidentally, I was a guest of the county when I saw the commercial for “The Original Nightmare Re-Visited”. I vowed someday to have a GameCube and the RE re-boot. I know the single-player is just a tip of the iceberg but I am still slowly getting into on-line play. Playing an unlocked super-difficult part of a game not only trains one for on-line play but forces one to notice EVERYTHING about a game. The cleverness one used to hide an addiction and to feed it for any extended period of time can be applied in many ways. If you are a gamer who has found themselves selling some games to get you through the weekend or week, you may want to read the other articles.
It has been a banner year it for games! The incredible DEAD SPACE 2 came out and actually lived up to the fanfare. Anyhow, F.E.A.R. 3 has exceeded all the expectations I had for it. As a couple folks have gently reminded me, it has been a LONG time since I posted a story. That is because I have FINALLY secured full time employment. Much more about that in another article. The reason that is brought up is there is no longer time to scour the Internet at the library about upcoming games. The Gmail alerts kept the release date and new articles in my orbit, but I had read maybe 1 in 6. The date seemed to only be pushed back once, but that is irrelevant now that it is out. The following is a SPOILER-FREE overview of Alma’s 3rd appearance on my PS3. Staying spoiler free, simplicity demands we accept anyone reading this played the first two F.E.A.R.s. Any sequel to a popular game is a crap shoot. Dead Space 2 was awesome. Thankfully, F.3.A.R. has lived up to the hype and (most) fan’s expectations.
The first instalment ended with us (as the character) putting a round through our brother’s head. The end was somewhat disappointing but it left the sequel WIDE open, Escaping the nuclear holocaust was only the beginning, or so we were hoping. Genevieve Aristede’s phone call WAKING a senator and subsequent messages throughput indicate that Armacham had resources that made Umbrella* look like an East Coast restaurant chain. F.E.A.R. 2 took a little getting used to. You are in a squad of F.E.A.R. heavies as you wake from a nightmare. The assignment is to grab (rescue) Ms. Aristede. The controllers were configured pretty close to the 1st, always a bonus. The AI was good at all levels and the story starts about the time Alma’s allegedly sane son entered the vault. Another creepy but somewhat unfulfilled ending, though getting to it was great. In both predecessors there was atmosphere, compelling back-stories that interlaced, plenty of action, and scary moments. They were a mighty big act to follow.
The third instalment is the best so far, at least for me. A mighty bold statement, one may say. True, and subjective but it IS my favourite game of 2011. You start off in a bad spot. The allegedly sane son of Alma, Armacham has a graveyard of bones to pick with you. Remember this is a plug for the game and to use video games to fill up your new clean time. The controls, weapons, and grenades are pretty much the same. The world and your missions, and the enemies are different. A word to the wise, if you run across a speciality weapon, grab it. You are going to need it and soon. What are speciality weapons? Same as the other two F.E.A.R. games, only more fun.
Use good, solid infantry skills and you won’t need any walk-through to win. There are many spots that appear as dead ends. Do not let that get you frustrated, there is a way out. The game always moves forward. Once you cross a certain threshold, the way back becomes blocked. This can cheat yourself out of goodies and hence power ups. After you beat it, set it for the next highest level. What goodies? Similar to the other two, you collect things to increase strength, magazine capacity, and the usual stuff. Alma dolls are hidden through out, as are ‘psychic links’, and other things (don’t want to ruin anyone’s fun) . Grab them for power ups and good hunting!