SADLY, THE CONSOLE version of F.E.A.R doesn’t have quite the same panache as it’s PC counterpart. Speaking, in this case (but with external Playstation 3 input from Jedireaper) of the X-Box 360 specifically of course. All of the same elements are there. The aggressive physics system, the same sense of satisfaction when you fire a gun, and even the adaptive enemy AI. Unfortunately it just doesn’t deliver as effectively.

Yes, the enemy AI does show many of the same characteristics which made the PC game so intense, but rather than making the game more challenging and engaging, they just come across as a bit stupid. One occasion in particular I can remember, I opened a door to a courtyard in, I think, Interval 4, and fired a few shots at the first guy I saw, then closed it up again and ran back to take up a better position, waiting for the Replicant soldiers to come and find me. After a couple of minutes of waiting I was wondering what had happened and went back to investigate.

Far from trying to hunt me down and kill me, or even setting a counter trap of their own, I found no less than five of them gathered together in the middle of the yard just waiting for me. In fact, as I was watching, clearly visible through the double windows, I could see the two outer men ever so slowly walking sideways to pull in even closer to their compatriots. It was, admittedly very funny, but also disappointing after slogging through the whole game on the PC. And, sadly, this kind of behaviour is the norm. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been able to pick off the enemy one at a time because they just completely fail to notice either my gun firing, or the guy standing next to them being torn to pieces and crumpling to the ground with a half dozen bullets in his brain.

Another major concern is the checkpoints in the game. They’re horrendously far apart and, far from making the game more challenging, add exponentially to the frustration factor. Especially that section in the Armacham building when you have to fight your way through FOUR heavy armours before triggering the next one. It’s an unfortunate note to end the review on, because I’m a rather well known fan of the whole F.E.A.R series. But the console version of the game just let’s the side down. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a massive disparity between the PC and console gaming before. Thankfully, F.E.A.R 2 seems to have improved massively. But that’s a review for another time.

Graphics: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Audio/Music: 8/10
Plot/Scripting: 9/10
Overall: 7/10