The innovative and fondly remembered FEAR turns 20 this year, having been released on October 18, 2005. The game arrived on PC (and later PS3 and Xbox 360) as a thrilling mix of first-person-shooter gunplay and survival horror, incorporating exhilarating bullet-time mechanics and playing with your sense of reality when you least expected it. It remains a hell of a good time, with smart computer-controlled enemies and a mysterious little girl who will haunt your dreams. Its sequel, Project Origin, is a serviceable 360-era shooter with a…disturbing sexual assault scene at the end. As for FEAR 3, well, I’m sure someone likes it.
If you haven’t played these games or have been meaning to add them to your library, you can now grab the whole collection on Steam for just over five dollars from now until October 23, 2025, making it a perfect way to jump into these shooter/horror games in time for Halloween.
Read More: Warner Bros. Cancels Wonder Woman Game And Shuts Down Shadow Of Morder Studio
Developed by Monolith (RIP), FEAR puts you in the role of a “First Encounter Assault Recon” soldier tasked with stopping some out-of-control telepathically controlled soldiers. Along the way, you unravel the mysteries behind some warped experiments involving psychics and cloning.
The series’ use of bullet time isn’t just about looking cool; it’s a pretty essential tool for overcoming some of the overwhelming forces you’re up against. And while it definitely feels powerful and awesome to use, it isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card, especially on harder difficulties. You need to be mindful of when and how you use it.
The original remains an iconic game of the 2000s era, with a sequel that’s well worth your time if the universe speaks to you. Sadly, FEAR 3 (stylized as F3AR 🙄) was a victim of the co-op shovelware trend that was particularly insidious during the 360 era. I do recall a handful of decent moments in some of the levels, but it’s a very skippable game if you’ve had your fill by the end of FEAR 2’s DLC. Normally I wouldn’t advise anyone to buy it, but seeing as the whole series including the DLC is on sale on Steam as a package deal for a little over five bucks, I’d say it’s worth having this one in your collection to get the other, better ones. Say hi to Alma for me.
