While I liked FEAR, I liked the concept of "paranormal investigation arm of the military" rather than having everything revolve around Alma going forward. If the expansions focused on new stories this could have been an evergreen series. Instead, we got "pregnant ghost girl" for the next decade.
Yeah It was a really weird direction to go in and I’m looking forward to covering just how far the apple ended up falling by 3. Personally I could totally see FEAR getting a Modern Warfare 2019 type reboot. Go back to 1 with your initial concepts of anti paranormal organisations and alma wade then just go from there in a different direction.
@@B4BrandossOGI think by the time fear 2 happened, it was already over. It failed to capture the unique parts of 1 and extraction Point and seeing that, 3 felt almost inevitable
If I recall correctly, that was technically the plan going ahead: different stories tied to Pointman, with no more Alma but other weird dark experiments tied to the paranormal. Alas, they went a different way and kept chasing the ghost of Alma (both literally and metaphorically).
I think it's worth noting that we never, not even once, got an intended sequel to the game. FEAR 1 was published by Vivendi Universal, then Monolith made their new game as a legally distinct FEAR for WB Games because they wouldn't be able to use the rights. They let fans vote for the name, and it became "Project Origin" by popular demand-- then at the _very last minute,_ WB Games managed to wrangle the FEAR rights and it was retroactively changed to have all these FEAR icons, names and plotlines. So FEAR 2 went through most of its dev cycle with an understanding that they couldn't use the IP. Oh, then FEAR 3 was given to a different developer, the producers at Monolith provided them with a story bible and detailed notes on where they were taking the story, and the devs tossed it all aside. ☹
Yeh they really couldn’t leave the Asian influenced little girl ghost behind could they 😂 the ring, the grudge and a bunch of others were a massive influence on most horror genres at that time
"There weren't any battle passes or micro transactions. They way your game made money was by selling copies and the way you sold copies was by your game being better than everyone else's" Imagine that.
To be fair this was also an era of immense shovelware. It's bad now, but back then it got a stamp of approval by games companies and often got away with blatantly pretending to be a more popular game which is rare nowadays
@@Batchall_Accepted DLC's are onetime paid products for additional content tho, whereas Micro Transactions are small but numerous and oftentimes just bad non-usable stuff that makes no actual gameplay difference, so there are some pretty big differences between them. DLC back in the day added a shitload of stuff for a decently small sum, and was most of the time actually good additions. just look at Skyrim back in 2011. when the Dawnguard DLC came out, it nearly DOUBLED the size of the game and added an entire storyline with side quests, collectibles and decent rewards for the trouble of going through it all. that is what GOOD DLC is like, and honestly, i miss the days when that was the standard for DLC for games.
"Hey guys, if you send BioShock protagonist, Jack. And F.E.A.R. protagonist pointman to Detroit, who'd get hepatitis first?" Nah, that would be cry of fear protagonist, Simon.
my biggest hunch as to why f.e.a.r. is tragically short and not too crazy with enemy variation is because monolith released THREE (3) games in 2005 lol. F.E.A.R., Condemned, and the matrix online, they were a crazy bunch to work on 3 games and then simultaneously release them the same year
Wow I didn’t actually know that Condemned came out in the same year. Makes sense why they both have the same vibe I guess. Crazy that game companies used to just be able to pump out their major releases like that.
Never knew they came out in the same year. Thought condemned came out afterward, as like monolith’s attempt to make another horror game after having troubles with the F.E.A.R. franchise. I wonder if they were hoping to connect the two, considering there’s a level with unexplained paranormal activity. No that’s not a spoiler cause it’s only for one level and little paranormal stuff happens in it (even the characters don’t acknowledge it or talk about it).
Actually the Ladder you fall down at 15:36 also has a little girl scare when you mount the ladder and then turn around and I kid you not, I absolutely lost my shit the first time that hit me.
the ladder one had been spoiled to me by a gamespot video or some such "Top 10 Scariest Jumpscares in Gaming," so I fully expected it. The one after you get off the ladder with Fettel right there in front of you, I actually jumped out of my chair a little bit and yelled. Wasn't even his appearance, it was just that he was so close and already moving towards me at a complete and utter surprise, with zero audio cue... Now that is a great fuckin jumpscare.
My headcanon as to why Replica Troops (and by extension, Fettel and Alma) aren't more varied when throwing themselves at Point Man is because Fettel doesn't want him dead and is trying to test the waters with PM's psychic powers (The slo-mo). I imagine the game would be way harder if Fettel wasn't driven psychotically insane and is purely focused on stopping the FEAR and military forces alike.
I suppose so too. If we were to consider Extraction Point as cannon, then he was upping the ante at the end, purely to see if you have what it takes for the “War” that’s encroaching. He also says that he didn’t like being killed, so I guess he was also butthurt about that and upped the ante to get back at him.
It's always a holiday when someone uploads a video about FEAR haha seriously it's a rather obscure gem of old school shooters that I think it deserved better so thank you for doing this and I really enjoyed your style and meme insertions. Please keep it up, I'd love to see you talk about the sequels.
I once imagined a FEAR title where they go into New Mexico to destroy a lost flying saucer. And another where FEAR has to contain a town invaded by vampires. Seriously, the sky is the limit with the F.E.A.R organization.
@chaoticiannunez2419 game would let us Naruto run our way into area 51 while Alma is chasing us in the back 😂. Seriously, tho the sky is truly the limit, that I'll dream it. A dev out there has the idea for a reboot or another game after the originals 🤞😬 let's hope man
This game is off the scale in comparison top newer games. It's unbelievable that games like this almost 2 decades old are better than today's games of the same genre.
Personally, I adore the Armacham HQ section of the game; it's the one part I look forward to the most. The water treatment facility was a taste-test of what was to come, and Armacham not only cranked it up, but integrated the lore and the story of the game in a way that felt pretty natural. The leftover messages give us an idea of what's going on, while the laptops that are hacked into fill in the gaps. And while the environments tend to look the same, just about everything to find and discover had a reason for being there, while the other offices and rooms give the building insane immersion, a place that could feasibly exist in real life.
dont stop making content, you are objectively better than a lot of other channels with more recognition just due to the time:exposure ratio and how diluted the pool of content of this genre is, you've got something special though, love the videos!
Thanks! I believe with enough hard work I'll rise to a spot that's reflective of my quality but Its good to hear it from someone else :) Got any games you would like to see covered one day?
I've seen a lot of up and comers. Callmekevin and Mista GG back when they had only 5-10k followings. I see that happening for you 😊 your content is top notch. Love your releases. I played FEAR when I was like 14 😅 and I love these ps2 era game retrospectives. Horror in particular.
>When you know everything there is to know about FEAR but will still watch any goddamn FEAR video that pops up on youtube. I miss that era of gaming. It's not nostalgia shit was genuinely better for gaming.
My father owned this on the 360, it absolutely terrified me when I was young Maybe a few years later (still pretty young) I was bored and put it in the console and I fell in love with it, still has to be one of my top games of all time based off the atmosphere
Ironically, Combine AI is technically impressive, but bogged down by the level design (+nav mesh problems). FEAR’s AI is technically simple, but comes off as advanced thanks to the level design.
@@Dr.OofersAnother example that shows how important levels are at giving you the illusion of a clever AI, are the stalker games. Outside, in an open environment they can flank, take cover, sneak, flush you out with grenades. But once you end up underground, the limited space makes them just line up for headshots in the cramped corridors.
Having just played the first game, the idea of a silent protagonist isn’t new, but the way FEAR did it was so intriguing. From my perspective, it was so weird being a government agent with no dialogue, and sometimes what felt like no agency. Betters, your handler, doesn’t even call you by name. Neither does anyone else on your team. It’s almost as if no one really knows who you are, but it doesn’t faze them and no one sees anything wrong with that. Almost as if Alma had more control over things at the beginning than we realized. The mystery of no one knowing who Pointman (the player) was just added so much to the atmosphere.
I haven't played FEAR in almost 20 years but I distinctly remember getting into the zone with the bullet time mechanics and destroying this game while my friends watched in awe. Even on the hardest difficulty the game was fun as hell, thanks for nostalgia.
I remember your poll about wc evil corporation to work for, and you had me stoked ever since! I love deep dive videos into video games, especially something like F.E.A.R. Gotta admit, i only managed to pkay and complete the game for the first time THIS year, and i am hella glad i did because i'd heard its highlights like the AI, level design, its use of horror (and plot too, sadly), and man i knew i just had to experience this. Id have to play F.E.A.R. again soon, but right now im still trying to finish its spiritual sequel Trepang², it's just as balls-to-the-wall action as F.E.A.R. Good job man 🤙
Great retrospective! I've watched tonnes of other F.E.A.R. videos on RUclips but none have quite hit just how I feel about the game like yours has, there's just something about it that I love dearly despite all its faults and misses that I can't exactly pinpoint why, it's just always a game I feel compelled to come back to! I heard you're covering F.E.A.R 2 at some point and despite the fact that it was a miss for me I still look forward to that video. You should consider thinking about the expansions too even if they're short they're still fun and Extraction Point really improved on the gameplay loop in my opinion!
Thanks for watching the video. When I first played the expansions I was kind of burned out on the first games mechanics so I think I’ve got a bit of an unfair opinion of them right now although I think I might like to cover them after fear 3. It kind of depends I’m still trying to find my groove. The evil within was just way too big a work load so I’m planning on doing series entries individually before editing them into a full super cut but I’m trying to figure out how much of a series I want to do. In fears case I think it’s likely I’ll go back to the OG expansions just for the sake of covering the full series.
@@B4BrandossOG Oh yeah, and one thing I just learnt about the Health and Reflex injectors. Lore-wise its implied Replicas are transporting them around the city in preparation for the fighting, you can find a newspaper texture around that says supply crates are mysteriously appearing throught the city, which sounds like something the Replicas are responsible for!
This game is unforgettable for me. The immersion, such as being able to see your legs, hands while climbing ladders and etc. and the AI was way ahead of it's time, which should've been a standart to all first-person games. The way they handled the slow motion aspect too, it's just so great. The mix between action and horror was also pretty cool, because i love both genres. The game had so many original ideas. I just like my games having mystery and intrigue.
I don't know why but i miss sharp dynamic shadows like this. There is just something that makes them feel "realistic" even though they may not look that great today, could be just nostalgia though.
Some old games still look amazing and it’s all thanks to the lighting. Look at BF3 for example, made in the ps3 and 360 era and even with the icky blue tint filter, it still looks really good. I even installed an HDL/HDR mod and the lighting (while wonky and really dark in some areas) looks gorgeous. Hope the creator updates it some day, made it in 2018 and never touched it since.
You actually see apparitions of Spencer several times throughout the game. His fate is never explicitly made clear, but its pretty definite that Alma killed him. Another thing I noticed is that you never see apparitions of somebody until Alma has killed them (for example you never see an apparition of Jin). I assume she needs to absorb their psyche before she can project them to mess with you or something like that
I'm watching this for the 2nd time in 3 days because you are hilarious my guy! Thoroughly enjoyed your review of one of my favorite FPS games of all time! Your hatred for Norton Mapes had me dying 😂
Alright, the Piss Room took me of guard, imagine going onto a FEAR server then there are a few fanatics in a piss colored rubber room doing satanic rituals
Funny and informative review man! I can tell your channel is going places if you keep this up, very well done. Interesting point you made about them never mixing the enemy types, I'd never really noticed that before. I guess they must have had a problem making them function right together or something. Really appreciate you digging into the lore like you did, as a lore hound myself.
AYYY Just found your channel with your Evil Within video! Had a great time watching the video, try to let as many ads as I can run. Good content, good channel!
I love the FEAR series but it always breaks my heart that it just kept getting fumbled by the bought out parent companies. Especially with Warner Brothers completely ruining both story and gameplay
It also sucks that Monolith didn’t like the expansions for FEAR, and ended up retconning them in the sequel (then a bunch of legal troubles came in and that’s when we got a total mess).
FEAR 1 is one of the few games that actually feels balanced 98% of the time on the hardest difficulty. The expansions slightly botch that, but only slightly, still over 90% balanced and gaming skill-dependent. I mean, it's not like all other shooters ignore high difficulty balance, but in FEAR it actually feels like it was always in mind as much as the normal mode if not more - in fact, "normal" feels easy-ish most of the time (if you don't try to tank heavy troopers / mechs).
What a fantastic video. Your editting and personality is gold, man. Fear is one of my fav games of all time and ive been so crazy about it that I at least finished it over 10 times (I need mental help). xD
The incredible part of this game is that nothing really happens for about 85% of the game. It's just a straight shooter game where you can slow down time. The horror aspects are so brilliantly done by the means of shadows and environment and sound and lighting.
Amazing review of the first game in the series, can't believe its been so long since it came out. A thing worth mentioning +spoiler is that you likely survive the end kaboom because by that time Alma figures out you are her firstborn son. Oh and also I think Fettel had the idea of releasing Alma "planted" into him by her, she is trying to influence him in her favor; first time being that synchro event because of which they pulled her plug.
@@B4BrandossOG Just a heads-up, It’s a totally different game, a lot more faster paced than FEAR. It drew its main inspiration from fear, but it also drew inspiration from other games, thus making it something completely different.
i sorta think the loop works when you inject alma into the mix as point man is hunting down this boy and then alma is watching our guy every step of the way
I feel like that for a continuity, they could've done something like: "After destroying Origin, Pointman came back to F.E.A.R and they learn that the bald dude never existed to begin with, which is the priority right now. Next, there's like a recap of what happened in the game through a cutscene or in-game elements, and it start with another day in the Organization but this time, the F.E.A.R received more a little more units, cause 3 guys fighting in a duel doesn't deserve any Governement funding, especially when only one of them do everything, cause hell, even BRINGING you to places is out of their ability. So, a little presentation start with the whole crew etc... And Pointman still doesn't give two-sh*t, but in the 1, Alma and especially Paxton are now part of his: "soul" whatever that means. Appearing at random occurence to talk to Pointman about like the whole situation and giving him their point of view, or even hints about Gameplay elements. Sharing Paxton thoughts has given Pointman some more controls over his own abilities, that he will discover if he follows certain paths given by Paxton's hints. Alma will NOT be your friend in this story whatsoever, she's the closest to what we call: "an intrusive thought" and she spend her entire day trying to ruin yours. Either by putting like hallucinations in front of innocents so if you're a bad military unit, your unability to trigger control will cause a casualty. It could be also be voices trying to lure you into traps, or even LURING enemies to you. So yeah, Pointman looks like a vivid rock, but nobody knows what's inside this dude mind, and tbh I doubt they want to know. And it could absolutely be the entire gameplay, new scenarios that ARE NOT tied to the original storyline and make Fettel's family reunion each time they see another important part of the campaign be either a big annoyance or a freak fest."
you say forgotten but everyone remembers it fondly except for those that either got stuck in first chapter or got too scared after first vision and considering that it's sequels straight up suck and don't even come close to being like first one it is a great shame that no other game was made like that fear making point man the empty vessel for player was actually the best idea remember that games after 2010 went full scripted sequences every 10 minutes effectively ruining their potential your reaction is point man's reaction
haha, the get up is great, betters was the name of the dude or something? has been a while since i played F.E.A.R., i was a shool kid, now i am an adult, well, at least technically. had not yet a experience of horror FPS as good as this game so far. sure, you have your resident evil 7, your metro 2033 or exodus that have horror elements or stalker, but none quite play and feel like F.E.A.R. does. this was a great retrospective.
bruh ur channel is so underrated plus ur funny asl, subscried keep it up, finished *fear for the first time this year and it was a blast. I was honestly scared of the enemy encounters like something about the atmosphere of this game is dreadful and the intensity of the ai its scary
Appreciate it man. I agree btw the game just has the magic when It comes to the atmosphere that alot of games these days don't even hold a candle to. Are you planning to play the sequels?
I might play 3 w a friend for the laughs, dont know about 2 since I've played it a bit before, never finished it though. Tbh I kinda just have my headcanon that fear is kinda like SCP where if there ever is a new game it should be about pointman or someone going somewhere else in the world to uncover some weird anomalies or experiments, and the other games really dont replicate this atmosphere that made me like fear so much. I'd rather play like cry of fear or silent hill 2 to get that lonely liminal feeling.@@B4BrandossOG
Multiplayer in this game has to be experienced with full servers - even modded to more players. Once there is so much gunfire that the dust and debris cant even settle and you will make 3 steps of respawn, throwing impact at the very spot for kill - thats the fear as it was experienced back then. Btw those offices were all the same, but that ambient empty level while entering the building, those are not seen today anymore. Whole levels just to make an atmosphere... fear is great even today for replay
From one Aussie to another - great review Brandoss. I only played FEAR for the first time at the end of last year and it was an absolute blast. An ageless FPS that's better than a lot of games made today purely because of the atmosphere, simple mechanics, straightforward story and its AI. I tried Trepang 2 which was labelled somewhat as FEAR's 'spiritual successor' but it just doesn't hold up gameplay-wise to FEAR. This game was way ahead of its time.
Cheers man. Yeah FEAR is one of the clearest cut examples of lightning in a bottle. They just managed to craft something amazing the first go round that seemingly can’t be recaptured.
To be fair, Trepang2’s *main* inspiration was FEAR, but everyone forgets that it was inspired by other things like Crysis, Doom (2016), SCP, and Resident Evil. It’s an entirely different game in its own right, and I think people should stop calling it a true “sequel” or “successor”. It has AI that tries to keep up with you (and each enemy type has different strategies) and respond to each other; interesting environments; moments of horror in between or after combat. Movement and melee that feels like what FEAR was trying to go for in a sense. That’s the inspiration it draws from fear. But I encourage you to give it another try with this in mind, it’s a blast if you like a fast paced FPS; a disappointment if you’re another person expecting a copy of FEAR’s slow semi-tactical gameplay.
Unfortunately it’s confirmed in the game when you hack one of the laptops and It’s also mentioned in the Armacham Field Guide that came with the preorder for FEAR 2
39:14 small correction. Alma first gave birth to Pointman. The whole reason why Fettel was concieved was because his older brother was a failure(in terms of psychic abilities) P.S.: as far as I remember Alma was impregnated not with Harlan's DNA(it was a mixture of multiple people)
Pointman is very much Harlan and Alma 's combined genetic material, Paxton is the one with an anonymous father gene. I think this information can be found in either the first or second game.
When you play all the extensions and DLC's, this way you have one big story to play This is what i have just done with started with the first part. This is the collection series with all "FEAR" games
great video all i will add though is that while normal difficulty has a lot of the gameplay gripes you mention playing on expert mode is a challenging blast and totally changes the atmosphere as well as what you mention with the AI being a bit dull and repetitive after a while. never got "used" to seeing an assassin
I love playing this game on Extreme difficulty without crosshair. Just be very aggressive and discombobulate the replicas. No other game has managed to be just as satisfying. The flying drones and ghosts are a big negative while replaying for the umpteenth time but I keep going back for more despite the flaws.
I just read up on the lore and Alma's family tree since I just played it and was a bit confused. This story is the most scfi-fi lab-Alabama shit ever. YOU the pointman are Alma Wade's first son. This makes Harlan Wade your grandpa. (The old science man experimenting on Alma) His other daughter Alice Wade that you rescue is your aunt (Paxton Fettel eats her) Paxton Fettel is Alma's other son (your little brother) All the replicas are clones of him. This whole game is just you beating the shit of your little brother/s while your mom is chasing you in a dysfunctional family lmao.
I may be in the minority but I enjoyed the armacham levels. I thought that the layout was great, diverse, and had great atmosphere. Although some parts do suck (I'm looking at you turret section)
Seriously the AI if this games enemies were always unbelievably smart to me. Playing this at night on a 65 inch TV and a super legit surround sound back in like 2010...amazing times.
While I liked FEAR, I liked the concept of "paranormal investigation arm of the military" rather than having everything revolve around Alma going forward. If the expansions focused on new stories this could have been an evergreen series. Instead, we got "pregnant ghost girl" for the next decade.
Yeah It was a really weird direction to go in and I’m looking forward to covering just how far the apple ended up falling by 3.
Personally I could totally see FEAR getting a Modern Warfare 2019 type reboot.
Go back to 1 with your initial concepts of anti paranormal organisations and alma wade then just go from there in a different direction.
@@B4BrandossOGI think by the time fear 2 happened, it was already over. It failed to capture the unique parts of 1 and extraction Point and seeing that, 3 felt almost inevitable
If I recall correctly, that was technically the plan going ahead: different stories tied to Pointman, with no more Alma but other weird dark experiments tied to the paranormal. Alas, they went a different way and kept chasing the ghost of Alma (both literally and metaphorically).
I think it's worth noting that we never, not even once, got an intended sequel to the game. FEAR 1 was published by Vivendi Universal, then Monolith made their new game as a legally distinct FEAR for WB Games because they wouldn't be able to use the rights. They let fans vote for the name, and it became "Project Origin" by popular demand-- then at the _very last minute,_ WB Games managed to wrangle the FEAR rights and it was retroactively changed to have all these FEAR icons, names and plotlines. So FEAR 2 went through most of its dev cycle with an understanding that they couldn't use the IP.
Oh, then FEAR 3 was given to a different developer, the producers at Monolith provided them with a story bible and detailed notes on where they were taking the story, and the devs tossed it all aside. ☹
Yeh they really couldn’t leave the Asian influenced little girl ghost behind could they 😂 the ring, the grudge and a bunch of others were a massive influence on most horror genres at that time
"There weren't any battle passes or micro transactions. They way your game made money was by selling copies and the way you sold copies was by your game being better than everyone else's"
Imagine that.
Except there were 2 expansions aka DLCs so that wasn't technically true lol, but I get his sentiment
yeah and they are awesome @@Batchall_Accepted
The fools.
To be fair this was also an era of immense shovelware. It's bad now, but back then it got a stamp of approval by games companies and often got away with blatantly pretending to be a more popular game which is rare nowadays
@@Batchall_Accepted DLC's are onetime paid products for additional content tho, whereas Micro Transactions are small but numerous and oftentimes just bad non-usable stuff that makes no actual gameplay difference, so there are some pretty big differences between them. DLC back in the day added a shitload of stuff for a decently small sum, and was most of the time actually good additions. just look at Skyrim back in 2011. when the Dawnguard DLC came out, it nearly DOUBLED the size of the game and added an entire storyline with side quests, collectibles and decent rewards for the trouble of going through it all. that is what GOOD DLC is like, and honestly, i miss the days when that was the standard for DLC for games.
"Hey guys, if you send BioShock protagonist, Jack. And F.E.A.R. protagonist pointman to Detroit, who'd get hepatitis first?" Nah, that would be cry of fear protagonist, Simon.
Impossible. Simon is dead before they even get there.
@@B4BrandossOG nahhhh you didnt have to do him like that
what about David
@@B4BrandossOG what about book Simon?
8:47 it isn't just the AI, it's the level design paired with the AI. It's an "arena" for the AI to have free reign of movement in and around.
my biggest hunch as to why f.e.a.r. is tragically short and not too crazy with enemy variation is because monolith released THREE (3) games in 2005 lol. F.E.A.R., Condemned, and the matrix online, they were a crazy bunch to work on 3 games and then simultaneously release them the same year
Wow I didn’t actually know that Condemned came out in the same year. Makes sense why they both have the same vibe I guess.
Crazy that game companies used to just be able to pump out their major releases like that.
@@B4BrandossOG @Yeij Yep I kinda forgot about Matrix online though.
@@B4BrandossOG Will you also Review condemned?
@@mongoliandeathworm2994 More than likely yes at some point.
Never knew they came out in the same year. Thought condemned came out afterward, as like monolith’s attempt to make another horror game after having troubles with the F.E.A.R. franchise.
I wonder if they were hoping to connect the two, considering there’s a level with unexplained paranormal activity. No that’s not a spoiler cause it’s only for one level and little paranormal stuff happens in it (even the characters don’t acknowledge it or talk about it).
a video about F.E.A.R in 2023, i cant belive it, you sir are a based gamer. Thx for this vid
This game was an obsession of mine in 2005.
Actually the Ladder you fall down at 15:36 also has a little girl scare when you mount the ladder and then turn around and I kid you not, I absolutely lost my shit the first time that hit me.
Yeah I didn’t realise that I missed the scare until I saw Paxton. I was so annoyed I didn’t get it on recording
the ladder one had been spoiled to me by a gamespot video or some such "Top 10 Scariest Jumpscares in Gaming," so I fully expected it. The one after you get off the ladder with Fettel right there in front of you, I actually jumped out of my chair a little bit and yelled. Wasn't even his appearance, it was just that he was so close and already moving towards me at a complete and utter surprise, with zero audio cue... Now that is a great fuckin jumpscare.
I got that double scare in the middle of the woods at 2am. Good lord core memory
My headcanon as to why Replica Troops (and by extension, Fettel and Alma) aren't more varied when throwing themselves at Point Man is because Fettel doesn't want him dead and is trying to test the waters with PM's psychic powers (The slo-mo). I imagine the game would be way harder if Fettel wasn't driven psychotically insane and is purely focused on stopping the FEAR and military forces alike.
I suppose so too. If we were to consider Extraction Point as cannon, then he was upping the ante at the end, purely to see if you have what it takes for the “War” that’s encroaching. He also says that he didn’t like being killed, so I guess he was also butthurt about that and upped the ante to get back at him.
Still one of the best FPS's I've ever played.
It's always a holiday when someone uploads a video about FEAR haha seriously it's a rather obscure gem of old school shooters that I think it deserved better so thank you for doing this and I really enjoyed your style and meme insertions. Please keep it up, I'd love to see you talk about the sequels.
Cheers man. Got FEAR 2 in the works right now so stay tuned :)
Hope F.E.A.R gets a reboot but with a twist. It's got creatures/cryptids, anomalies, and lovecraftian horror like the S.C.P Foundation.
Would be interesting to see. Until then though we will play Trepang2 to scratch that hitch.
I once imagined a FEAR title where they go into New Mexico to destroy a lost flying saucer. And another where FEAR has to contain a town invaded by vampires. Seriously, the sky is the limit with the F.E.A.R organization.
@chaoticiannunez2419 game would let us Naruto run our way into area 51 while Alma is chasing us in the back 😂. Seriously, tho the sky is truly the limit, that I'll dream it. A dev out there has the idea for a reboot or another game after the originals 🤞😬 let's hope man
@@aztecwarriorgoingdark.5741 glad you liked. Its not fear but i liked it a lot and it was also the best game of 2023 for me.
I think that’s what the expansions for FEAR were aiming for… but I guess Monolith thought otherwise?
I just discovered this channel and I love the passion you speak with. This genuinely made me consider playing F.E.A.R
This game is off the scale in comparison top newer games.
It's unbelievable that games like this almost 2 decades old are better than today's games of the same genre.
Personally, I adore the Armacham HQ section of the game; it's the one part I look forward to the most. The water treatment facility was a taste-test of what was to come, and Armacham not only cranked it up, but integrated the lore and the story of the game in a way that felt pretty natural. The leftover messages give us an idea of what's going on, while the laptops that are hacked into fill in the gaps. And while the environments tend to look the same, just about everything to find and discover had a reason for being there, while the other offices and rooms give the building insane immersion, a place that could feasibly exist in real life.
dont stop making content, you are objectively better than a lot of other channels with more recognition just due to the time:exposure ratio and how diluted the pool of content of this genre is, you've got something special though, love the videos!
Thanks! I believe with enough hard work I'll rise to a spot that's reflective of my quality but Its good to hear it from someone else :) Got any games you would like to see covered one day?
You should cover dlc's to F.E.A.R. Extraction Point especially as it continues the main story.@@B4BrandossOG
I've seen a lot of up and comers. Callmekevin and Mista GG back when they had only 5-10k followings. I see that happening for you 😊 your content is top notch. Love your releases.
I played FEAR when I was like 14 😅 and I love these ps2 era game retrospectives. Horror in particular.
@@B4BrandossOGcondemned? love the video btw the random memes were hilarious
@@Sam-rw5qn I’ll throw it on the list thanks for watching :)
>When you know everything there is to know about FEAR but will still watch any goddamn FEAR video that pops up on youtube.
I miss that era of gaming. It's not nostalgia shit was genuinely better for gaming.
My father owned this on the 360, it absolutely terrified me when I was young
Maybe a few years later (still pretty young) I was bored and put it in the console and I fell in love with it, still has to be one of my top games of all time based off the atmosphere
i love the way this games offices make me feel it’s a feeling i can’t quite describe awesome vid
the G.O.A.P ai system reminds me of the combine from half life and how they engaged the player. i love these types of enemy ai in video games!
Ironically, Combine AI is technically impressive, but bogged down by the level design (+nav mesh problems).
FEAR’s AI is technically simple, but comes off as advanced thanks to the level design.
@@Dr.OofersAnother example that shows how important levels are at giving you the illusion of a clever AI, are the stalker games. Outside, in an open environment they can flank, take cover, sneak, flush you out with grenades. But once you end up underground, the limited space makes them just line up for headshots in the cramped corridors.
This one is definitely gonna blow up, I look forward to seeing more of your content
I highly recommend a game called Trepang2, It's a movement shooter that was heavily inspired by F.E.A.R.
im still making my way through the video but i appreciate the editing humor, the paused image when you got into the enemies is hilarious
"sorry i freaked out, i'm just not used to being shot at" [unloads a whole clip]
Having just played the first game, the idea of a silent protagonist isn’t new, but the way FEAR did it was so intriguing. From my perspective, it was so weird being a government agent with no dialogue, and sometimes what felt like no agency. Betters, your handler, doesn’t even call you by name. Neither does anyone else on your team. It’s almost as if no one really knows who you are, but it doesn’t faze them and no one sees anything wrong with that. Almost as if Alma had more control over things at the beginning than we realized.
The mystery of no one knowing who Pointman (the player) was just added so much to the atmosphere.
I haven't played FEAR in almost 20 years but I distinctly remember getting into the zone with the bullet time mechanics and destroying this game while my friends watched in awe. Even on the hardest difficulty the game was fun as hell, thanks for nostalgia.
I remember your poll about wc evil corporation to work for, and you had me stoked ever since!
I love deep dive videos into video games, especially something like F.E.A.R. Gotta admit, i only managed to pkay and complete the game for the first time THIS year, and i am hella glad i did because i'd heard its highlights like the AI, level design, its use of horror (and plot too, sadly), and man i knew i just had to experience this.
Id have to play F.E.A.R. again soon, but right now im still trying to finish its spiritual sequel Trepang², it's just as balls-to-the-wall action as F.E.A.R.
Good job man 🤙
Thanks for watching I appreciate it. Yeah I really need to jump on trepang eventually but my backlog is packed.
I love your videos! Such awesome content, I'm happy that you did this game. 🔥
Great retrospective! I've watched tonnes of other F.E.A.R. videos on RUclips but none have quite hit just how I feel about the game like yours has, there's just something about it that I love dearly despite all its faults and misses that I can't exactly pinpoint why, it's just always a game I feel compelled to come back to!
I heard you're covering F.E.A.R 2 at some point and despite the fact that it was a miss for me I still look forward to that video. You should consider thinking about the expansions too even if they're short they're still fun and Extraction Point really improved on the gameplay loop in my opinion!
Thanks for watching the video.
When I first played the expansions I was kind of burned out on the first games mechanics so I think I’ve got a bit of an unfair opinion of them right now although I think I might like to cover them after fear 3. It kind of depends I’m still trying to find my groove. The evil within was just way too big a work load so I’m planning on doing series entries individually before editing them into a full super cut but I’m trying to figure out how much of a series I want to do. In fears case I think it’s likely I’ll go back to the OG expansions just for the sake of covering the full series.
@@B4BrandossOG Oh yeah, and one thing I just learnt about the Health and Reflex injectors.
Lore-wise its implied Replicas are transporting them around the city in preparation for the fighting, you can find a newspaper texture around that says supply crates are mysteriously appearing throught the city, which sounds like something the Replicas are responsible for!
i found the multiplayer insanely fun as a kid. and it was free af
I’m glad people still love this game 😌
This game is unforgettable for me. The immersion, such as being able to see your legs, hands while climbing ladders and etc. and the AI was way ahead of it's time, which should've been a standart to all first-person games. The way they handled the slow motion aspect too, it's just so great. The mix between action and horror was also pretty cool, because i love both genres. The game had so many original ideas. I just like my games having mystery and intrigue.
I don't know why but i miss sharp dynamic shadows like this. There is just something that makes them feel "realistic" even though they may not look that great today, could be just nostalgia though.
Some old games still look amazing and it’s all thanks to the lighting. Look at BF3 for example, made in the ps3 and 360 era and even with the icky blue tint filter, it still looks really good.
I even installed an HDL/HDR mod and the lighting (while wonky and really dark in some areas) looks gorgeous. Hope the creator updates it some day, made it in 2018 and never touched it since.
You actually see apparitions of Spencer several times throughout the game. His fate is never explicitly made clear, but its pretty definite that Alma killed him. Another thing I noticed is that you never see apparitions of somebody until Alma has killed them (for example you never see an apparition of Jin). I assume she needs to absorb their psyche before she can project them to mess with you or something like that
I'm watching this for the 2nd time in 3 days because you are hilarious my guy! Thoroughly enjoyed your review of one of my favorite FPS games of all time! Your hatred for Norton Mapes had me dying 😂
This channel has great potential, carry on!
Very detailed and clinical analysis of a game that I truly love. Great job sir! You've earned a subscription!
Thanks man I appreciate it!
I honestly like your style of writing.
Clear, concise, and stab with a funny gag when necessary.
Love your content, keep up the good work!
Alright, the Piss Room took me of guard, imagine going onto a FEAR server then there are a few fanatics in a piss colored rubber room doing satanic rituals
Most normal abandoned multiplayer game experience.
Typical Wednesday for me
Funny and informative review man! I can tell your channel is going places if you keep this up, very well done. Interesting point you made about them never mixing the enemy types, I'd never really noticed that before. I guess they must have had a problem making them function right together or something. Really appreciate you digging into the lore like you did, as a lore hound myself.
AYYY Just found your channel with your Evil Within video! Had a great time watching the video, try to let as many ads as I can run. Good content, good channel!
2:12 I hate that this statement is so true, this was probably THE least insane cutscene...
I love the FEAR series but it always breaks my heart that it just kept getting fumbled by the bought out parent companies. Especially with Warner Brothers completely ruining both story and gameplay
It also sucks that Monolith didn’t like the expansions for FEAR, and ended up retconning them in the sequel (then a bunch of legal troubles came in and that’s when we got a total mess).
FEAR 1 is one of the few games that actually feels balanced 98% of the time on the hardest difficulty. The expansions slightly botch that, but only slightly, still over 90% balanced and gaming skill-dependent.
I mean, it's not like all other shooters ignore high difficulty balance, but in FEAR it actually feels like it was always in mind as much as the normal mode if not more - in fact, "normal" feels easy-ish most of the time (if you don't try to tank heavy troopers / mechs).
What a fantastic video. Your editting and personality is gold, man. Fear is one of my fav games of all time and ive been so crazy about it that I at least finished it over 10 times (I need mental help). xD
Nice! Love your content man, keep it up!
The incredible part of this game is that nothing really happens for about 85% of the game. It's just a straight shooter game where you can slow down time. The horror aspects are so brilliantly done by the means of shadows and environment and sound and lighting.
i loved these games because i used to watch 4PlayerPodcast stream and they had the best freakouts playing this. i miss those times
I like when RUclipsrs commit to the video topic; I like the costume. 😎👍🏼
When this came out, it felt like games were at their peak.
Ahhh, back when videogames weren't dystopian microtransaction hellscapes. Much simpler times.
I wonder if this will receive the HD remake treatment.
33:03 Hello Aunty Alice.
Amazing review of the first game in the series, can't believe its been so long since it came out.
A thing worth mentioning +spoiler is that you likely survive the end kaboom because by that time Alma figures out you are her firstborn son. Oh and also I think Fettel had the idea of releasing Alma "planted" into him by her, she is trying to influence him in her favor; first time being that synchro event because of which they pulled her plug.
I think Fettel was the second son of Alma, as he refers to you as “brother”.
Though, I am likely wrong.
@@Dr.Oofers You are correct, Point man(thats you) is the first son, and Fettel is the second son.
I Highly suggest you try out Trepang. Its pretty much FEAR 4
Definitely on my list
@@B4BrandossOG Just a heads-up, It’s a totally different game, a lot more faster paced than FEAR. It drew its main inspiration from fear, but it also drew inspiration from other games, thus making it something completely different.
i sorta think the loop works when you inject alma into the mix as point man is hunting down this boy and then alma is watching our guy every step of the way
That "Live Gordon Reaction" was priceless.
Great channel my guy
I feel like that for a continuity, they could've done something like:
"After destroying Origin, Pointman came back to F.E.A.R and they learn that the bald dude never existed to begin with, which is the priority right now. Next, there's like a recap of what happened in the game through a cutscene or in-game elements, and it start with another day in the Organization but this time, the F.E.A.R received more a little more units, cause 3 guys fighting in a duel doesn't deserve any Governement funding, especially when only one of them do everything, cause hell, even BRINGING you to places is out of their ability. So, a little presentation start with the whole crew etc... And Pointman still doesn't give two-sh*t, but in the 1, Alma and especially Paxton are now part of his: "soul" whatever that means. Appearing at random occurence to talk to Pointman about like the whole situation and giving him their point of view, or even hints about Gameplay elements. Sharing Paxton thoughts has given Pointman some more controls over his own abilities, that he will discover if he follows certain paths given by Paxton's hints. Alma will NOT be your friend in this story whatsoever, she's the closest to what we call: "an intrusive thought" and she spend her entire day trying to ruin yours. Either by putting like hallucinations in front of innocents so if you're a bad military unit, your unability to trigger control will cause a casualty. It could be also be voices trying to lure you into traps, or even LURING enemies to you. So yeah, Pointman looks like a vivid rock, but nobody knows what's inside this dude mind, and tbh I doubt they want to know. And it could absolutely be the entire gameplay, new scenarios that ARE NOT tied to the original storyline and make Fettel's family reunion each time they see another important part of the campaign be either a big annoyance or a freak fest."
Like that paper youtube award in the back. Dream big
you say forgotten but everyone remembers it fondly except for those that either got stuck in first chapter or got too scared after first vision
and considering that it's sequels straight up suck and don't even come close to being like first one it is a great shame that no other game was made like that
fear making point man the empty vessel for player was actually the best idea
remember that games after 2010 went full scripted sequences every 10 minutes effectively ruining their potential
your reaction is point man's reaction
Nice review
34:22 nearly spit out my drink 😭
Pretty dope retrospective. Channel is still under 10k subs... I'm glad to be here before it blows
you should check out the expansions as well. extraction point especially is imo the best fear campaign
The bald guy, Jankowski, is seen again in the first few chapters, but he's just an apparition. He disintegrates as soon as you follow him.
haha, the get up is great, betters was the name of the dude or something? has been a while since i played F.E.A.R., i was a shool kid, now i am an adult, well, at least technically. had not yet a experience of horror FPS as good as this game so far. sure, you have your resident evil 7, your metro 2033 or exodus that have horror elements or stalker, but none quite play and feel like F.E.A.R. does. this was a great retrospective.
bruh ur channel is so underrated plus ur funny asl, subscried keep it up, finished *fear for the first time this year and it was a blast. I was honestly scared of the enemy encounters like something about the atmosphere of this game is dreadful and the intensity of the ai its scary
Appreciate it man. I agree btw the game just has the magic when It comes to the atmosphere that alot of games these days don't even hold a candle to. Are you planning to play the sequels?
I might play 3 w a friend for the laughs, dont know about 2 since I've played it a bit before, never finished it though. Tbh I kinda just have my headcanon that fear is kinda like SCP where if there ever is a new game it should be about pointman or someone going somewhere else in the world to uncover some weird anomalies or experiments, and the other games really dont replicate this atmosphere that made me like fear so much. I'd rather play like cry of fear or silent hill 2 to get that lonely liminal feeling.@@B4BrandossOG
Amazing retrospective, really enjoyed watching this.
Multiplayer in this game has to be experienced with full servers - even modded to more players. Once there is so much gunfire that the dust and debris cant even settle and you will make 3 steps of respawn, throwing impact at the very spot for kill - thats the fear as it was experienced back then. Btw those offices were all the same, but that ambient empty level while entering the building, those are not seen today anymore. Whole levels just to make an atmosphere... fear is great even today for replay
My PC was so garbage when I first played this game , lol. :(
Love it, thank you!
DATED?!...well...alright...yeah. The passage of time.
All FEAR needs is dual wield on the SMGs to make them better in the late game, a 4 weapon limit, a sprint, and *maybe* a max payne style dodge
This brought back a lot of memories, both good and not so much. But mostly good.
From one Aussie to another - great review Brandoss. I only played FEAR for the first time at the end of last year and it was an absolute blast. An ageless FPS that's better than a lot of games made today purely because of the atmosphere, simple mechanics, straightforward story and its AI. I tried Trepang 2 which was labelled somewhat as FEAR's 'spiritual successor' but it just doesn't hold up gameplay-wise to FEAR. This game was way ahead of its time.
Cheers man. Yeah FEAR is one of the clearest cut examples of lightning in a bottle. They just managed to craft something amazing the first go round that seemingly can’t be recaptured.
To be fair, Trepang2’s *main* inspiration was FEAR, but everyone forgets that it was inspired by other things like Crysis, Doom (2016), SCP, and Resident Evil.
It’s an entirely different game in its own right, and I think people should stop calling it a true “sequel” or “successor”. It has AI that tries to keep up with you (and each enemy type has different strategies) and respond to each other; interesting environments; moments of horror in between or after combat. Movement and melee that feels like what FEAR was trying to go for in a sense.
That’s the inspiration it draws from fear. But I encourage you to give it another try with this in mind, it’s a blast if you like a fast paced FPS; a disappointment if you’re another person expecting a copy of FEAR’s slow semi-tactical gameplay.
ManAfficionado and ManEnthusiast cleaning up on FEAR Combat
the thumbnail is just perfection
alma still haunts my dreams from time to time
Doctor: American Pyro Dosent Exist
American Pyro:
There is possibly an American Pyro. As far as I know though I’m the Australian variant.
Harlan Wade was Alma’s father and I don’t think he was the sperm donor for Pointman and Paxton. Though it has been many years since I last played it.
Unfortunately it’s confirmed in the game when you hack one of the laptops and It’s also mentioned in the Armacham Field Guide that came with the preorder for FEAR 2
39:14 small correction. Alma first gave birth to Pointman. The whole reason why Fettel was concieved was because his older brother was a failure(in terms of psychic abilities)
P.S.: as far as I remember Alma was impregnated not with Harlan's DNA(it was a mixture of multiple people)
Pointman is very much Harlan and Alma 's combined genetic material, Paxton is the one with an anonymous father gene. I think this information can be found in either the first or second game.
@@notme0126 well the point still(kinda stands), Harlan wasn't the sole donor
@@Dozarman I respectfully agree.
Deep skeet lore
Forgotten?...geeez. Tubers these days.
I played this when it was brand new. All 497 disks.
There really needed to be someone to make a video like this about this game series
Check out the rest of my channel. Just uploaded the FEAR 3 one a few days ago.
4:49 It FEELS like you're in a bad, rundown part of a city in either Autumn or Winter...
How the FUCK don't you have hundreds of thousands of subs? This shit is gold, my dude. Keep it up
When you play all the extensions and DLC's, this way you have one big story to play
This is what i have just done with started with the first part.
This is the collection series with all "FEAR" games
great video all i will add though is that while normal difficulty has a lot of the gameplay gripes you mention playing on expert mode is a challenging blast and totally changes the atmosphere as well as what you mention with the AI being a bit dull and repetitive after a while. never got "used" to seeing an assassin
Man i love the f.e.a.r games. Huge part of the 360 era of gaming for me.
If you think about it fire extinguishers and electric boxes are the most organic form of leveling up but offers new experience on subsequent play
in time, you'll be able to find a video for each old game, calling it a masterpiece.
Would love to see the original silent hill 4 covered, and the rest of the fear games!!
I love playing this game on Extreme difficulty without crosshair. Just be very aggressive and discombobulate the replicas.
No other game has managed to be just as satisfying.
The flying drones and ghosts are a big negative while replaying for the umpteenth time but I keep going back for more despite the flaws.
Same, the drones were frustrating, ghosts were just annoying.
Trepang 2 is basically re make of fear 1, I also went back and tried avp2 which is also scary asf
I just read up on the lore and Alma's family tree since I just played it and was a bit confused.
This story is the most scfi-fi lab-Alabama shit ever.
YOU the pointman are Alma Wade's first son.
This makes Harlan Wade your grandpa. (The old science man experimenting on Alma)
His other daughter Alice Wade that you rescue is your aunt (Paxton Fettel eats her)
Paxton Fettel is Alma's other son (your little brother)
All the replicas are clones of him.
This whole game is just you beating the shit of your little brother/s while your mom is chasing you in a dysfunctional family lmao.
Great AtmosF.E.A.R.
This has to be the best horror game of all time
I love this game, played it recently and didnt really feel the horror parts, but the gameplay is still legendary
I may be in the minority but I enjoyed the armacham levels. I thought that the layout was great, diverse, and had great atmosphere. Although some parts do suck (I'm looking at you turret section)
Mapes is your typical anime character.
Seriously the AI if this games enemies were always unbelievably smart to me. Playing this at night on a 65 inch TV and a super legit surround sound back in like 2010...amazing times.