F.E.A.R. 3

F.E.A.R. 3 is, as you may have guessed, the sequel to F.E.A.R. 2. This installment brings back Point Man and his dead brother

Story

FEAR 3 picks up with Point Man being interrogated by a group of Archaman soldiers, demanding the whereabouts of Jun, a FEAR agent from FEAR 1. However, the spirit of Fettel, his brother who he killed in the first game, possesses one of the soldiers and kills the one interrogating Point Man. Now free, Point Man and Fettel head to Juns location, but Alma has a secret, she's pregnant, her delivery is close and it's tearing the world apart.


Graphics

FEAR 3's graphics are what you would expect, good. Nothing jaw-dropping, but the cinematics are noteworthy. They look very beautiful. The game, as true to its nature, is dark often. With effects whenever Alma or the mysterious creature are near. One thing I like is the new look of the mechs, they look much better than in previous installments.


Controls

The game plays similar to the previous, but one new addition, is the ability to play as Fettel. Since he's dead, he can't use guns, however he can lift, blast and posses enemy soldiers, ever want to play as one of those giant dudes with the penetrater? Well now you can! Possessing an enemy will allow you to use guns, but you can only stay in a body for a limited time (similar to Point Man's slo-mo use).


Voice/Music/Sound

The acting is well done in F.EA.R. 3, and the music, when it's there, is well done too. Since this is a creepy game, you'll hear various sounds, bumps, growls, etc randomly while playing. While not as scary, you might get a few surprises while playing if you're really into the game.


Other

The Multiplayer has been redone, and is much better this time around. The best, IMO, is a mode called Contractions, which has 1 to 4 players fending off waves off enemies. Usually starting with common soldiers, then Scavangers (creepy dog things), psycho ass citizens and, sometimes, Mechs.

If you play with a friend, you can play as Point Man, while your friend plays as Fettel. This allows for some fun combinations, such as unique slo-mo kills as Fettel, or providing Point Man with a shield to absorb damage for a limited time.

There are also challenges that require you to do various things like killing x amount of enemies without being hurt, get x amount of kills with a specific weapon, x amount of slo-mo kills, using cover for x amount of seconds and dozens of more.


Overall

A fun game for fans of the series, but lacks the scare factor of the previous games.


7.5/10.0

Pros

- Better Multiplayer
- Fun co-op
- Challenges provide a fun addition to the game

Cons

- Not as scary as previous installments
- Short game with low replayability
- Story not as interesting as the other games

Dead Space 2

I've been looking forward to this game for awhile, and was finally able to pick it up.

Story

Without giving much away, Dead Space 2 takes place 3 years after the first, with Isaac on a mysterious ship called the Sprawl (you know it's gonna be bad already). He has no memory of the last 3 years, due to allegedly being in a coma and suffering from dementia. The game opens with him being released as the player hears screams and sees blood splattered in the background and is soon forced to flee for his life while in a straight jacket. Once he is freed, a women named Diana contacts him and says that he will die from his illnesses unless he comes to her, left with little choice, Isaac makes his way to Diana, surviving encounters with Necromorphs, insane survivors and Earth Government troops ordered to kill him.

Graphics

The graphics are excellent, when they can be seen. The game, true to its nature, is mostly littered with dark halls with very little lighting (typically coming from from candles, broken/tipped over lights, etc). When one can see the environment, it's very well designed and feels like if a outbreak like this were to occur, this is the place for it to happen. The characters are also very well done, expressions and emotions can be seen and are well crafted.

Controls

The controls, for the most part, stay the same from the first Dead Space, and are therefore, easy to master for players who've played the first. If you haven't played the first, go play it, it's like $20 if even.

Voice

One thing players will notice is that Isaac has a voice this time around, and speaks often. Both Isaac and other characters are very well done. The acting is top notch, to me anyways, and not overly dramatic or forced.

Other

Dead Space 2 does have Multiplayer in it. Not campaign wise, but for Vs. If you bought the game new, you received a code to access the online parts of the game. If you bought used, you'll need to buy a one-time pass for $10. Online consists of the Security Team trying to survive and neutralize the Necromorphs in various manners while the other team trys to kill them using one of 4 different Necros. You also level up and unlock different weapons and skills as you play.

Once the player has finished the game, they can play New Game+ which will allow them to replay the game with current weapons and upgrades, you also unlock Hardcore mode after completion. However, you can't carry data over to Hardcore mode, Hardcore will force you to start a completely new game. In Hardcore, you are given only 3 saves, and if you die, you must restart from your last save, this mode is for skilled players.

Overall

Dead Space 2 is a excellent horror game that, if you get into it, can scare the crap out of you at many points in the game.

8.0/10.0

Pros

- Great story
- Excellent execution
- One of the better horror titles out there right now

Cons

- Story can be short (finished din 8hrs, could have beaten much faster)
- Online is limited, meaning it's not as good as other games with MP