My Final Project

 

What initially began as a an idea for a review for Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines morphed into a very brief series retrospective on F.E.A.R. Why FEAR? Partly because I got the three main games on sale a few weeks ago, the only one I hadn't played through being FEAR 2. I had fond memories of the original and of the third one, so I figured replaying and filming myself playing would be easy and provide lots of material to write about.

It's funny how re-playing a game, especially when you are writing a paper on it, becomes a chore. Getting just the right footage from a game is difficult. I make lots of bad decisions and explore empty corners. While this is raw play, it isn't terribly exciting to watch. It's also a little embarrassing. Also, not knowing when cool scripted sequences are about to take place is a hassle. I can't figure out how to get FRAPS running constantly, as opposed to 30 second brief sequences. Surely there is a way but I'm on a schedule, damnit, I don't have time to tinker with programs and use google. (EDIT: Turns out I'd need to buy the full version of FRAPS)

The first FEAR is still amazing, but the repetition really hurts the experience. The third FEAR, which I remember loving, I realize I only loved because of the co op experience. A couple summers ago, my room mate and I knocked out the main campaign. He played as Point Man, the time slower-downer man, while I played as Fettel, the poltergeist who can possess enemies. It was a blast. Alone, however, its a different experience. I realize how much weaker FEAR 3 is compared to the other two games. The cover mechanic is atrocious. Cover mechanics need to be banned from first person shooters. Why can't I just peek the corners with my E and Q keys like in FEAR 1? Why was this removed? Why are the scares so watered down? I appreciate the variety of levels and overall weirdness being cranked to 11 in FEAR 3 but, man, I sure want to play something else.

FEAR 2 is somewhat disappointing. There's definitely cool aspects, but it never reaches the highs of the original. My retrospective downplays the negative aspects of my reheated experience with these games. There's plenty to love and nothing else quite like it, but gahhh I just need to wash the taste of FEAR out of my mouth.


So when I need a breather from FEAR I'm playing the demo for Payday 2. I'm kicking myself for not buying the full game when it was on sale during Black Friday. It's hard to cooperate with your squad of bank robbers so every mission turns into a monotonous shootout (again I think I just need a sabbatical from first person shooters), but I can see so much potential. I yearn for the day the team and I can pull off a heist without a hitch.

ANYWAY, back to FEAR. I think my point is: like gamification can happen to work, workification can happen to games. I have overdosed on FEAR. It will take at least a week for me to foam at the mouth with joy while playing.

EDIT: Here is the video:

http://youtu.be/yU_uoEiJ_HQ