Why do I do this to myself

[The Seeker]

So, I bought F.E.A.R. I know I'm late on this one, but I was busy with other things. Namely Oblivion, which took forever.

Anyway, I've never played a real horror game. The closest thing I came to was Ravenholm in Half-Life 2 which I personally found to be pretty scary. Yet, it is nothing compared to the brilliance that is F.E.A.R.

It's dark, yet not gritty. If anything, it's crisp and clear in it's overshadowed darkness. Periodic ghost encounters, strange unexplainable noises, one of the creepiest soundtracks I have ever heard, and some seriously advanced AI have kept me on my toes and kept my heart racing for several days now

This game has without a doubt blown me away every time I start moving through it. The atmosphere is just so darn creepy. I mean like that part where you walk up to the top of a ladder and hit activate to begin your descent. You automatically look down as you get on the ladder, but as your view swings up to face where you had been standing: HOLY SH*T! CREEPY LITTLE GHOST GIRL STANDING RIGHT FRICKIN' THERE!!!

I litterally jumped back in my computer chair and I think might have said an obscenity or two. Then you get to the bottom of the ladder, your hearts pumping a mile a minute and WHAM!! ANOTHER GHOST SOLDIER GUY COMING RIGHT AT YOU!!

I think I emptied a clip into thin air before I realized I couldn't hurt him.

And just when I think I've got it figured out. You know, your HUD receives a transmission from an unknown source and the lights flicker, odds are you're gonna see a ghostly figure of some sort. So, I'm moving through, get the flickering lights, make myself expect a creepy something when. TWO MANGLED BODIES FLY THROUGH THE WINDOWS TO MY LEFT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!! Once again ineffective shots were fired and I realized that I'm a dumbass.

Same story with the baddies. Just when I start getting the feel for the standard grunts and I hit on the realization that there is nothing out or the ordinary or scary about them from any other FPS (besides their amazing AI programming) suddenly, there's something new. Flickering staticky noises and some god awful creature sticking to the walls of a room like frickin spider man. Just as I open fire, it dissappears. I'm frantically looking around. WHERE DID IT GO!!

THERE IT IS! I open fire, hit it a few times, but it keeps on coming and smacks right into me. It disappears again and I'm officially disturbed.

It's like watching a train wreck. I feel drained when I'm finished playing for (hours?) and yet I have to come back. I have to see what happens next. If they can keep up this pace and pull off a good ending, this one's gonna be one of my classics that I'll replay over and over again.

Now I just have to figure out why I put myself through this sort of thing.

[TSR]

I'm with you on that. I got messed up one the first level in that building, just from the guy elbowing you in theface from around the box on the roof. Its an amazingly creepy game

[Mike Windu]

Haven't played F.E.A.R... but Resident Evil 4 is pretty creepy too.

[The Seeker]

Originally Posted by Mike Windu

Haven't played F.E.A.R... but Resident Evil 4 is pretty creepy too.

So I've heard. Like I said I've never played a horror game before, and anything else will be hard pressed to match the brilliance of this one. I know I went off about the atmosphere of it before, but I never really touched on the weapons. I personally own several guns and can say that the weapons in F.E.A.R. feel like real weapons. The recoil, the sounds, the handling...sure the damage is excessive (I'd like to see a 12 gauge shotgun blow an armored body clean in two) but the guns are just fun to use too. Especially when shooting while backpeddaling like a little girl from...a little ghost girl.

[Sabretooth]

This FEAR thing looks pretty creepy, and I want to try it, but not until I've upgraded my system. FEAR's the sort of game I want to play full-blown.

As far as horror games go, I had found Clive Barker's Undying a very creepy experience. Its an old FPS, based on the Unreal engine. I remember playing the demo in the dark, with speakers on. It shook me up for the night.

[TSR]

saying this, i remember getting freaked by the dark for months on end by watching "stay away from that trapdoor!"

[Det. Bart Lasiter]

I take it you're not getting the sequel or the expansion pack?

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/fe...?mode=universe

[The Seeker]

Originally Posted by jmac7142

I take it you're not getting the sequel or the expansion pack?

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/fe...?mode=universe

Actually, if Splinter Cell: Double Agent wasn't out for PC tomorrow, I would be picking up the Expansion instead. Either way, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point will be a near future play.

I finished FEAR tonight btw. It was probably the best FPS experience I've had since Half Life 2. Anyone standing and watching someone else play would see pretty similar happenings from level to level. You prowl through a claustrophobic building, shooting bad guys in a very cinematic slomo way, and getting freaked out by paranormal activity. Once through one building, you are then air dropped to another building where you prowl through claustrophobic halls, shoot some bad guys in a very cinematic slomo way, and get freaked out by paranormal activity.

However, no matter how much this game does the same thing from level to level, it does it so well, that you don't notice. It's like playing one of the most brilliant games ever while simultaneously watching a really well paced horror film.

First thing I thought at the end when

spoiler:

all you see is a glimpse of Alma climbing into the helicopter and the screen goes black and the credits roll

was "now that was a bloody brilliant game." Fun, addictive, intense, entertaining, and actually had a story you had to pay attention to. I'm definately getting the expansion as soon as I work up the nerve.

[Dagobahn Eagle]

I heard this pretty hilarious story from a guy I shared forum with before said forum went down.

He was playing F.E.A.R., just like you, and is, just like you, terrified of the creepy girl who suddenly just appears. Now, trouble is, he has this sleepwalking sister who's identical to the girl in question. And one night, while he sits there playing F.E.A.R., guess who suddenly stands right behind him, without him having noticed her approaching?

Gave him quite a scare, especially that blood-red pajamas she wore.

[Mike Windu]

Woah.. that would SUCK.

RE:4 is my first horror experience too.. it's very intense. I can't play for more than 20 minutes at a time cause my nerves get shot after every encounter.

[Samuel Dravis]

Originally Posted by Sabretooth

As far as horror games go, I had found Clive Barker's Undying a very creepy experience. Its an old FPS, based on the Unreal engine. I remember playing the demo in the dark, with speakers on. It shook me up for the night.

Undying was great. The parts when you're walking through the house and the doors start shutting was awesome. The kitchen with the (invisible) poltergeist thing in it was amazing as well...I looked at the table and was wondering why that knife was floating up from it.

FEAR is pretty awesome though, I've played it a bit. Why are the little girls always so creepy?

[The Seeker]

Originally Posted by Dagobahn Eagle

I heard this pretty hilarious story from a guy I shared forum with before said forum went down.

He was playing F.E.A.R., just like you, and is, just like you, terrified of the creepy girl who suddenly just appears. Now, trouble is, he has this sleepwalking sister who's identical to the girl in question. And one night, while he sits there playing F.E.A.R., guess who suddenly stands right behind him, without him having noticed her approaching?

Gave him quite a scare, especially that blood-red pajamas she wore.

Holy sh*t! I would have crapped my pants. We're talking screaming like a little girl, flailing arms, shouting obscenities sort of freak out.

I can't even remember all the times I see the little girl and am standing there watching her, making myself not open fire. Then, she does something unexpected and what do I do? BLAMBLAMBLAM! Then I feel like an idiot because it does nothing to her the same as last time.

Why are little ghost girls so creepy? Man I gotta get on extraction point.

[TSR]

Originally Posted by The Seeker

Holy sh*t! I would have crapped my pants. We're talking screaming like a little girl, flailing arms, shouting obscenities sort of freak out.

I would pay to see that

[Darth Groovy]

I have F.E.A.R. Creepy isn't it? Ravenholm on HL2 was creepy also.

[BongoBob]

Never played Fear, but god damnit, Ravenholm in HL2 scared the living s*** out of me the first time around.

Hell, even now I'll find a fast zombie I wasn't expecting, and still get freaked.

[TSR]

Originally Posted by BongoBob

fast zombie

never thought those two words went together :| Half life 2 you say? never played it.

[IG-64]

Originally Posted by TheSuperRodian

never thought those two words went together :|

I didn't either. I still don't like when zombies run, that's why I didn't like the Resident Evil 5 trailer. But these aren't your average zombies; these things are like animals. Whoever hasn't played Half-Life 2 and has the computer to do it, should go out and get it now.

[TSR]

Originally Posted by IG-64

Whoever hasn't played Half-Life 2 and has the computer to do it, should go out and get it now.

I lack both time and money at the moment (bike insurance, general costs, TAX?!?!)
But, if anyone can find me a good deal online, give me a heads up

[The Seeker]

Like I said, until FEAR, HL2 was by far the best FPS I'd played since Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2. It really has that old school shooter feel to it. While FEAR doesn't top it, it certainly comes close. I found the Ravenholm levels to be terrifying the first couple times through, after that I realized that the zombies are unscary in their predictability. The slow ones naturally are anyway, but the fast ones will do one thing: come running at you. Once they get there, they'll start walloping on you. Stand your ground with your back to the wall and they die just as easy as the combine.

But, yes, if you haven't played HL2, you are missing out on a pivotal game in video game history. Sort of like me missing the original Half Life until about six months ago.

[Sabretooth]

Originally Posted by TheSuperRodian

never thought those two words went together :|

Bwahahaha. That is where teh Dawn of teh Dead comes in.

[The Seeker]

Fast Zombies are what make Zombie movies for me. I know that the old ones are considered pure, but I just don't find them that scary. I mean I suppose it's a little creepy how they systematically cut off all escape routes to overwhelm survivors, but still...

I mean, in the event of an actual for real zombie apocolypse, I would personally rather be up against a dozen slow zombies that I can outrun and draw a bead on with my guns rather than two or three shrieking, running full tilt, mindless monsters. Fast ones may not be pure or classic, but dammit, they sure are scary.

[Rabish Bini]

Project Zero is scary. Like the time when I went to open this closet, and this ghost full on jumps out at ya and your like OMG!WTF? Or when your walking down this corridor and you see your dead brothers ghost walking up the stairs in front of you. That gives you the creeps.

I've never played F.E.A.R. but if it's as scary as you say, i'm gonna go get it.

[Rogue15]

even rhett agrees, undying ftw.

[Lantzen]

Yepp, FEAR scared the hell out of me, and i think i will get the expansion. And Seeker, if you watch throgh the hole end credit, there is a secret scene, just so you know. Was a long time since i played it, but its about the project with ghost girl

[Dagobahn Eagle]

Why are little ghost girls so creepy?

Because you're used to little girls being harmless, not spooky.

[TSR]

Oh dear...