Even if you didn't play the previous two, FEAR 3 is a great shooter in its own right. You get a solid 8-hour campaign that can be played solo or cooperatively, two playable characters with totally different gameplay styles, and a slew of other co-op and competitive multilplayer modes, each with their own maps. And in case you've been following this series since the first game, you'll likely be interested in the story and how it details the origins of Point Man and Paxton Fettel. The first FEAR was great for its time, but hasn't exactly aged well, and the second game was a big disappointment, but FEAR 3 delivers. If you're in the market for a solid shooter with loads of content that can be enjoyed both online and off, you need to check out this game.

I had very high hopes for this game, coming off the success of the first one. To my dismay, what we got was a linear, watered down, by-the-numbers shooter geared strictly for consoles. With the exception of a better engine and more detailed environments, everything about this game was dumbed down from the original. In particular, the aggressive, squad-based enemy AI that would intelligently flank you and actively pursue you was reduced to scripted rooms in which enemies would hide behind cover, and stay there. Once triggered, you could go back to the previous room, and they would NEVER come after you. And since the AI was practically nonexistent, the level design became as linear as possible. Whereas the first game would give you multiple paths, presenting tactical options for both you and the enemies to utilize, FEAR 2 forces you in one straight direction at all times, presenting zero opportunity to explore or otherwise deviate from the set path. In short, avoid this game.

I know it techincally isn't fair to put up a "recommendation" when I haven't played the game proper since I cancelled my subscription back in 2008, but I'm certain it hasn't gotten any better by going free. What once was actually a pretty decent fantasy MMO fell victim to SOE's desire for more money at the cost of sacrificing everything that made the game fun and unique. Furthermore, the free-to-play structure is still designed to get your money through microtransactions. This isn't an uncommon practice for F2P online games, but EQ's prices were outrageous *before* the game went free. If an EXP potion that lasted two measly hours cost $10 back in 2008, what even the most basic items and unlockables are going for now is anyone's guess.

Don't be fooled. If you expect to get any enjoyment from this game, you're going to have to pay for it. Otherwise, you're going to be extremely restricted by almost anything you do.