[SPOILERS] So is Paxton actually dead or?

[Crazy Dave]

I think the writing in XP is really good, but not much is explained. Why is Paxton backston? Why does Alma during that one part say "You're safe now" even though she still tries to kill you? The ending left me feeling sorta empty, nothing was really explained by the end, maybe that's the point but that just makes me feel cheated. And I get examining the story in a F.E.A.R game is kinda dumb, but I personally found the story enjoyable and just feel like it could've been more.

[UmbralPenumbra]

Well he's back in FEAR 3, so the presumption is that he was never dead. He's even depicted in official art for FEAR 3 with a bullet hole in his head, so perhaps the gunshot only temporarily disabled his psychic abilities

[StreamWhenGuy]

XP and Perseus are considered non-canon. They tried to pack it together in FEAR 2: Reborn and further in FEAR 3 but it ended up being crap if you ask me.

[UmbralPenumbra]

I just ignore when devs claim certain games in a series are or are not canon. Perseus isn't pointman, and FEAR 2 isn't pointman either, so it's not like the expansions are incompatible with the 'canon' entries of the series

XP and PM aren't canon but 3 is? Alright Monolith. lol

[StreamWhenGuy]

Yeah, only Monolith didn't develop the expansions. TimeGate Studios did. Monolith continued working on F.E.A.R. 2. Perseus is just a side story about some guy nobody cares about. Just a generic shooter "by motives". XP is not bad, but there are too many inconsistencies regarding the story and the continuation with further games if you start digging into it.
F.E.A.R. 3 was made by Day 1 Studios and is considered canon since they just continued the main story.

[Igris]

child alma (her good side) helps you
adult creepy skeleton alma (her angry evil side) tries to hurt and stop you in this game.

[Gullis]

yeah, I love this expansion from a gameplay standpoint, and it has solid maps. But from a story standpoint, I had no clue about anything.

[SuperFly]

Um...
Paxton Fettel was shot in the head. He is dead.

He returns as psychic energy and haunts the Pointman in "Extraction Point" and the third entry -- as well as taking over a specific Replica in 'Reborn', a talent he displays ad nauseum in the next game.

Whenever you see him after the first game, he is incorporeal.

[[BD] Crocve]

Paxton is dead - but his soul remains active due to the supernatural "release" that happened with the explosion at the end of the first game and that allowed him to reactivate the Replica soldiers.

I believe that the team responsible for FEAR 3 had the story of Extraction Point (even though it´s not considered canonical) in mind and from there built on what was Paxton´s intentions. It appears that Paxton always wanted to free Alma, but for his own selfish reasons - he wanted to release her so that he could use her in order to kill everyone involved with the "Projects" of Armacham as a form of revenge for the suffering they caused him, but his ultimate objective was to then consume her body (which is what happens if Paxton wins at the end of FEAR 3) in order to achieve god-like power.

Alma´s soul appears to have a double personality: a childish, friendly and playfull Alma, that is friendly and protective towards Pointman (and who appears to be aware of Paxton´s intentions), and you have an older, angry, vengfull and out-of-control Alma that is not friendly towards anyone and wrecks havoc with her demonic creatures.

[Son Of Proctor]

I actually thought Alma was helping you and Paxton was the one tormenting you with visions and Shade, but that's my own theory. I also thought killing off Holiday and Jin was retarded tho. I hate bleak endings.

[Reggiez]

Just replayed this game on PC for the first time. After getting everything to work it was a solid experience.

The story in the F.E.A.R series has always been a bit muddled after the first entry in my opinion. I like the gameplay and the settings. The story though. Not the strongest part of this series. As has been mentioned earlier in the thread. These expansions have been dropped from the canon. But even if not, my thought is that Paxton is dead but lingers on in some supernatural ghostly form.