Our 31 Days of Horror Games series begins with F.E.A.R!
In celebration of Halloween, we’re counting down the days with some of the greatest horror games ever made -- 31 of our favorites! Every day, we’ll take a look back at a horror game that gave us goosebumps, made our controllers tremble, and chased us out of our living rooms. Long live the horror game! And make sure to check out our full list of 31 Horror Games To Play In October!
Nearly 10 years ago, Monolith Productions (the team behind last month's incredible Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor) and Sierra Entertainment teamed up for the very first F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon, and if you're a lover of horror games, then this is a MUST play. It was released in October 2005, and to this day it has some of the best jump scares in any video game.
It wasn't the solid gunplay or "bullet time" element that made this game so great, but the disturbing images inspired by Japanese horror flicks like The Ring or Dark Water, and classic horror films like The Shining. Most of these moments are created by Alma, a little girl closely resembling Samara from The Ring, who shows her power by taking out an entire Delta Force squad early on in the game. F.E.A.R. also had some of the best horror-themed music in a video game, which added significant tension.
There are more than a few memorable moments in F.E.A.R.. For example, you're cruising down in an elevator and the lights flicker so that one moment you see nothing and the next you see Alma, and then the next she's gone again. Another freaky moment I remember is turning around to climb down a ladder, and sure enough Alma is right there at the top of the ladder when you turn around. Creepy, bro, creepy.
And, what would a horror game be without gore -- F.E.A.R. had plenty of it. Blood dripping from the walls, smeared on the floor, and bodies falling from ceilings are just a few tidbits of goriness contained within. Alma got a little scarier in F.E.A.R. 3, but as far as the games themselves are concerned, F.E.A.R. is the best of the bunch.
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