The original F.E.A.R. (a first person shooter) was released on the PC a few years ago, when it came out it was highly praised for its intelligent enemy A.I., its excellent use of lighting and intense firefights. It managed to retain this when Day 1 Studios, brought Monolith Productions masterpiece to the Xbox 360 at the end of 2006. At the time F.E.A.R. made its debut on the Xbox 360, the PC version received an expansion pack entitled 'Extraction Point', and this year another expansion pack entitled 'Perseus Mandate' was released. The original F.E.A.R. for the Xbox 360 did not receive the first expansion pack, however with the release of F.E.A.R. Files, Xbox 360 gamers can now get their hands on Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate. Although the two games are expansion packs, F.E.A.R. Files is a stand alone game, it does not need the original F.E.A.R. game to work, however given the storyline it's probably best that players know the background story.

Gameplay:

Extraction Point picks up where the first game left off, after the explosion the helicopter you are flying in goes down and you have to make your way to your squad mates with whom you have been separated from. Those who have played the original will instantly realize that the controls are the same and the way the character moves will all seem familiar, just what you would expect from an expansion pack really. Extraction Point does allow doors to be bashed open this time, which seems a lot smoother at first, however doors with glass windows can be a pain, since it just breaks the glass instead of opening the door. In true F.E.A.R. style, before you get your hands on a gun and get into some action, there will be a few mysterious spooky sightings and hallucinations which might freak you out, but again nothing fans of the original won't expect. Overall, the hallucinations are definitely more frequent this time round, and some of them seem more intense from what I remember of the first F.E.A.R. The fact that it is more of the same is both good and bad. The game won't feel as fresh as the original, and it still looks the same and plays the same. There are a few new weapons to play with, and a couple of new enemy types to maim and kill. The combat however is just as intense and cinematic as before. Hit the slow-motion button to activate your character's heightened reflexes, and let rip with your weapon of choice. Watching your enemies arm get ripped off at the shoulder thanks to a well placed shotgun blast is as satisfying as ever. The slow motion feature is just as valuable this time round, hit detection isn't the best, and sometimes your health will just decrease so fast it will come as a complete shock. The game is one of the few remaining First Person Shooter games to use health packs to instantly restore health, so keeping your eye on your health bar may take a little getting used to if you have come from the many games which use the good old regenerating health system. One of the few complaints of F.E.A.R. was the lack of variety in the levels. Unfortunately this is still present, although the maps are different to the first game, a lot of it will feel like familiar territory. Both of the expansion packs do allow for more open firefights at points however, which is a plus and certainly helps vary the combat from just dispersing squads of three soldiers constantly. There are a few memorable moments in the expansion packs though and there will be some tough battles which last longer than players might be used to, but thanks to well placed health and ammo they won't be impossible. The A.I. Is still fierce, however some of the areas in Extraction Point seem too constricted for this to show, there will be moments when the enemy will flank you. It seems this is improved upon in Perseus Mandate and it allows for more open firefights which require a bit more attention and skill.

Graphics:

The graphics aren't horrible, but they don't stand up well against more recent First Person Shooter games. The lighting / dynamic shadows are brilliant, but the textures feel a little plain and bland, some of them look downright awful close up. The slow motion blur and bullet effects are satisfactory,with bullets pushing the air creating distorted lines, just like something from The Matrix films. The character models are acceptable, but again you will no doubt expect better in terms of detail and facial features. There is no noticeable improvements in graphics in F.E.A.R. Files compared to the original game, although it has been a while since that first came out so there shouldn't be any excuses for lack of improvement. Explosions are well done, they look and feel powerful and will usually create mayhem, with particles of dust flying around, bits of paper or other items floating to the ground during the aftermath. Another perk is the fact that guns will still smoke if they are lying on the ground, abandoned - which looks pretty neat. During the hallucinations, the screen will probably go blurred and out of focus giving the situation a more freaky feel to it which made for an interesting contrast to the normal play.

Sound:

The gun sounds are superb when fired normally, however they get even better when in slow motion. The sound of the bolt going back and forth will be distinct and satisfying, as will the sound of bullets hitting flesh. As firefights break out, a lot of the time stray bullets will cause a lot of damage to the surrounding area. This results in the sound of glass being violently smashed, cans being thrown around and chunks of brick coming out of the walls. This is all very well produced and again, sound even better when the slow-motion is in effect. The voice acting for your A.I. Team mates seems a little poor and lacks emotion, however expect some creepy voices coming from strange sources which adds to the spooky or tense atmosphere.

Longevity:

As far as single player goes, F.E.A.R. Files offers a substantial single player experience, especially considering it is just an expansion. Most of the game time will be spent in Extraction Point, as the Perseus Mandate campaign is considerably shorter. The multiplayer side of the game may bring back good memories for fans of the first game, however it is unlikely that the game will attract many players given the other high quality competition on offer, which seems true judging by the number of players online I encountered. There are also challenges available exclusively to the Xbox 360 which should give players a quick action fix separate from the main storyline.

Overall:

I definitely recommend F.E.A.R Files to fans of the first game. Although it might look a little dated, it is packed with more of the intense F.E.A.R. action that fans of the game love. The lack of an active online community may dampen the multiplayer aspect of the game, but there is plenty on offer within the single player. The game is an expansion pack, so it would be wrong to expect lots of changes and innovations, however it definitely doesn't have the big impact the first game had when it was released. This is probably due to a number of factors like competition and its more of the same, however the firefights are still cinematic, killing enemies is fun, and there are definitely some shocking moments in the game to make it worthwhile. If you are wondering about what all the fuss is about or have yet to experience F.E.A.R. then it is definitely worth checking out, however it is advisable that players should give the original a play through first.