Cold Fear Review

As for the weapons, they include a semi-automatic handgun with a flashlight and a laser sight, AK47, shotgun, MP5, grenade launcher, flame thrower, and a spear gun. I preferred the assault rifle and the handgun, while the spear gun also proved to be very effective although it does not deal direct damage to your enemies. This is a sort of a short-range stun gun which makes your enemies temporarily disoriented and thus unable to fight, so you can choose to run by them or finish them off with a proper weapon.

This guy is trying to make a public stand against abortion.

If you see any mutilated bodies, it means we're close to the end of the level.

Health packs, on the other hand, weren't very helpful as you are unable to store them. You see, Cold Fear offers you no inventory for storing items but only allows you to use them automatically, so whenever you stumble upon a health pack you will need to use it. The only exception is the health supply in the med room, which always helps you restore full health. It is also impossible to save the game whenever you want. You've guessed it - checkpoints. This of course entails plenty of replaying, which can get a bit tiresome. To make matters worse, the game features no on screen mini-map so you'll have to rely solely on your orientation. The first part of the game takes place at only one location, so in order to add more variety certain pathways and doors are blocked during the game. The locked status of the doors changes during the game, so you need to take care you've not taken the temporarily inaccessible road. Once I forgot that I could not open certain doors from the other side, so I had to go all the way back, and as I had no bullets I was duly ripped to shreds by stupid monsters.

There are several different kinds of enemies featured in the game, from the simple mercenaries armed with guns, to scary Exomasses with gigantic, oversized left arms. The smallest enemies are the Exocells (Contaminators), creatures that use the fact they're made of tentacles alone to the full extent, often crawling on the ceilings and sucking your blood from there. They consider the human brain to be a treat and enjoy sucking it out of its rightful owner, which in turn transforms the said human into a brainless moron, e.g. the Exomutant. The problem with these brainless buggers is that you'll need to blow their head off so they can rest in peace - otherwise they'll get up and come after you. Other enemies feature Exonests which produce Exocells and Exoshades - these sick motherfuckers are fast and like to jump at you in the dark, as well as Exospectres which can turn invisible, and Exomasses. All have their weaknesses which can be effectively used against them. The only problem with them is that they, again, lack any real scariness or hideousness, which I found a real let-down for a game such as this. (Not to mention that they sound EXACTLY like Half-Life 2 headcrabs. -Ed)

Cold Fear looks rather good, with enemies that look quite realistic (although not scary enough), and with authentic-looking and rather detailed environments. While Cold Fear isn't spectacular when it comes to the visuals, featuring monotonous, bleak, brownish and grayish surroundings, its looks complement the atmosphere perfectly, offering you believable settings to move in. The special effects are very good, with great weather effects and details like drops of rain or blood that fall on the camera, blurring the vision. The sound is also very effective, with different tunes that fit the atmosphere perfectly, solid voiceovers, and scarce ambient sounds, which is also very realistic in a way - after all, what sounds are you hoping to hear on an abandoned ship? The mutants' shrieks do the job of sounding very annoying, leaving you wanting to empty your gun into the freaks.

So, what's the conclusion? I must say it's a pity that a game with such a realistic feel and a believable atmosphere suffers from several annoying problems, such as the lack of an in game mini-map or an inventory system and the inability to save your progress or use the health packs at will. You're also unable to pick up ammo if the weapon that uses it is fully loaded, so you'll have to leave it lying around. The inability to carry more forces you to aim better, which is at times virtually impossible. Sure you might say that there is certain charm to this, and to a certain extent you might be right, but there is a fine line between hard and engaging gameplay and frustrating gameplay - a fine line which shouldn't be crossed.

I won't comment on the simplicity of the puzzles, the washed-out story, or the standardized, stereotypical characters with as much personality as a piece of cardboard. The main problem with this game is that it lacks the substantial element of a true survival horror game, and that is fear. Its inability to cause this emotion makes it a solid action game, but it does not make it a horror. End of statement.

Now, if you ever happened to read or watch 'Trigun,' you may remember a scene where Legato Bluesummers, by means of mind control, forces a bunch of slave owners to kill themselves. Before doing this, he states, "I eventually plan to obliterate every last trace of mankind on Earth. Why must you rush the inevitable?" and goes on to persuade the thugs to rip their own hearts out of their chest. Or maybe he said that *after* he got them killed? I don't know, but one must admire such power of persuasion. The moment he made them do it, (with a wry smile on his face), was far scarier than anything I've seen in Cold Fear. So now you know. (Mental note: I must revoke her DVD rental rights. -Ed)