F.E.A.R. 3. Interview with Alex Friend, Warner Bros.

For those who enjoy playing Survival and Horror games June of 2011 would be a remarkable month since the third episode, F.3.A.R. (2011), has come out at last. The game released on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in many countries of the world was developed by Day 1 Studios, which has been known for porting previous titles of the series to various consoles.

The development of F.E.A.R. 3 and the most notable gameplay features with discussed with Alex Friend, who is a Product Manager for many games at the international publisher – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment company. Read on to find out more!

- Hello! Please, introduce yourself to our readers.

- My name is Alex Friend, and I have been the Product Manager for many games produced by Warner Bros.. Today I’m going to show you F.E.A.R. 3. Have you played the previous games in the series?

- Yes. We especially liked the unique frightening atmosphere of those titles.

- That is good then, if you know how the F.E.A.R. line-up was evolving before trying out the new game.

- Was Monolith Production involved in the development process of a new game after making the first titles in the series?

- Of course! They worked on the original game, its conversions to other platforms and had a chance to oversee the production of the expansions. Monolith and Day 1 Studios worked on the project together, and Monolith provided advice to developers through consultations, since both these studios collaborate very close even geographically. We made sure to improve these communications to make the authenticity continue as much as possible.

- What’s in the story of F.E.A.R. 3?

- In F.E.A.R. 3 you will play as a Point Man, and will learn the story of two brothers. For the first time in the series you will be able to play cooperatively. Also Paxton Fettel is a brother that main character killed, though he is still playable in the Co-Op mode while staying in a ghost’s form.

You could see in the trailers the premise of the story of two brothers getting back. They have to work together to find out the solution to their problems. In one of the earlier levels of the game, you are going to visit a village in a suburbs of Newport. As you could see, it was destroyed by an explosion happened in a previous game of the series provoked by a player.

From time to time in F.E.A.R. 3 you will notice massive energy blasts getting more and more powerful each time. They belong to Alma and show that she is growing stronger ready to give birth to a new creature. Sometimes you will even see Alma’s face in the smoke.

The story will unfold in several dreamscapes. Instead of ordinary cutscenes you will actually play out the story: visit certain dreams which continue throughout the game and get new clues there about your past, your childhood and the history of relationship with your brother. Yes, there are still video clips, but we also offer some great moments for you to interact with while learning the course of events. You have to move through them and get a nice immersion feeling.

- Were any new characters added?

- The game will feature some new characters like The Cultists. Those survived from the explosion were not killed, and now they worship Alma Wade. They are under her power. The Cultists in F.E.A.R. 3 will use any chance to attack you at various times during the walkthrough of earlier levels.

- What gameplay innovations will be presented?

- As you might know, the Slow-Mo has got back again being available for you to use. There is one important thing we added to the game. F.E.A.R. has always been known as a Horror game. Previously, according to the script there were specific scary moments. Day 1 Studios has made a new Generative Scare System. It randomizes certain moments in F.E.A.R. 3.

You will never know, what is going to happen next, and when it is going to happen. You can replay any level, and your walkthrough will have to be somewhat different in comparison with your previous time. The enemies will appear at completely random moments. Different enemies will arrive at different times. The in-game atmosphere will become really intense because of that.

There is also a variety of new enemy types in F.E.A.R. 3, but I do not want to spoil all our surprises. The Cultists are those low-level enemies you will come across soon enough. You will meet two more adversaries’ kinds soon enough as well. There are new members of the Alma’s guard teams and new enemies created by Alma in her universe.

There are also Phase Soldiers, who can manipulate the alternative universe and pull other soldiers in through portals at any point where you are – be it behind you or from your sides. Here you will have to kill not only the caster, but also the enemies he summoned.

- Has the Cover System been changed?

- From the combat novelties in F.E.A.R. 3, I can tell you about the new Cover System. We are very pleased with its simplicity. Just with a push of one button you can take cover, move up left and right out of it, lean, leap over it, jump and get back to the cover working in 360 degrees. You will perform various maneuvers while still staying in cover. Some covers can be destroyed to a certain degree.

For example, during the later levels you have to shoot the cover, where your enemies are hiding to make them change their positions. Though, if you are sneaking by the wall, you can feel yourself relatively safe. Also there are connected covers allowing you to change places from one to another.

It is very important for the gameplay in F.E.A.R. 3 to stay in cover for as long as possible under enemy fire, and we offer you simple controls for performing various actions like changing weapons all while keeping your protection. It can require some practice to do great head shots, but the clever Cover System will help you to learn.

- What is the Level Design of the game like?

- There is a lot of variety within a game in other areas we added. Obviously, one of the main difficulties you’ll face, when making a Horror game is how to keep it open and playable as well as keep it filled with intense horror. You just have to add some dark scaring areas made from a variety of elements.

The developers of F.E.A.R. 3 tried to add that variety. So there are cluster-like levels, but there are also cityscapes and motorways, while traveling to Downtown of the city. You will have to visit different locations during your walkthrough, spend some time in the country. When making a first Demo we picked levels allowing to show our Scare System’s potential. Sometimes even I die in the game, since I never know, where the bad guys are coming from.

In the Demo you could see Alma and hear her child’s terrifying screams. The Alma now has become much more powerful. It is a move between reality and her powers while the situation turns to worse. The premise is set 9 months after the events of F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, and she is in a full-term with her baby, while two brothers are trying to interfere. You will not know in the beginning, why your brother wants to help you, but both characters start on a quest to find their mother.

- How will the interaction with the environment work?

- You will be able to use some interactive parts of the environment to your advantage. You could remember some similar things in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (2009), and we have expanded that including different Mech combat with lighter and heavier Mech versions featuring missiles and double mini-guns. Lighter versions are very agile, but do not wear much protection, while heavier versions stay slow, though possess bigger firepower. Mechs aren’t invincible in F.E.A.R. 3, though at certain times you can regenerate their shields back a bit.

- What can you tell about the in-game weapons?

- You will get great guns on your way. They do vary from handguns to something better like 50 Cal. Sniper Rifles, Bazookas, Shotguns and other automatic and semi-automatic weapon types. They will have different abilities to be used at different times. For example, one of the weapons I like has good stopping power, but performs poorly at a distance.

- Has the A.I. evolved as well?

- The game is very challenging. Even on the easiest level of F.E.A.R. 3 you will have to fight a lot. There are four difficulty levels in total, and it is especially fun to play them out in Co-Op. We worked really hard on improving AI. The F.E.A.R. games are famous for the progress we made in this area.

We added some more enemies to the game like the Creep – one of Alma’s creations. This creature will crawl from dreamscape environments to your reality. Getting closer to answering your question, I can say that any PS3-gamer will be able to see some changes in how our AI works.

It looks really cool and accurate. Enemies in F.E.A.R. 3 will outflank you. They can find out, where you are and change their behavior accordingly. They will use grenades, when they think it can be helpful to harm you. From other characters presenting the Horror or the Combat side there are super soldiers you might heard of earlier. Their AI is also very intelligent and very well written.

- Is it possible to target various enemy’s areas?

- Absolutely. We have a great Rag-Doll physics in place. You can aim at arms, legs and heads. These targeting spots are available in the game. The enemies will try to avoid you sometimes looking for cover to make combat more challenging.

- Thanks, Alex!

- You are welcome!

Autographed by Alex Friend (Warner Bros.)

F.E.A.R. 3

F.E.A.R. 3

First-Person Shooter (FPS) that blends classic single and multiplayer combat with the unforgettable Horror/Survival gameplay that the F.E.A.R. franchise is known for. The third game in the F.E.A.R. series, continues the intricate storyline tying together the psychically dangerous mother Alma Wade with her two sons: Point Man and Paxton Fettel, as well as the F.E.A.R. operations team.

Players take control of both characters at different times in the game, utilizing each’s unique abilities and powers in a dark adventure that will test the player’s loyalties, combat skills and sense of duty. Additional features include: Co-op and multiplayer modes, cinematics and story input by John Carpenter and Steve Niles, and additional downloadable content (DLC) available online.

Story:

Nine months ago, Point Man and his F.E.A.R. squad were tapped to stop a telepathically gifted cannibal who had begun a murderous rampage. Point Man learned the target was his brother, Paxton Fettel, working alongside their tortured and psychically powerful mother, Alma Wade. Despite this revelation, Point Man followed orders to destroy them and subsequently ravaged the surrounding city and most of his F.E.A.R. team.

Now, it is clear that Alma’s psychic influence survived – and worse, she is about to birth something that could destroy the world. Fettel has returned from death with an unclear agenda, refusing to leave Point Man’s side and asking for help to reach Alma. The remaining F.E.A.R. Squad is still trying to complete their mission. With his chain of command broken and Point Man calling his own shots, where will his allegiance lie.

Key Game Features:

• Divergent Co-op. Deep, social gameplay that gives players distinctly different abilities;

• Experience the Almaverse. New sinister enemy creatures birthed in Alma’s warped mind spill into reality;

• Generative Scare. Increases the feeling of isolation and unpredictability by offering new experiences each time;

• Masters of Horror. Legendary director John Carpenter and writer Steve Niles provide their expertise on cinematics and story;

• Multiplayer. A twist on classic multiplayer modes set inside the Almaverse provide an experience unique to F.E.A.R. 3.