F.E.A.R. 3

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Gory shooter sequel with strong profanity, partial nudity.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that F.E.A.R. 3 is a game that fuses first-person action with "survival horror" elements. That is, while you're running and gunning from the main character's point of view (or unleashing paranormal attacks), the dark visuals, mutant creatures, and creepy music are meant to scare you. Along with ample blood and gore -- including body dismemberment and decapitation -- the game has strong profanity and partial nudity. Gamers who play online can also chat via headset microphone, a feature Common Sense Media does not recommend for preteens.

  • This bloody first-person romp stars two brothers -- one alive and one a spirit, of sorts -- out to stop an evil entity from giving birth to what might be an even more malevolent threat. While their intentions are good, the game is rooted in violence, blood, and gore. The message is mixed, but overall it's not very good.
  • Players take on the roles of a genetically altered superhuman and his dead brother, out to stop the mysterious woman Alma from giving birth to what could be an even greater threat. Their intentions are good, but their violent behavior hardly makes these siblings good role models.  
  • As with past F.E.A.R. games and other first-person shooters, the controls are fairly intuitive on a console controller or computer mouse/keyboard setup. On the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game players push the left analog stick to move around and the buttons to lock on and fire weapons or unleash powers. It doesn't take long to pick up the controls.  
  • This is an extremely violent first-person shooter that has players shooting at enemies -- sometimes wearing bombs so they blow up into many chunky bits when hit. These mostly humanoid enemies (mutants) cry in pain and splatter blood. With special powers it's also possible to make enemy heads explode. Some special powers result in slow-motion movement for dramatic effect.  
  • There is some partial nudity in the game. A female character briefly shows her breasts, though nipples cannot be seen.
  • Language is profane at times, including words such as "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "hell" and "damn." One of the multiplayer game modes is called "F--king Run."
  • Not applicable.

What's it about?

F.E.A.R. 3, a paranormal first-person shooter, reintroduces a genetically-enhanced and skilled sharpshooter named Point Man, who teams up with his deceased brother, Paxton Fettel. Both have supernatural powers. The siblings -- who have a rocky relationship -- face off against an evil presence from their past through eight main levels. Every level you complete as Point Man can be replayed as Paxton, with a different set of skills. The story isn't terrific, but it puts the action into context and helps tie up some loose ends introduced in previous games. As with its predecessors, horror masters John Carpenter and Steve Niles were involved in the direction of F.E.A.R. 3.


Is it any good?

 

For those old enough and who like horror games, it's fun; but be aware the game leans more toward a shooter than it does a paranormal thriller. Depending on what kind of experience you're after, F.E.A.R. 3 may or may not be the ideal game for you. There are a few scary moments in dark corridors, on rooftops, and city streets, but the bloody and gory first-person action, which is set in memorable locations, is where the game excels.

The controls feel good, regardless of whether you're using traditional or paranormal weapons. Decent A.I. ("Artificial Intelligence" -- where the computer controls non-playable characters) makes playing the solo campaign worthwhile, but it can also be tackled in co-op mode (though it shouldn't prove too challenging with two players). There are also a few multiplayer modes to keep the action fresh for a while. F.E.A.R. 3 might not be the best -- or best-looking -- shooter on the market but it shouldn't disappoint fans of action or survival horror. Note: all three versions of the game are the same.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about whether first-person shooters still have the same appeal in 2011 as they did back in the mid-to-late 1990s. Military shooters like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 are very popular, but have they evolved much? F.E.A.R. 3 adds a horror element, like Valve's Left 4 Dead 2. Does this help innovate the genre?

  • Families can also discuss violence in games. How do you monitor the games your kids are playing? What are the markers you look for to determine whether they are too violent? How do you explain to them that a game might not be appropriate for kids their age without frustrating them?


This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Teen, 16 years old
July 10, 2011
 
F.E.A.R. 3 Review
Amazing game i could honestly say, but for kids, I honestly think they'll FEAR sleeping. This game has a lot of pop-ups they will suprise you very much. This game is for kids 17+. I say if your older or your kids can handle these types of games, then they'll love the gameplay. Its very easy to control your character and the shooting.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 15 years old
July 9, 2011
 
SCARED!!!!!!!!
This game is so freaky its not funny.

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Teen, 13 years old
August 16, 2011
 
Not for children, but good fun.
I had enjoyed the prequels, and that led me to rent this game. Common sense media had a review on this game i agree with almost completely (Suprise!) This game is NOT FOR KIDS. The unrelenting profanity is an issue. But hilarity ensued when i heard the word S--t 12 times in about 2 minutes. F bombs are a constant. Now this game is not very scary, and if you think it is, the prequels are much worse. Dont play them. Now on to the violence aspect of the game. severed legs, torsoes ripped from the legs, and people being burned alive. And lets not forget the classic factor of getting a headshot makes their head explode. And we all know about chatting during online play. All in all, if you are old (or mature) enough to play this game, the storyline is great and the gameplay is good.

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Teen, 13 years old
November 30, 2011
 
Best of the three games.
Csm,again stop with the not for kids thing.its kind of stupid.it depends on the child's maturity,not the age!!!i probably havent said this a 3 year old can play it simply bcuz there's nothing to worry about except the demonic presence and the violence,but as I stress ,your kids will get used to the violence and gore,the demonic presence will also get used to.i can play this game for as long as I want and I play it like 13 hours a day,I am not scared and I'm not violent,while this kind of stuff would normally freak a 13 year old out,but like I said,get used to it.thats the world for you,if you cant take a single darn bit of blood or violence,the. You pretty much cant tolerate anything.

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Teen, 16 years old
November 24, 2011
 
fear makes you fear this game
god its fun!!!!!!!!but not for kids in story mode a girl stripes down fully the whole nine yards are avalible to see.and it wil make you sh*t your pants thats wat it said on the back cover any way.

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Parent
March 24, 2012
 
kinda fun-language is bad- violence is bad for those who cant handle it
The sexual themes is once again just like fear 2- naughty ol' alma shows her breasts. for language, there is a pretty big wide variety or uses of f*** and s****. violence- people are torn apart everywhere

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent
March 10, 2012
 
b
to scary plus demo blows

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Platforms:Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows
Available online?Not available online
Genre:First Person Shooter
Developer:Warner Bros. Games
Release date:June 21, 2011
Price:$59.99
ESRB rating:M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language

This review was written by Marc Saltzman

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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