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Parents' Guide to

F.E.A.R

By Jeremy Gieske, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Terrifying and bloody shooter for adults only.

Game Windows 2005
F.E.A.R Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Bigcacaball
Bigcacaball Adult
May 8, 2019
age 13+

Great game, for mature audiences.

The game looks pretty good, has great sound effects, good gameplay. In terms of violence it’s pretty gory. Enemies are shot as puffs of blood appear and they can be exploded on occasion. Drugs are used to make your health and reflexes better. The page claims that there is no sexual content, but a ghostly figure that appears naked sometimes (nothing is explicitly shown). Characters will swear every once in a while and use stronger language like fuck and shit. It’s overall a pretty violent game with some swearing, but it’s not anything to traumatize you. The horror is completely different though, and can be unsettling and frightening. It’s a great game and if you find it for a cheap price, check it out. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone below the age of 13 though.
graveling
graveling Adult
May 4, 2014
age 16+

scary and filled with gore

(-contains very strong bloody violence and gore disturbing images strong horror and language-)-18-
See all 5 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Players take the role of a newbie F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) grunt, sent in to investigate the mysterious take over of a high-tech aerospace compound. Voicemail messages and wounded personnel left in the facility reveal a government-sponsored military program gone horribly wrong. Cloned soldiers under the control of cannibal Paxton Fettel have locked down the entire plant, killing anyone who enters. Meanwhile, players experience sudden and random visions: horrible medical experiments, tortured and bloodied victims, flooded rooms, fires, and a mysterious little girl in a red dress.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (9 ):

Borrowing from horror films including The Ring and Hannibal, F.E.A.R. mixes first-person-shooter action with terrifying and disturbing imagery. This game is thoroughly terrifying. It's well done, but it's for mature players only -- it is not for anyone under 17.

The plot isn't anything new, nor are the weapons. Mood is everything -- and as players battle their way through the levels, they can't help but feel unsettled. It's worth noting that the artificial intelligence in this game adds complexity to FPS gaming. Even on easy, players shouldn't expect to rush through the levels, guns blazing, and hope to make it out alive.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the horror genre of films and games. Does a lot of blood and gore make the game/movie scarier or not? Where would you draw the line? Is gameplay more intense because you control part of the action? Are frightening games less appropriate for teens and kids?

Game Details

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