Throughout the years there have been debates: the best or just one of the best? When it comes to combat, it's definitely undefeated. I've played pretty much every FPS that has ever been in the conversation of the GOAT, (perhaps barring only Dusk, which I'm planning to check out soon) and I'm calling it. From the ragdolling enemies, to the particle effects, to the unprecedented AI behavior, to the genius level design, it's simply unparalleled.

Levels are structured in ways that allow both the player and the enemies to ambush each other to play the cat-n-mouse game, as most rooms have more than one entrance/exit, and there's plenty of level geometry to navigate, use as cover or for hiding and ambushing. Between the dynamism of the retro shooters of the 90s with their and the realism of the cover-based shooters of the late 2000s, F.E.A.R. is the link that combines the best of both worlds. Enemies can see your flashlight and advance on you, or retreat when they're taking losses. It's the closest thing in a single-player game to fighting real human opponents. And yet, despite the complexity of the level design, it also flows really well. I only got lost once and only for like a minute. In most cases it creates a sense of non-linearity with branching paths, but most paths still lead you towards your main goals.

The impact of weapons is also among the most satisfying out of any game. A shotgun blast can either blow an enemy's head or limb off, or knock an enemy back into his comrade, or rip him to shreds. It's completely unpredictable, but every outcome feels organic to the moment. The physics are straight out of a John Woo movie, but they make sense.

For the combat alone, F.E.A.R. is a masterpiece, but really the horror aspect here is also very strong. I would argue the game succeeds better at it than Doom 3 or even some self-proclaimed survival horror games like Dead Space. It does have a few jump-scares (one of which nearly gave me a heart attack), but largely relies on the oppressive atmosphere, which is the way I prefer. I've heard a lot of people complain about the monotonous and claustrophobic environments, but I'd argue they actually contribute to the atmosphere a lot. They create a sense of entrapment, and a longing for the outside world. The few brief moments you do get to "breathe some fresh air" you feel a sense of relief, which is quickly replaced with the dread of having to go back inside the building. I think J-horror, as we know it from the 90s onwards, often relies on closed spaces and is meant to play on the anxieties of a XX/XXI century person, and part of that is the isolation produced by modern buildings housing lots of people separated by walls into their own little worlds where they are vulnerable.

I get the feeling the devs were very knowledgeable in J-horror films. In fact, I recall reading an interview where they said the very decision to do this project came out of already being huge fans of J-horror films. I think it's very noticeable in the story, which features a lot of very common tropes of the genre, while also introducing some cyberpunk and military sci-fi elements, giving the game a very unique identity. It's not exactly a story-driven game, and I wouldn't call this story amazing or anything, but it's very minimal and very effective in the few places that it does throw twists at you.

But F.E.A.R. isn't perfect. The combat is at its best when fighting common soldiers, but pretty much every other type of enemy is inferior. The worst one by far is those invisible guys in gimp suits that exude electricity. They creep up on you quietly and then take a huge chunk of health with every melee attack. Also, the ghosts in the last level are not fun to fight at all. I would honestly rather not fight anyone in that level. But these kinds of enemies make up a small minority and don't ruin the overall impression. Plus there's the aforementioned jump-scares. Other than that, it's near-perfection and one of the coolest games ever.