New F.E.A.R. 3 trailer is weird, not very scary

I'm a fan of the F.E.A.R. series, which is to say, I've played the games. They're strong action-horror games - lots of slow-mo shooting and blood mixed with occasional creepy moments, plenty of startles, and some damn-impressive set pieces. There's nothing too cerebral about F.E.A.R.'s brand of horror, but it's fun like a ride through a haunted house is fun, and Alma can be genuinely scary.

But this F.E.A.R. 3 trailer, and the last, feel strange. The live-action mixed with gameplay is just weird, and none of it looks particularly scary. We spent F.E.A.R and F.E.A.R. 2 being creeped out as we discovered our relationship to an insane psychic, and now we're... a badass with a vengeance, and we're hanging out with our bro? Why take a voiceless, mostly-faceless protagonist and give him an actor and a voice-over from his sidekick? You're supposed to let Hollywood ruin your game, not do it yourself, even if you've got John Carpenter involved.

There's a Kane & Lynch vibe that I don't like, and clearly there wasa "we need co-op!" mandate, but maybe more gameplay footage will transform my unease about the game into unease about what effed-up hallucinations Alma's mind will produce this time around. See for yourself and let us know what you think:

May 19, 2010