Fear. No, not the emotion. I’m talking about F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Recon Assault), the videogame series. The psychological horror game burst onto the scene in 2005, 19 years ago tomorrow, offering an intense shooter experience that had you fearing for your virtual life – Monolith Productions nailed the name for this one – as you investigate a supernatural phenomenon as part of an elite group in the US Army. However, it’s been dormant for ten years, and I think the Nintendo Switch 2 is the perfect platform for it to make a comeback.
One of the best horror games to grace the Xbox 360 and PS3, F.E.A.R. spurned two expansions, one for the second game, two sequels, and an online multiplayer shooter, releasing between 2006 and 2014. The FPS games only ever came to Xbox, PS, and PC, missing out on Nintendo’s system, which feels like a missed opportunity considering how much fun games like House of the Dead Overkill are on the Wii.
Alma Wade serves as the primary antagonist of the entire series. Though she’s an adult, she portrays herself as a kid in hallucinations, embracing the child horror trope to great effect. She’s terrifying, and regardless of which game you play, you feel a certain sense of dread, knowing this powerful psychic spirit is on the warpath.
I can still remember the first time I came face-to-face with her; it didn’t matter how many guns I had. I wanted to run. Fans of Resident Evil’s Eveline are bound to like Alma, as the characters bear some striking similarities, such as using illusions, making the idea of seeing them both on the Nintendo Switch 2 all the more appealing.
Considering how well remakes for the Resident Evil games, System Shock, and Silent Hill are doing – even if the latter remains absent from Nintendo Switch – it seems like it’s as good a time as any to give F.E.A.R. a revival, even if it’s just in the form of remasters and ports. If Konami’s beloved psychological horror phenomenon can make a triumphant return, so can First Encounter Assault Recon.
While Vivendi Games served as the publisher for the first game and its expansions, Warner Bros. took over for the sequels and allowed Aeria Games to publish the online multiplayer game under license. It’s been exactly ten years since the release of F.E.A.R. Online on October 17, 2014, the last game in the series, and to say it was short-lived is an understatement, as the game never left its open beta, with servers shutting down in May 2015.
With a good story and stellar antagonist, F.E.A.R. deserves another shot in the spotlight, and the Nintendo Switch 2 is the perfect time to do it. A new console and the revival of a forgotten series is a match made in heaven. Capcom is even embracing the small screen with numerous Resident Evil mobile ports, including the upcoming Resident Evil 2 mobile release. Still, I’ll just be happy to see Alma on Nintendo’s next bit of hardware.