The nail gun was so satisfying! The AI was cool! The way they would flank was pretty good for the time! The light and shadows were really great. Lots of tension mixed with the gun fights. In a lot of ways, Condemned reminds me of it, too.
Yeah now that you mention it, there really haven't been too many releases similar to FEARs gameplay style since then. It was a very unique combo of fps and horror. I would love to see someone tackle that style again
It's a shame that I'm a quivering pussy, because I think the combat against the replicants in FEAR fucking rules. The shooting feels awesome, slow-mo karate is awesome, the game feels awesome to play.
...and then the game goes quiet after the shooting stops, and it delivers some of the spookiest atmosphere I've experienced even after two decades of age. A single light fixture moves suddenly, showing the shadow of something just behind me, and I jump out of my skin and have to take a break from playing.