“F.3.A.R.” Multiplayer

I was excited about “F3AR” before they started talking about multiplayer. This game had me spinning a circle when all I was thinking about was co-op, and maybe the giddy joy of strapping on Point Man’s boots again. That was enough. But it turns out, Day 1 Studios has other plans.

They held a little confab in San Fransisco recently, and finally unveiled their plans for multiplayer in “F3AR.” The results are one of the biggest surprises in the gaming world this year. Hit the jump to see what they’re up to.

The first shock came when Day 1 admitted, right out of the gate, that their multiplayer mode would support only four players at a time. Even though I was reading that on a screen, I still checked my ears as if I hadn’t heard them correctly. Four players? What, did Day 1 lose a war or something? Are they out of their minds? How is deathmatch supposed to work with only four players? The surprises weren’t over: no deathmatch, either. So what are we doing in this damned game?

Quite a lot, it turns out. There will be four modes offered. Two are okay, one is awesome, and the fourth is the greatest thing I’ve ever heard:

Soul King: four players play as Spectres (ghosts, basically), who must possess A.I. controlled baddies in order to kill one another and scoop up points (okay).

Soul Survivor: kind of like “Infection” for “Halo,” one player is a Spectre who must possess A.I. baddies to infect the other three (okay).

Contractions: here’s where the brilliance begins. Horde mode meets the “coffin restock” mechanic we saw in “Undead Nightmare.” And hey, throw in some blinding fog for good measure. This mode is named for Alma’s birthing pains, and appropriately enough, the old girl herself with sometimes show up to rain on your parade. No word yet on whether the game will feature quick-time events where the player assists Alma with her Lamaze.

And finally, the most incredible of them all…

F**king Run: that’s what it’s actually called. Now I’m a God-fearing man, and I don’t normally care for foul language, but even I am forced to admit that is bangin. This mode has four players moving from safe house A to safe house B, in a manner not unlike “Left 4 Dead.” But there’s one important catch: the Wall of Death. As the players make their way to safety, a massive wall of smoke will chase them through the level. Even the slightest contact with it means “end of story.” Hence the appropriately panicked nature of the title.

All four of these sound great, and the last two in particular are genius. As a die-hard fan of the “FEAR” franchise, I’m utterly baffled that a developer is actually taking multiplayer seriously. Deatmatch in the original was a joke, “FEAR 2’s” offering was fun but forgettable, but now Day 1 Studios seems eager to really make a mark on the series, and change the way we look at it forever. I, for one, hope they pull it off.

-AA

first bender, then flexo, then fry