F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate
A sidequel expansion set alongside the original F.E.A.R. events.
F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate is the second standalone expansion for the first-person shooter horror game F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon. TimeGate Studios developed it, and Vivendi Games published it under Sierra Entertainment for Windows and Xbox 360 in November 2007. This expansion is a sidequel, running parallel to the original game and the first expansion, and is not considered canon in the series.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- TimeGate Studios
- Producer
- Tim Hall
- Designer
- Brett Norton
- Programmer
- Denis Papp
- Artist
- Thomas Woods III
- Writer
- Richard Pearsey
- Composer
- Gabriel Mann, Rebecca Kneubuhl
- Series
- F.E.A.R.
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate is a first-person shooter with gameplay closely resembling the original F.E.A.R. and its first expansion, Extraction Point. The player's arsenal includes handguns (which can be dual wielded), an assault rifle, submachine gun, shotgun, sniper rifle, nail gun, repeating cannon, rocket launcher, and particle beam, along with the minigun and laser carbine from Extraction Point. New weapons introduced are a grenade launcher, night vision rifle, and lightning arc. Only five different firearms can be carried at any one time. The player also has access to four types of projectiles: frag grenades, proximity grenades, remote bombs, and deployable turrets, with a capacity of ten each, but only one type may be equipped at a time. Melee combat is a viable alternative, with all firearms usable in close combat; lighter weapons allow faster movement and better melee success. Holstering the weapon maximizes speed and enables hand-to-hand combat, including a jumping kick and sliding tackle that instantly kill regular enemies. Reflex time slows the game world while the player aims and reacts normally, with a meter that refills automatically and can be expanded by picking up reflex boosters. Other pickups include medkits (up to ten), protective armor, and health boosters that permanently increase the health meter.
Plot
Perseus Mandate begins moments after Armacham Technology Corporation security turns on F.E.A.R. and kills Aldus Bishop. A senator orders Gavin Morrison to retrieve Perseus at all costs. A second F.E.A.R. team, consisting of Cpt. Raynes, Lt. Chen, and an unnamed sergeant (the player character), infiltrates ATC's Global Data and Security Center to find information on Project Perseus, a classified operation developing telepathically-controlled clone soldiers called Replicas. They discover a mercenary squad known as the Nightcrawlers has already infiltrated the facility. The team sees Morrison interrogating Bristol, the head of Project Perseus; when Bristol refuses to comply, the Nightcrawlers' leader, Albino, kills him. The sergeant downloads Perseus-related files from the mainframe, and the team is extracted. Deployed to Armacham Plaza, Chen investigates ATC Archives while the sergeant explores the bio-research facility, learning that Morrison seeks something called The Source. The sergeant overhears Albino ordering his men to kill Morrison after the mission. Chen finds information on a secret underground cloning facility, and the sergeant discovers that The Source is Paxton Fettel's DNA, stored in the bio-research facility.
Development
F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate was announced in July 2007 and first shown at E3. The Xbox 360 version was bundled with F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and released as F.E.A.R. Files. TimeGate Studios stated the game would be a sidequel to the base game and first expansion, focusing on a different F.E.A.R. team. The player is accompanied for much of the game by an AI companion, a design decision influenced by positive feedback on Holiday's section in Extraction Point. A PlayStation 3 version of F.E.A.R. Files was planned but cancelled. F.E.A.R. Files includes eight new instant action maps and five new multiplayer maps. The F.E.A.R. Platinum Collection, bundling the original game, Extraction Point, and Perseus Mandate, was released on Steam in 2012 and on GOG.com in 2015. In November 2021, F.E.A.R. Files was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making the games playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Reception
Both versions of Perseus Mandate received mixed reviews. The PC version holds a score of 61 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 27 reviews, while F.E.A.R. Files on Xbox 360 holds 66 out of 100 based on 43 reviews. PC Gamer UK's Kieron Gillen scored the PC version 77%, criticizing the environments but stating fans would not be disappointed. PALGN's Neil Booth scored it 6.5 out of 10, praising combat mechanics and slow motion but noting the game was too familiar. IGN's Dan Adams scored it 5.9 out of 10, citing a lack of new content and graphics identical to the original. GameSpot's Jason Ocampo scored it 5.5 out of 10, heavily criticizing the graphics as dated and the gameplay as repetitive. Official Xbox Magazine's Casey Lynch scored F.E.A.R. Files 8 out of 10, finding Extraction Point superior to Perseus Mandate. Eurogamer's Kristen Reed scored it 7 out of 10, considering Perseus Mandate the better of the two games and criticizing Extraction Point's level design and linearity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate?
F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate was designed by Brett Norton.
Who composed the music for F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate?
The music for F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate was composed by Gabriel Mann and Rebecca Kneubuhl.
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