15 Tips to Make F.E.A.R. 3 Your Bitch

Now that you have your hands on this summer's story shooter the folks at Day 1 and Monolith thought you might like it if we shared some tips and tricks with you to help you get more out the game, and increase your gaming pleasure.

If you have not yet had the pleasure of an introduction to the next saga in the F.E.A.R. series, you will be thrilled to learn that, nine months after the events of the previous games, Point Man was captured and interrogated by Armacham Security. Fortunately Paxton Fettel interrupted the interrogation and set free the Point Man -- and the pair have formed an uneasy alliance to escape the Asylum and return to Fairport to regroup with F.E.A.R. operative Jin Sun-Kwon.

That is where the story begins, and where you pick up the threads that will lead to answers to almost all of the questions that were left hanging in the first two games, and the ultimate path to the future of Paxton and the legacy that he has sworn to protect.

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1. Maximize your score by fulfilling multiple challenge requirements, playing on higher difficulties, and completing each level as fast as you can. Use your special abilities often and combine the challenges to make sure you maximize each kill.

2. Exploration is crucial -- search each level extensively for hidden ammo caches, psychic link bodies, and the all-important Alma doll. The psychic links and Alma dolls appear in random locations, so make sure you fully explore on each playthrough.

3. When playing co-op, psychic links can be shared or stolen. If you're looking to set an individual high score, steal them. If you want to set a team high score, share them. Even though you only get 750 points for psychic links, since you both receive the reward it adds a total of 1,500 to your team score.

4. Ranking-up improves various stats including things like ammo capacity, health, and slow-mo. Maximizing your Rank is essential to play on the Insane difficulty. Replaying a level with a higher rank also makes it easier to set a high score and compete for the top position on the leaderboards.

5. The ranks are determined by your total score and the perks are universal in main campaign, co-op, and multiplayer. If you are having trouble in one mode, go spend some time in another to rank up and then try again.

6. The Arc Beam weapon reflects off of walls and floors to hit nearby enemies, and can hit more than one at a time -- very useful when Armacham Soldiers are hiding behind cover.

7. The Phase Caster is one of the toughest enemies in F.E.A.R. 3. Make sure you kill him as soon as possible. The Phase Caster will keep calling in reinforcements as you take them out.

8. The Scavengers can be difficult for Fettel to defeat. One method to quickly dispatch them is to levitate the enemy, get close, and push melee for the instant kill. At the same time, if there are multiple Scavengers, you can always suspend one while killing another with the stun blast.

9. In multiplayer mode 'F**king Run!,' sending a teammate ahead with a Riot Shield is a good way to add an extra layer of protection to the rest of the team.

10. Also in 'F**king Run!' multiplayer mode, the slide tackle is your strongest asset. Not only does it keep you moving forward, but it also takes out enemies.

11. Plan ahead when playing multiplayer mode 'Contractions.' Storing all of your ammo on the top level of your safe house will take longer, but pays off in later waves.

12. Don't try to stay in one body when playing multiplayer mode 'Soul King.' Body to body possession is a strategic part of the mode. You can escape other players by jumping from body to body across large portions of the maps. If you're going to die, possess a new body with full health. If you see an enemy getting the drop on the competitor, possess it and get the kill.

13. Multiplayer mode 'Soul King' is designed to be competitive all the way until the end. The last 30 seconds of each round are the most hectic and critical. You should try to stay in second or third place so that you can sweep in for victory in the closing seconds of the round by killing the King.

14. In multiplayer mode 'Soul Survivor,' getting a kill while in Last Stand will revive you. However, ammo is limited, so try not to use your Last Stand handgun ammo unless absolutely necessary. Have squad members revive you whenever possible.

15. The "We'll Try Again Tomorrow" achievement / trophy is easiest to get in the first 3 waves of The Commute multiplayer map.

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One of the last big game releases before the Doldrums of Summer set in, if you are looking for a survival-horror shooter with lots of charisma, challenges, and a solid story line, you cannot do much better than this.