When Half-Life 2: Episode One released last summer, the idea of added content or expansions (albeit in the form of “episodic content” that doesn’t require the original game, etc.) was dramatically shifted. No longer is the focus “more weapons and exotic locations,” but great story elements that pull you in to discover what happened to your characters after the events of the original game. Therefore, coming out after Episode One puts F.E.A.R. Extraction Point in an odd position.

The expansion to last year’s wildly popular F.E.A.R., Extraction Point doesn’t really add a whole lot to the story elements of the original, basically having you escape through a destitute city landscape as hordes of replicants pour at you from all directions. F.E.A.R. Extraction Point does add some new weapons and creepy enemies, and provides for some genuinely freaky moments. However, the story elements are pretty slim and the expansion is very short (even for an expansion pack), meaning that those hoping to walk away with a little bit more of the F.E.A.R. mythos will be out of luck.

Extraction Point begins right after the end of the original game, with the remnants of the F.E.A.R. team escaping the site in a helicopter. However, something goes awry and their ride crashes in the middle of a city, surrounded by deactivated replicants. However, they don’t stay deactivated for long as the psychic/psycho/cannibal/kitchen-sink villain Fettel intervenes to make your life a living hell yet again. It’s then up to you to fight your way to the Extraction Point and get the hell outta Dodge.

Perhaps one of the biggest things going for it is that Extraction Point feels like F.E.A.R. The visceral ambience and creepy atmosphere is fully intact, and Extraction Point doesn’t compromise in this regard. You’ll still be on the edge of your seat through the whole thing, and the new ghost enemies bring around their own creepiness by coming at you quickly and in huge groups.

Unfortunately, Extraction Point does have a few issues to hinder it. As I mentioned earlier, Extraction Point doesn’t really add much to storyline, just basically having you escape from your situation. While the game will periodically hint at the bigger picture, nothing ever is revealed to draw you in the way that the original game would.

Another problem is the expansion’s brevity. F.E.A.R. Even for an expansion pack, Extraction Point is very short, and I was able to plow through the campaign in less than four hours. The game doesn’t end nearly as strongly as it begins too. The first few areas (“intervals” as they are called) start off with a bang, filled with frights and intense firefights. However, the last couple of intervals kind of peter off and then the expansion ends.

Graphically, F.E.A.R. was an intense game on anyone’s graphics card, and the expansion pack doesn’t slack. While not really offering any vast improvements outside of what you’d get from a patch, F.E.A.R. was and still is one of the best looking games on the PC. Unfortunately, many of the environments are sparse and look too similar to each other (and to those from the original game for that matter).

The sound is also largely the same, although it did feel like music played more of a key role in the expansion than it did in the original game. The enemy chatter and ambient noise is still extremely unsettling and effective.

F.E.A.R. Extraction Point is a fun experience, while it lasts. It won’t answer any questions posed by the original game, but if you’re scratching at the walls for some more F.E.A.R. action, you should give this one a look.

Gameplay: 8.0
Even though it’s short, even when compared to other expansions, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point is a fun and visceral experience in league with the original game.

Graphics: 8.5
F.E.A.R. was a gorgeous game when it released last year, and the expansion pack is certainly no slouch as a result. It would be nice if the environments were more varied, however.

Sound: 9.0
Extraction Point features the same sound effects that made the original just so damn creepy. Music plays more of a key role this time around, with musical cues giving the game even more of a cinematic feel.

Difficulty: Medium

Multiplayer: N/A
While Extraction Point does feature the same multiplayer elements as the original F.E.A.R., nothing has been added nor changed.

Concept: 7.5
Extraction Point offers more of the same thrills as the original game, and while this makes for another fun and exciting experience, it doesn’t really add a lot overall to the F.E.A.R. mythos.

Overall: 8.0
F.E.A.R. Extraction Point is a short-lived but fun experience.