G.E.A.R

Get it? We love puns. In all seriousness, making good use of the weapons and equipment in F.E.A.R is the only way to survive. Read below to learn all of the subtleties of the weapons and how to maximize your item efficiency.

Guns

AT-14 Pistol
The Pistol is your starting weapon, but you won't use it for most of the game. If you pick up an extra one, you can dual-wield them allowing you to fire more shots before reloading. Pistols are only very effective against Ghosts and should be dropped for any other weapon in nearly every situation.

RPL Sub-Machinegun
This weapon has one of the fastest rates of fire and is good for spraying the full body of an enemy with lead. Each shot is not as powerful as the Assault Rifle, but numbers can often make up for it. It is also more accurate than the Assault Rifle because even if you hold the trigger down, it won't have as much of a kick allowing you to keep your crosshairs on your target. Ammunition for this weapon is readily available throughout the game.

G2A2 Assault Rifle
This weapon is strong and can be used both at close range and long distance. If you want to use it as a sniping rifle, be sure to zoom in on your target and fire it in short bursts. It isn't a particularly accurate weapon after the initial few bullets leave the barrel. Like the Sub-Machinegun, you'll always be able to find ammo for this gun.

VK-12 Combat Shotgun
The shotgun is perfect for close up encounters. A blast to the face or chest with this weapon is enough to stop most enemies from moving and will often blow them to bits causing the walls to be stained with their remains. Never attempt to use this weapon in a long range battle, but don't be quick to discard it. You never know when you'll turn a corner and a Trooper will be standing right there. These situations should be met with SlowMo and a quick change to your handy shotgun. Since your enemies like this weapon, running out of ammo is never a problem.

HV Penetrator
This gun fires bullets the size of tent stakes. Shoot a couple of these into a soldier and you'll often find them pinned to the wall with large hunks of metal sticking out. This weapon has huge power, but is sometimes hard to find the bullets for. Keep an eye out for this gun, but don't carry it around with no bullets. You never know when you'll get more ammunition.

ASP Rifle
This is our favorite weapon in the game. Its zoom capabilities allow it to be used at great lengths and its great ability to rip an enemy apart make it useful in short range combat as well. Ammunition for this rifle is extremely rare, so you should reserve it for use as a sniping weapon. Zoom in on your enemy's head and let a short burst do its work. Make use of your SlowMo to enable you to get perfect aim.

MOD-3 Multi-Rocket Launcher
Like the ASP Rifle, this is a rare weapon. Each time you fire it, three rockets will be sent towards the enemy. If your aim is true, they don't stand a chance at surviving. If you find these, it is a good idea to keep them in reserve in case you see any Armored Troopers or Robot Sentries.

Type-7 Particle Weapon
This weapon produces the most lethal single shot in the game. Even shooting the arm of an enemy is often enough to incinerate their entire body. Additionally, this weapon has a great scope allowing you to use it as a sniping weapon. Due to its extreme kick, using the SlowMo while aiming is a good idea. If you miss, it will take a while to get your aim back on your target. The single-shot kill makes this a prized weapon that should be kept until the last shot has been used before discarding it.

MP-50 Repeating Cannon
The Cannon is a great weapon because it creates a nice little explosion wherever it hits. This means that you don't have to be perfectly accurate with it to kill an enemy. This weapon is most effective against large squads of enemy opponents since it can damage those nearby the one you hit. You won't find much ammo for this weapon during the game, so make good use of it.

Explosives

N6A3 Fragmentation Grenade
You'll find a ton of these grenades during the game, but their blast radius is small and underpowered. Additionally, Troopers are very good as recognizing that one has been thrown and will scatter accordingly. Use them as a surprise and scare tactic and you can disrupt an enemies attack. If you are having trouble flushing an enemy out, try tossing one of these in. They also work well against any slow moving baddies you encounter.

AT-S Proximity Grenade
These bombs are perfect for setting traps. They will activate whenever something walks nearby them and unleash a huge explosion that is easily enough to kill most bad guys. Lay them out if you know an enemy is going to walk in from a certain direction. Sometimes the enemy will employ them against you. Walk far away from them or shoot them out before proceeding.

M77 Remote Mine
These explosives will stick to whatever they first hit after leaving your hand. They won't detonate until they are shot or you press the trigger button. Like the Proximity Grenades, these work well for laying traps. They are also effective against Robot Sentries.

Healthy Equipment

Med Kits
You can find Med Kits throughout the game. They will often be found on tables, shelves, or stuck to walls. Make use of your flashlight to look for them in dark corners. You can hold up to 10 of these in reserve and they will give you 50 HP each time you use one. If your health is below 25, don't use a Med Kit. Duck for cover and your health will restore itself to 25. Then you can use your Med Kit and you will end up with extra free health.

Body Armor
These jackets will absorb a small portion of the damage in lieu of it taking away from your health. For this reason, you should always grab as many as you can. Light Body armor will restore 35 points to your armor rating, which can not exceed 100. Like Med Kits, these can be found throughout the game and should be sought out in dark corners.

Health Stations
Health Stations can only be found in the multiplayer side of F.E.A.R. Standing by them will slowly regenerate your health, 10 points at a time. However, due to the quick deaths and head shots that are so common online, using one as a defensive technique is not recommended. If you see one and are short on health, take a moment to regenerate your health before moving on.

Boosters

There are two types of Boosters; Health and Reflex. Health boosters will restore you to maximum HP and increase your max health by 5 points. Reflex Boosters will increase the amount of time you can engage the SlowMo before having to wait to recharge it. Both are invaluable items that should always be looked for. You'll often have to travel through air ducts and dark passages to find these. Keep an eye out for alternative routes and you will end up finding these.

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