Don't go down there!
Although this plays out like the classic survival horror series that is Silent Hill, this one fails to live up to the standards of that franchise. It's not a terrible game though, just a desperately average one which is still worth a look as long as you don't go in expecting too much. The story begins with a team of Coast Guard rescue operatives boarding a Russian whaler lost in a storm but it's not long before they end up sharing the same fate as a CIA team which tried the same thing not too long before: they all end up dead. All except Tom Hansen that is, which is where you come in, as it's this chap that you end up controlling as you explore the deserted ship in search of answers. You soon discover that the ship is infested with terrifying creatures but there's a greater mystery at foot here and which revolves around a scientific drilling platform that uncovered too much. Most of the action is viewed from a third-person perspective as you explore the ship, battling against the vicious creatures and solving the occasional puzzle or watching a cutscene while there's also lots of background info to be uncovered by reading the various notes and other bits and bobs the crew left lying around. Cold Fear is very much a standard piece of action/horror. It certainly delivers the goods with the storyline which is quite gripping while there's a suitably creepy atmosphere to the whole thing. The combat is satisfying and enjoyable while the visuals are well done but there's just somethinglacking which prevents this from being a must play.
