Unlike the seemingly brain-dead enemies commonly found in these types of games, the baddies in Cold Fear won't simply stagger towards you with outstretched arms, practically begging for a bullet in the head. At their core, these foes are still human, so they'll be able to wield weapons and duck behind cover. This game relies more on gore and action to keep gamers enthralled, rather than the old "creature jumps out of the shadows onto you" type of shock scares. The gore is well done, especially since the only way to truly kill the creatures is to put a slug in their brain. A headshot will result in a satisfying geysering of blood and brains, although they can sometimes be hard to pull off, thanks to the constant movement of the ship. Oftentimes, you're better off shooting the enemy in the chest a few times, which causes him to drop to the floor, at which point you can run up to him and smash his head into paste with a few quick stomps to the head.

The parasite-ravaged crewmen aren't the only thing you've got to worry about, though, as Tom must also watch his step when making his way around the ship. There are a lot of environmental hazards to keep an eye out for, including giant waves that can sweep him overboard, as well as wind-blown cranes that'll cave your skull in. Of course, these can be used against your foes, as well, provided you can lure them into the right spot. There are few environmental puzzles that must be solved, too, but they can backfire on you if you don't plan correctly. In one area, I had to shoot an electrical box to open a door, but the room was slowly starting to fill up with water, threatening to electrocute me every time the ship rocked to one side.


Like most of the survival horror games that preceded it, Cold Fear presents its action from the third person perspective, utilizing a surprisingly effective fixed camera. In the few cases (usually in tight spaces) that it does get tangled up, you can easily switch to an over the shoulder view similar to the one used in the upcoming Resident Evil 4. I found it very easy to play the game from this point of view, and it allows you to keep your gun drawn, or a flashlight pointed forward, at all times. It would be nice if Ubisoft allowed the player to simply lock this view in, so you don't have to hold the trigger down at all times.

For a game that has been way below most people's (mine included) radar, Cold Fear is looking surprisingly polished, in both the graphics and gameplay departments. The unique setting allows the developers to add some cool game mechanics, and none of them felt gimmicky. It still remains to be seen if Cold Fear will be able to stand on its own in this already crowded genre but, together with the aforementioned Resident Evil 4, 2005 looks like it's going to be a great year to be a survival horror fan.