F.E.A.R. 3 now spooking 2011

Gamers who were planning on a seance with F.E.A.R. 3 later this year are in for some disappointment. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has confirmed for GameSpot today that the survival-horror shooter is now expected to ship for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in 2011, having initially been scheduled for this fall.

Unlike previous installments in the F.E.A.R. franchise, primary development of the game is being handled by Day 1 Studios, which worked on the PS3 and 360 console ports of the original F.E.A.R. Monolith Productions, which was the lead developer on the first two F.E.A.R. games, will not be involved, having "passed the torch" according to Warner Bros. Previous Day 1 titles include Fracture for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and MechAssault 2 for the original Xbox.

F.E.A.R. 3 will be the third full-fledged installment in the first-person shooter series, which began in 2005. The forthcoming game will continue the franchise's storyline but will add an all-new "divergent co-op" mode that will let players assume the role of one of two characters. Players can step into the shoes of Point Man, the genetically engineered supersoldier who appeared in the first F.E.A.R., or his brother, Paxton Fettel, who has telekinetic powers. Warner says the two characters will provide completely different storylines from each individual's perspective.

In an effort to enhance the horror element of F.E.A.R. 3, Warner Bros. has enlisted horror film director John Carpenter to advise on development of the game. After coming to prominence with the 1978 cult hit Halloween, the filmmaker has been behind the camera on such cult hits as Escape From New York, the remake of The Thing, and They Live.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of F.E.A.R. 3.