F.E.A.R. expands, Extracts

Throw the whole "There's nothing to fear but F.E.A.R. itself" quote out the window. In addition to the recently announced Xbox 360 version of F.E.A.R., Sierra Entertainment today announced something else that gamers can be scared of. F.E.A.R., one of the top PC shooters from 2005, is getting its first expansion pack.

Titled F.E.A.R. Extraction Point, the expansion "kicks off where the original game ended" and will be released this fall. Those attending the Electronic Entertainment Expo will be among the first to check out what lies in store, which will include new locations, weapons, and enemies, as well as a few familiar faces from the original.

The announcement of the expansion poses a few questions about the direction of the franchise. Monolith Productions, which owns the rights to the intellectual property and characters, was purchased by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and has already announced it is working on new F.E.A.R. sequels. However, Vivendi Games, parent company of Sierra, owns the name F.E.A.R.

A rep from Vivendi Games gave GameSpot News the scoop to clear up any confusion that may remain. The expansion is part of the original agreement between Monolith and VG, and Monolith is working very closely with new developer TimeGate Studios (Kohan, Axis & Allies) to ensure the add-on is consistent with the direction of the series. The story of the expansion has been approved by Monolith and could possibly be the link between WB's full-blown F.E.A.R. sequel.

Vivendi and Monolith are continuing to work together to support F.E.A.R. and will release the version 1.5 patch, with new multiplayer modes, soon.

For more on the F.E.A.R. universe, read GameSpot's review of the original.