When F.E.A.R. came out on the PC, it was considered to be a fantastic FPS game that combined horror and combat in a way a lot of gamers hadn't experienced before. It was, and still is, acclaimed by journalists and gamers alike.

When F.E.A.R. came out on the Xbox 360, it was still good, though it was a slight step down from the PC version. Still, the game played pretty much the same, was pretty much just as scary, and still sold enough that a sequel's being made.

When F.E.A.R. Files came out on the Xbox 360... well, let's just say it's not good. Unless you consider sub-par good.

F.E.A.R. Files is not so much a sequel as a 360 port of F.E.A.R.'s two expansions - Extraction Point and Peruses Mandate. One of these is mediocre, and the other makes me want to cry.

The biggest problem with this game turns out to be the graphics, which make the game look like a title on the Xbox. Textures look muddy, character look blocky, animations are not fluid. Graphics whores need not take a look at this game, because they will be sorely disappointed with what they see. Sound is a bit better than the graphics, but it's still nothing to write about, mostly because the soundtrack for the game and the in-game sounds are pretty plain and generic.

In both games, you get the same game play, which is repetitive and not as scary as the first F.E.A.R., and pretty much the same controls, which don't seem to work as well as they should. Maybe it's just poor design, or maybe it's just that I've played FPS games on the 360 with better controls, but for some reason, they didn't feel as tight and refined in F.E.A.R. Files as they should have been.

However, when it comes down to the design of each expansion, things are different. Extraction Point is perhaps a bit shorter than I would have liked, but it holds up well. Peruses Mandate, however, is nothing short of a boring disappointment. I actually had to force myself to play through the first few levels before I just lost total interest in Peruses Mandate and went back to playing Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. You know, to wash the bad taste of Mandate out of my mind.

When it comes down to it, there's nothing too remarkable about F.E.A.R. Files, which takes all the chills and adrenaline from F.E.A.R. and tosses it out the window. Unless you are the most hardcore fan of F.E.A.R., F.E.A.R. Files is a forgettable title that will be on its way to a bargain bin near you.

Maybe they should have called it F.A.I.L. Files instead.

Pros: Extraction Point is well put-together and fun, though is nothing above mediocre.

Cons: Graphics look dated. Peruses Mandate is a waste of space. Controls don't translate as well as they should.

F.E.A.R. Files is rated M (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language.