- "We've lost six men to the creatures in the shadows. Avoid the dark, if you can."
- —Nightcrawler Commander in a laptop voice message warning about lurking Shades
Shades are a supernatural enemy that appear in the non-canon expansion packs F.E.A.R.: Extraction Point and F.E.A.R.: Perseus Mandate.
Characteristics[]
Shades are also known to appear as corpse-like creatures crawling on walls. They are meant to scare the player and do not harm the Point Man or the Sergeant when they are in corpse form.
Their behavior in their hostile form is very similar to that of Replica Assassins, in which they use hit-and-run tactics, utilize melee attacks, and are fond of acrobatics. When shot, their skin goes from invisible to an ash-like grey where the bullets strike, and they explode in a cloud of ash and a small flash of light when killed.
Vivendi Timeline[]
F.E.A.R.: Extraction Point[]
Shades make their first appearance in F.E.A.R.: Extraction Point, where they are encountered by the Point Man in the crypts beneath the Church. In the early Intervals, the Shades don't attack the Point Man; rather, they attack Replicas. When the Point Man is attacked by Shades later on, they normally appear in groups of four or five. Many of them can be found in sectors of the Metro in corpse form, and a particularly large flock is present when Douglas Holiday is killed. Later, hostile Shades reappear in Intervals 03 and 05, usually in cramped, dimly lit and heavily blood-splattered quarters.
F.E.A.R.: Perseus Mandate[]
Shades return in F.E.A.R.: Perseus Mandate and are the most common apparition, encountered regularly in groups of four or five in the Old Underground Metro Area after the Origin Facility Explosion. If they are not attacking the Sergeant, they can be seen attacking Replicas and Nightcrawlers repeatedly. The Shades also attack second F.E.A.R. Team operative Steve Chen twice, almost killing him the second time before he fights them off. Shades are encountered later on in the deepest part of the Perseus Compound, where they attack the Nightcrawlers stationed outside the Vault, and a solitary Shade in hostile form can be spotted in an inaccessible area when chasing the Nightcrawler Commander.
In corpse form, Shades are a prevalent source of jumpscares, both in the Old Underground Metro Area and the Perseus Compound. In those instances, they're either seen crawling away from the Sergeant or watching him around corners. Groups of three to ten, either floating or convulsing violently before vanishing, are also common.
Tactics[]
- Shades can be treated much like Replica Assassins. Most of the tactics used on the latter can be employed effectively against them.
- Whispering and growling (shown in the subtitles as "...") mean that a flock of Shades is nearby. Proceed with caution and expect to be ambushed.
- Despite their slimmer frames, Shades are actually easier to see and shoot at than Assassins, as their silhouettes are easier to make out and their glowing red eyes are always visible. That leaves them especially open to sniping.
- Unlike Nightmares, Shades can trigger both the AT-S Proximity Mine and the AP-5 Deployable Turret. The former can negate the flanking maneuvers they are fond of, while the latter both deals considerable damage and points out their location to the player by their tracer fire and the bullet markings the shots will leave on their skin. Shades seem to be confused by the AP-5 turrets: they will retreat if shot by them should they be set down out of their reach, such as high up on a wall or on the ceiling (turrets planted at their height or lower can be attacked normally, though for minimal damage).
Trivia[]
- The Player can actually shoot and kill most of the corpse variant Shades. It's ultimately pointless, however, as it takes a fair bit of ammo to kill one, and doing so does not result in any alternate outcome.
- In the early intervals of Extraction Point, Shades are invulnerable and not hostile. This is best shown by the one that runs past the Point Man after Holiday's body is finally gibbed at the end of the Holiday interval: it can be far more easily targeted than previous ones since, unlike in prior instances, its appearance doesn't deactivate the use of Slow-Mo, but even though it shows the grey-skin damage from being shot, it cannot be killed no matter what weapons are used or how much ammunition is spent.
- The Shades encountered in the bottom of the Perseus Compound, seen from a distance attacking and killing the Nightcrawlers opening the Vault, cannot interact with the Sergeant at all. Any Shades still alive will have de-spawned by the time the player reaches the bottom.
- The single Shade seen when pursuing the Nightcrawler Commander is trapped in a sealed-off room, and can't get to the Sergeant. It can be shot and killed should the player want to, though.