Ubisoft‘s take on Resident Evil-style horror, Cold Fear, is finally mounting a comeback. While the 2005 game was previously available on Steam, Ubisoft hadn’t done much with the title in decades, ignoring any opportunities to update the game or bring it to modern consoles. Recently, the situation changed with Atari’s purchase of Cold Fear and other Ubisoft games, which resulted in its delisting from Steam.
Today, Cold Fear returns to PC on the DRM-free GOG platform, complete with a variety of technical improvements. Along with proper support for widescreen resolution and other basic features, the new release tackles a variety of bugs and crashes. Ubisoft’s later survival game I Am Alive is also joining the GOG Preservation Program today, along with the following titles:
- Rayman 2: The Great Escape
- Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
- Eternam
- Syndicate Plus™
- Epic Pinball: The Complete Collection
- Alien Rampage
- Screamer
- Dangerous Dave Pack
- Wing Commander™: Academy
Cold Fear Returns With A Long List Of Improvements
More Than A Basic Port
According to the press release, the GOG version of Cold Fear includes all seven language options, some of which were previously missing on PC. New support for multiple controller options makes the game easier to play on various “popular pads,” taking advantage of features like vibration and hotplugging. As far as the bug fixes, GOG mentions “crashes, visual glitches, and broken options,” noting that “even the title screen music” has been fixed.
Some of the other additions to the GOG Preservation Program are currently available elsewhere, like Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, a classic of the social stealth genre. While Cold Fear‘s extensive list of fixes might not be matched by every new title, it’s nice to see all of these games find a home on a modern DRM-free platform.
Ubisoft’s Survival Horror Is Worth A Shot
Cold Fear Isn’t Just A Clone
I wrote before about bug fixes being the biggest priority for a Cold Fear re-release, so I’m glad that GOG has targeted that. This might not be as game-changing as a full-blown remake, but it’s more than anyone would have expected for Cold Fear just a few months ago.
Cold Fear isn’t punching in the same weight class as the incredible Resident Evil 4, but in the broader scope of survival horror games, it’s certainly worth checking out. While it starts to fizzle out toward the end, there’s a lot of fun to be had aboard the storm-tossed ship. As long as you’ve got a PC that can handle a game from 2005, now might be the best time yet to try out this Ubisoft classic.
- Released
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May 17, 2005
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
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Darkworks
- Engine
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RenderWare
