FEAR 3 is definitely growing on me. To the point I can recommend it to people who are regular fans of FPS games. The game starts really badly, though. You only have the one melee attack, barely any slowmo, and absolutely conspicuous cover placement. You quickly earn the jump and slide kicks, gain up in slowmo, and are put in environments with more natural cover. Such as an airport with pillars and kiosks, instead of just boxes.
I gave Fettel a spin last night and his gameplay is very interesting. His version of slowmo is called spirit and he uses this for his possession ability. While possessing a body, it constantly decreases. Every time you kill someone, they drop a red orb, which helps replenish your spirit. This encouraged me to play very aggressive. The game uses a persistent unlock/perk system, so as you gain more spirit or faster regen, you keep that in all game modes. I went back with Fettel to the first level this way and did not use cover except in the most desperate moments. So it was very exciting.
It still has niggling details, if you're a FEAR fan. Replica forces only show up as part of Armacham's forces. Fettel's Foxtrot 817 body is MIA. Point Man starts in prison. None of which seems to be explained. Replica forces being part of Armacham really pushes it so that Armacham is the bad guy, with Alma being little more than the McGuffin you're after to save the world. Environmental destruction seems to be at the series' lowest point. Glass and occasionally cover. Enemies don't die with any dramatic flair, like flying through the air while still firing their weapon. They just kind of drop. I think these are ultimately minor things, but may still be sticking points for series fans. The game sitll manages to do quite a bit right, nontheless.