How they flanked you, how they laid down suppressing fire and how they dodged your attacks? I remember being impressed by this... then I figured out the truth.

In reality, the AI in FEAR was nothing more than an illusion. http://web.media.mit.edu/~jorkin/gdc2006_orkin_jeff_fear.pdf, he shows that the level design was responsible for most of the advanced tactics (cover, pincer movements, flanking) and amplified by a set of behaviors.

I know the game is old and all, but what do you think?

I remember being really impressed by FEAR's AI, even today it appears really smart.

It's a damn good illusion. Reminds me of Half Life 2 in that sense, the AI does some clever but scripted things in that game as well. I think it's less obvious in FEAR though.

I think games would be better if they took that approach rather than trying to make the AI complex and fail in the long run.

Even in 2013 nothing has beaten FEAR's AI in terms of CQB.

I really like the FEAR AI and the level design too (I don't really agree with the complains about the game being in the same boring locations all the time). Shame FEAR2 was worse, and then FEAR3 was pretty damn bad.

The only FPS AIs that impressed me been for the original Half-Life and then FEAR. In most games they just don't give you that "whoa, oh [censored]" moment.