Replica Assassins are rarely encountered stealth soldiers created by Armacham Technology Corporation, as part of the Icarus Project, before it was shut down. They are the first variant of the Replicas.
Both Timelines[]
F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon[]
Being specially bio-engineered Replicas, Replica Assassins possess amazing speed and agility. They are also equipped with cloaking devices that allow them to become nearly invisible, resulting in a visual effect that resembles a distortion of air that covers their shape. The difference is even harder to notice if the players have their flashlight off.
Assassins can attach themselves to walls, and tend to give away their presence with a visual distortion effect and a low-volume but high-pitch electronic buzzing similar to the sound of stretching rubber. While they are extremely fast, they rely on relatively weak melee attacks rather than weapons due to the fact that their stealth technology only cloaks itself and anything inside of it and thus items such as grenades or firearms would not be concealed. They fight with hit-and-run tactics, striking first then retreating into other rooms, onto walls or ceilings, or to higher ground. They do not speak, but produce a faint, high-pitched electrical sound when killed, along with short harmless bursts of electricity.
The Point Man first encounters Assassins in the South River Wastewater Treatment Plant, seeing them only briefly before they run away. Although they abstain from directly confronting the player, one can be seen laying a trap for the player using AT-S Proximity Mines. Assassins only begin attacking once the Point Man has infiltrated the Armacham Technology Corporation Headquarters. A total of 10 can be killed by the Point Man over the course of F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon.
Vivendi Timeline[]
F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate[]
Replica Assassins are encountered again in F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate, albeit not as frequently. Mostly, their supernatural equivalent Shades take over.
Assassins in these games, to make up for this, are encountered in bigger groups than they would in the first game – often as many as five can be encountered in a single area.
Monolith Timeline[]
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin[]

Concept art of an Assassin.
Replica Assassins also appear in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, where they are able to use a special attack to stun enemies. As mentioned in the Icarus Project, their bones have been replaced, which can be seen if the player burns their flesh away with the Armacham Type-12 Pulse Weapon. The cloaking device used by them seems to alter light far differently, and not nearly as effectively as in F.E.A.R., occasionally spurting out in blooms of color. Their first appearance, where they sneak up on Terry Halford and quickly decapitate him. Since the new Assassins have an electric attack, it isn't known whether these are a different variant of Assassins from the first game, although it's more likely to be just an upgraded design.
A total of 24 Assassins are fought in the game; 5 from Snake Fist, 7 from Keegan, and 12 from Approach.
Note that these numbers include some that might run away, which will never be see again if they aren't killed right away. There are 2 from Approach that will usually run away and vanish if they aren't killed fast enough; the first and last ones out of the 12 in that level, some of the Assassin encounters in Approach can be avoided by staying on the main path. The final Assassin seen in Keegan is not killable.
In F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn, their encounter is much frequency, especially from Interval 04 - Guidance pairing with REV6 Powered Armor making it a deadly face off in the level.
F.E.A.R. 3[]
While Replica Assassins are not featured in the game, Scavengers replaced them in technical terms, as the monstrosities possess agility and strength comparable to that of Assassins. Though they don't possess stealth or high-technology, their speed and attack pattern are similar to the Assassins. It is most likely that all the Assassins have been killed or decided to leave Fairport, as they were never under anyone's control, and were merely exacting their own vengeance, as stated in the Armacham Field Guide.
Strategy and Tips[]

Steve Chen fighting an Assassin.
- As Assassins are extremely agile and very easily missed, a good strategy is to use shotguns. Not possessing any ranged weapons means that they will have to reach the player in order to inflict damage, and the nature of the shotgun plays very well into this.
- Another good tactic is to simply perform melee attacks, preferably the slide kick, due to its relative accuracy. Meleeing the Assassins may not work as effectively in F.E.A.R. 2, due to the fact that the Assassins' melee attacks seem to do more damage, and that the player's melee attacks do a lot less damage than they did in the first games.
- In F.E.A.R. 2, the player can use the Shark FL-3 Laser against them to good effect. Type-12 will eliminate the Assassin in one hit, but the Armacham HV Hammerhead and Shotguns and the Patten PK470 Assault Rifle are also good choices for taking them down. The Balzer LM10 Napalm Cannon also shines against them, literally, as the fire both greatly illuminates them, even if they are immune to fire damage, making them much easier to hit.
- Since Assassins can only use melee attacks, the player could hide and place some AT-S Proximity Mines (in F.E.A.R. and its expansions) or AT-L4 Proximity Mines (in F.E.A.R. 2) along the path they're supposedly going to follow to reach him, luring them to their doom.
- Slow-Mo is a very effective and sometimes vital tactic. If an Assassin has reached close proximity and is about to commence a melee attack, you can activate slow-mo, move backwards to avoid being hit, and eliminate the Assassin. Slow-Mo is essential for the player on higher difficulties.
- Find a spot that make them hard to ambush the player is recommended while facing multiple Assassins.
- Assassins rarely fight alone, the player should always be on the lookout for more when one is spotted.
Trivia[]
- Assassins rarely appear in the presence of other Replicas.
- Their design and ability to turn invisible resembles the Shredder's foot-tech ninjas in the 2003 cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- Assassins appear briefly in the original credits sequence for F.E.A.R. 2, in which they are seen attacking Terry Halford, who violently punches one of them. When Halford is cornered by three Assassins, he uses Armacham technology to clone himself to better fight them.
- An electrical sound will give away the presence of Assassins.