If you missed it the first time around — or you’ve spent the past decade trying to get an old disc version running without crashes — there’s good news: Cold Fear, the 2005 survival-horror shooter from Darkworks, is officially back. Atari has republished the game on GOG as part of the GOG Preservation Program, complete with a substantial technical overhaul to make it run properly on modern machines.
It’s one of several titles added to the GOG Preservation Program this month, joining
- I Am Alive
- Rayman 2: The Great Escape
- Eternam
- Syndicate Plus™
- Epic Pinball: The Complete Collection
- Alien Rampage
- Screamer
- Dangerous Dave Pack
- Wing Commander™: Academy
What’s new in the GOG reissue?
Unlike many “reissued” PC titles that are little more than uploads of ancient files, Cold Fear has been given a genuine technical refresh. The new GOG release includes native support for Windows 10 and 11, widescreen output including 16:9 and high-resolution support up to 4K, improved frame-rate handling, and fixes for numerous long-standing issues. Video playback works again, brightness and contrast controls have been restored, title screen audio is fixed, and windowed/fullscreen behaviour has been tightened up.
Modern controller support has also been implemented. DualSense, Xbox Series, Switch Pro, and similar pads now work properly — with hot-plugging, vibration, analogue triggers, and layouts that mimic the original PS2 version. In short, it plays like it should have played on PC in 2005.
The updated release also adds cloud saves, GOG Galaxy overlay support, and seven language options.
What made Cold Fear stand out?
Published by Ubisoft in 2005, Cold Fear blends over-the-shoulder shooting with tense survival horror aboard a violently storm-tossed Russian whaling ship. You take on the role of Tom Hansen, a U.S. Coast Guard officer whose routine boarding operation turns into a fight against a parasitic outbreak spreading through the crew.
The game launched in the same year as Resident Evil 4, which overshadowed almost everything, but Cold Fear carved out a small cult following thanks to its atmosphere, shifting deck physics, and creative creature design. It sits in that interesting mid-2000s space: experimental, flawed, and memorable.
Another Good Old Games restoration
The revival of Cold Fear is part of Atari’s renewed focus on restoring older IPs it has recently acquired. Rather than leaving them as broken abandonware, the company is modernising them, patching long-standing issues, and making them playable again on current systems.
For horror fans and retro PC enthusiasts, this re-release is a chance to revisit a game that’s been effectively inaccessible for years. And for players who remember how unstable the original PC port was, this cleaned-up version finally delivers the experience intended.
In a time when many mid-tier horror games slip into licensing obscurity, seeing Cold Fear restored properly is a welcome surprise. If you’ve got a soft spot for storm-lashed steel corridors and bio-parasitic nightmares, the new GOG version is the best way to experience it.
Check out Cold Fear and the other new entries into the GOG Preservation Program now.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
