# Cry of Fear: Enhanced

> Fan reimplementation of Cry of Fear on Xash3D. 4K UI, controller support with gyro, quick saves, save from anywhere, and much more.

Website: https://cofenhanced.haej.pl/

## Legal notice

Cry of Fear: Enhanced does not ship Cry of Fear's copyrighted game files or assets, only open-source software and its own work, plus community translations. It is a patcher for a copy of Cry of Fear the player already owns (Steam, free, version 1.6).

- No maps, models, sounds, music, textures, videos, text or code from Team Psykskallar. The one exception is the community translation packs (translated text, subtitles and signage), included with their translators' permission and usable only with a legally owned copy.
- It installs the open-source Xash3D FWGS engine, the mainui_cpp menu and the FreeVGUI library (built from public source with the project's changes), SDL2, the project's launcher and configuration, and the Inter fonts.
- The game's own programs (client.dll, hl.dll) are never included or changed. The three files the installer replaces are backed up and restored by Uninstall.cmd. Nothing is copied from the game or downloaded for it.
- Unofficial: not affiliated with, endorsed or supported by Team Psykskallar or Valve Corporation. Cry of Fear and its assets belong to Team Psykskallar; Steam and Half-Life are trademarks of Valve Corporation.
- Provided "as is", without warranty (GNU GPL, sections 15 and 16).

Rights holders with a concern: kontakt@haej.pl. Full text: [DISCLAIMER.md](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/blob/main/DISCLAIMER.md).

## Availability and requirements

The first public test build, **0.4.0-test1**, was released on 23 September 2026: [download the zip](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/releases/download/v0.4.0-test1/cof-enhanced-0.4.0-test1.zip) (36 MB) or see the [release notes](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/releases/tag/v0.4.0-test1).

Install: in Steam, right-click Cry of Fear > Manage > Browse local files, extract the whole zip there so `Install.cmd` sits next to `CoFLaunchApp.exe`, run `Install.cmd`, then start the game from Steam. `Uninstall.cmd` restores the original files; saves and settings are not touched. Back up your saves (`SAVE` and `cryoffear\SAVE`) before playing.

No game assets are provided. The Enhanced edition patches an existing installation. Currently supported: Steam release, v1.6. The base game is free.

Windows only; this project is not a recompilation. Linux/Proton and macOS are untested. Native builds for other platforms are not provided.

## Engine modernisation

Cry of Fear: Enhanced is an extensive modernisation based on Xash3D. The project involves substantial restructuring and adaptation of engine subsystems, a FreeVGUI-based interface, and improved integration of the custom PARANOIA OpenGL renderer with Xash3D. Understanding and reverse engineering the existing rendering implementation is a major part of this work.

## Features

### FreeVGUI interface

The map-based VGUI menus have been moved to FreeVGUI, providing a native-like interface in place of workarounds for engine limitations.

### OpenGL fixes

The Enhanced edition uses a custom implementation for Xash3D while retaining the original renderer, preserving the original look and feel of the game.

### High DPI, 1440p & 4K support

Compatibility updates for modern Windows with proper high-DPI scaling. The game actually scales to modern resolutions, and is no longer a game for ants.

### Improved typography

Native support for Latin Extended and Cyrillic fonts, rendered at true 4K resolution.

### Controller support

Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck and Steam Controller, fully rebindable, with a virtual keyboard.

### Gyro aiming

Have a DualSense, Steam Deck, Steam Controller or Nintendo Switch controller? You can use gyro aiming.

### Pause on inventory

Made for controllers: the game can pause while the inventory, a note or a menu is open, and the black border behind those views can be turned off.

### Polish + 6 menu languages

Includes full Polish translation (Cry of Fear: Spolszczenie, see Special thanks). Expands the original German, Spanish, French, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish languages to accommodate new features.

### Modern shooting controls

Right mouse button aims down the sight, with hold or toggle behaviour available.

### FOV & viewmodel settings

An FOV slider from 70 to 110 that keeps iron sights and cutscenes framed as intended, plus a separate viewmodel FOV.

### HUD scaling

The whole in-game UI scales with your resolution: HUD scale Auto or 100–200 %.

### Co-op

Host co-op and Join co-op pages that actually work on this engine.

### Save anywhere

Save the game in the pause menu instead of using a tape recorder. Off by default

### Bug fixes

Existing Steam saves load, and you no longer get stuck in crouch and crawl sections. Sky, menu skyline and music bugs are fixed too.

### Restored console commands

Access restored developer console commands and cheats. See [CHEATS.md](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/blob/main/CHEATS.md).

### Modern window handler

Fullscreen or windowed — Alt-Tab all you want, as the game no longer hangs or crashes thanks to the open-source reimplementation of the engine.

## Gamepad controls

Default layout (Xbox / PlayStation); every action can be rebound in the options.

| Button | Action |
| --- | --- |
| Left stick | Move |
| Right stick | Look |
| A / Cross | Jump |
| B / Circle | Crouch (toggle) |
| X / Square | Reload |
| Y / Triangle | Use |
| LB / L1 | Secondary attack |
| RB / R1 | Quick turn |
| LT / L2 | Aim down sights |
| RT / R2 | Attack |
| L3 | Sprint |
| R3 | Crouch (hold) |
| D-pad up / left / right | Quick slots 1 / 2 / 3 |
| D-pad down | Weapon function |
| View / Create | Inventory |
| Menu / Options | Pause menu |

## There will be bugs!

This is an early test build. Nobody has played the whole game through on this engine yet, so you may get stuck, cutscenes may break, and textures or fonts may glitch. When reporting on [GitHub](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/issues), include the version line from the top-right of the main menu, your resolution and HUD scale, the steps that led to the bug, and a screenshot or video if it is visual.

## We’re working on chapter selection

You want to help? We are working on the chapter selection feature. Send us your saves from the beginning of each chapter, via [GitHub](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/issues).

## AI assistance

Developed with AI-assistance. Definitely wouldn’t happen without it.

## Dependencies and base game

- [Cry of Fear: Enhanced](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced): the project repository.
- [Xash3D FWGS](https://github.com/fwgs/xash3d-fwgs): engine dependency.
- [FreeVGUI](https://github.com/FWGS/freevgui): UI dependency.
- [Cry of Fear on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/223710/Cry_of_Fear/): free base game.

## Special thanks

The Polish localisation is based on the work of the [Cry of Fear – Spolszczenie](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3164091802) team:

- [Avioo](https://steamcommunity.com/id/AviooButQuiteFancy): translation, textures, testing.
- [Mixdedemon](https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198886906597): translation.
- [hexag0n](https://steamcommunity.com/id/hexag0n777): tech side, testing.
- [Izonka](https://steamcommunity.com/id/lolokokoxddd2): testing.

Upstream repositories are dependencies, not the Enhanced project source. Cry of Fear belongs to its original creators.

## Contact

- X: [@grapediaeu](https://x.com/grapediaeu)
- Email: [kontakt@haej.pl](mailto:kontakt@haej.pl)

## Licensing

Copyright (c) 2026 haej (Cry of Fear: Enhanced contributors). The project's code is licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later. Exceptions: changes to FreeVGUI (BSD-3-Clause); the Inter fonts and generated atlases (SIL OFL 1.1); the Polish language pack (game-derived translation data, distributed with the translators' permission, not GPL); the project emblem (original artwork, all rights reserved except unmodified redistribution with the project). The engine compiles Valve's Half-Life SDK headers, whose notice restricts use to non-commercial enhancements, so the project is free of charge and must not be sold.

Third-party components: Xash3D FWGS (GPL-3.0-or-later), mainui_cpp (GPL-3.0-or-later), FreeVGUI (BSD-3-Clause), MiniUTL (BSD-3-Clause), SDL 2.30.9 (zlib), Opus / opusfile / libogg / libvorbis (BSD-3-Clause), bzip2 (BSD-style), MultiEmulator (MIT), miniz (MIT), stb_truetype (MIT / public domain), mpg123 compact copy (LGPL-2.1), getopt (BSD-3-Clause), whereami (WTFPL v2 / MIT), library-suffix and vgui_api.h (public domain), Inter (SIL OFL 1.1), Half-Life SDK headers (Valve notice), button icons and controller pictures by Zacksly (CC BY 3.0).

This website's controller drawing: "Controller Images / Outline White" by Zacksly (https://zacksly.itch.io), CC BY 3.0, cropped.

Documents: [LICENSE](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/blob/main/LICENSE), [LICENSING.md](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/blob/main/LICENSING.md), [THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/blob/main/THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md), [licenses/](https://github.com/hajdawery/cof-enhanced/tree/main/licenses).