F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 17th February 2009

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Alma is back and bringing the F.E.A.R.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Details:

Goto F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Game Page

	First Person Shooter
	PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
	Monolith Productions
	Warner Bros. Interactive

18+

Out Now

In 2005 Monolith gave gamers F.E.A.R, a heart pounding first person shooter that pushed your senses to the limit and now four years on, the series returns to once again send us on a journey of F.E.A.R.

F.E.A.R. 2 begins just before the end of the first game, you take up the role of Beckett, a member of a Special Forces team that has been sent on a mission to take a scientist into protective custody, however, things go array when a huge explosion rocks the city of Auburn! Alma is back and out for revenge.

F.E.A.R. 2 once again combines first person shooter action with a psychological trip that will test your psyche and push your senses to the limit. Many a time the game will have you shooting at things that simply aren’t there, wasting precious ammo. But then this is testament to the games excellent design that will have you thinking twice about wandering down a darkened corridor or unleashing a hail of bullets on a shadow as you traverse a corner! The game really instils a level of tension that gets your heart pumping adrenaline at the speed of light, thanks to a series of clever but spine chilling apparitions of Alma that start before the games action. This is further complimented by constant darkness, flickering lights and cleverly placed items that cast sinister looking shadows. It’s fair to say if F.E.A.R. 2 lacked this assault on your psyche the game would feel, none the less somewhat ordinary.

Combat in F.E.A.R. 2 is intense, enemy soldiers will tip tables, vending machines and open car doors in order to make cover from your attacks. They will also attack in numbers and try to flank your position as well as bombard you with grenades. Some enemies are also pretty tough to kill with especially thick armour that will require more ammo then usual to dispose of them adding to the challenge of the game. As well as being armed with an array of heavy weapons F.E.A.R. 2 also features a melee attack option. However this is largely unused as getting that close to an enemy will often result in one of his buddies taking you out. Just like the Protagonist from the first game, Beckett is able to make use of slow motion reflex time, which allows you to deal with stubborn enemies with relative ease. I also found reflex time to be one of the few occasion you can get close enough to an enemy to use the melee option. Apart from the fairly standard first person shooter action F.E.A.R. 2 also lets you pilot some mech style power armour a couple of times, which is especially fun and something of a highlight as you stomp around the city blasting everything you come in contact with!

F.E.A.R. 2 is set across 14 levels and offers a lot more variety then that seen in the original game, which seemed to have your pounding down endless corridors. This time the games level design is much more varied and sees you fighting your way through subways, underground labs and decimated city streets all of which are fairly large. The single player campaign will last around twelve hours depending on your skill level which is fairly standard for a first person shooter. However, the game multiplayer mode does little to add replay value to F.E.A.R. 2 and is a largely uninspired addition of now standard game types. The Armoured Front game type is the highlight of the multiplayer action bringing the giant mechanised suits in to the online arena.

Visually, whilst not being the most stunning first person shooter, F.E.A.R. 2 is solid, the game has a highly atmospheric look with endless darkness where ever you look. With your only light source coming from your flashlight and the odd damaged flickering light. The game screams horror with mysterious pools of blood, strange scrabbling on walls and debris that seems to move on its own. Character models and animation is all good, however the highlights come in the form of the ghostly apparitions of Alma who can suddenly appear in front of you in a burst of blinding light. Although the best of these moments comes in the form of a dimly light silhouette that at times stalks you as you move down pitch black corridors.

Sound in the game also serves to add to the terrifying atmosphere the game tries so hard to create, screams can often be heard in the distance, whilst echoing voices and electrical buzzing can be heard as Alma approaches. Voice acting is performed reasonably well, whilst the games music switches from being highly atmospheric orchestral during sequences were the game wants to scare you to heavy metal style guitar thrashing when the combat action intensifies, all of which is very fitting and timed brilliantly.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin’s first person shooter action is fairly standard and not the most innovative, yet despite this the game still serves up a solid playing experience! This solid gameplay coupled with the atmospheric game design and brutal assault on your senses altogether make F.E.A.R 2 a highly compelling playing experience that is well worth a look.