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

I play titles like this for the single player experience, multi-player modes in shooters like F.E.A.R. 2 are just an extra for me. I've got multi-player shooters like the Battlefield series for that pleasure. That said i won't be giving lower points to the online multi-player part if it's not that great 'cause i simply don't expect it to be.

Having played the first game i can say F.E.A.R. 2 continues the series with good effort, although it's not as good on all points. To start off with the good i will say that the story and the given setting is the best part of the game, even though the plot can be a little difficult to follow sometimes the story and places your visit will keep you interested and make you want to finish the game to see what happens, which won't take you very long, 9 to 10 hours of normal play. But it's long enough in my opinion. If a game is too long a game like this can eventually lose your interest in which case you'll most likely never finish it at all. Just Cause 2 being a fine example of this.

Gameplay wise not a lot has changed since the original, only improvements on some of the core gameplay mechanics and a few new gameplay elements like iron sighting and the ability to operate a mech suite. In the end nothing shocking really, which can also be said for the gameplay itself, but it's satisfying enough.

The graphics never really stand out above other titles in this genre but it's more than adequate to satisfy the ones who love graphics. Design and environments play a mayor part too in this and deserve an extra notice. The levels are well detailed, dynamic, destructible and have a good layout and some nicely placed scripted events too. Most noticeable level to back this up would without a doubt be the Elementary School.

So what's bad about the game than? Well, it isn't as scary as it used to be for one. Let me put it this way, if F.E.A.R. would be the Japanese horror movie Ringu (which was probably a big inspiration) than F.E.A.R. 2 would be an episode of Ghost hunters. It's just not as scary as you would like and expect it to be in a way the first one was. Next to that i found the overall sound a bit lacking. In most part this was fine, like the music which created some nice tension in the game, but i'm talking about the sound effects with the gun sounds in particular. It all sounded a little weak for my taste, especially the shotgun. But these are just small things. In the end there isn't really anything wrong with F.E.A.R. 2 , the problem lies more in what's good. It's just that, good, nothing more. F.E.A.R. 2 never really stands out in any way. So eventually you could say that F.E.A.R. 2 is an above average shooter. Nothing really special, just good.

My advice would be that if you liked the original F.E.A.R and it's installments and you digged the story as much as i did or if you're just looking for a good shooter to get you through the weekend than i'm positive you'll enjoy F.E.A.R. 2. But for those of you who are looking for something new and groundbreaking or want a good scare i would recommend to pass on this one, it's not that special.

It seems very rare today that movie-directors and game-developers actually listen to the fans for advice, but Monolith is a exception. Not only did they let the fans come up with the title Project Origin (which is now used as a sub-title), but they fixed quite some problems that were adressed in the previous game. FEAR 2 now has iron sights which is very handy in combat, the level-design has a lót more variety then the first game, and the overall graphics and atmosphere has been polished. It is also possible to push over a table or other kind of furniture to use for cover.

A lot of people have said that FEAR 2 is more focused on the action, which is kinda true, but the game still adds some nice atmospheric elements that sets itself apart from other shooting-games. A good example is the elementary school level, which is probably the best level in the game so I'm not going to spoil it. For the first time, the ghosts and apparitions (including Alma) can actually hurt you, and it at least gives you some reason to be scared of them which also is a improvement since there is not much reason to be afraid of a cut-scene. Alma comes out from time to time to scare the hell out of you and make you tap the B-button like a mad man if you don't want to die.

The biggest downside of FEAR 2 is the length. Its easy to race through this game in less then 2 days, so I suggest you take your time and enjoy the detailed environment of the game as much as you can. You will also have plenty of blood and gore to look at, so gore-hounds will certainly love shooting flesh and limbs off enemies. I would even go as far as to call FEAR 2 the most bloody game from Monolith since Blood from 1997. The multiplayer-aspect I haven't really checked out so I can't say much about that, but if you are looking a for a atmospheric first person shooter then look no further then this game. It maybe short, but it certainly is sweet.

Review of the PC version. This ignores both of the expansion packs, and also cuts other ties that might have been expected, thus offering it enough slack to go where they wanted it to. And I couldn't be happier about that. In spite of the title, you are no longer working for the organization that you were in the first, and you are also playing as someone else. You even get a name, and that is unprecedented for this franchise. That is as far as this goes in supplying you with an identity. Thankfully, the rest of the cast of characters have plenty of personality, and every last one of them is credible. The ones who are meant to be are likable, none of them are irritating... and the comic relief one is, my god, *actually funny*. That hardly ever happens. This is extremely cinematic, similar to Half-Life(I haven't played the second one; it is reminiscent of AvP2, as well, at points), only upgraded. Bloodstains and drops of water can get on your visor(yes, all the tech's in the glasses... think Ghosts of Mars), your vision blurs when that is appropriate, and your "hearing" is impaired for a while if there is a loud noise near you. This high level of realism has been raised since the 2005 one, and the effects are immensely superior. Water, light, everything looks astonishing. The brand new graphics allow for incredible, detailed, photo-realistic faces, and the gore is also considerably more convincing. This aids nicely in the building of atmosphere(one of the best that I've tried in any game, it may be up there with Silent Hill), and the sound is again carefully orchestrated(pardon the pun), with surgeon-like precision and skill to make this a thoroughly creepy experience that you won't soon forget. The score is amazing, though I did find one piece to be out of place... heavy metal? In this? It wasn't bad, just was surprised to find something like that here. The rest of the music is subtle and adds to the psychological horror. Every voice is spot-on, and the acting is impeccable. Animation is smooth and beautifully done. Every movement feels natural. The camera sticks to 1st person perspective throughout, exactly as it should. It takes the intensity of the whole thing through the roof. Everything that was an issue in the earlier three is fixed here. This does not grow stale at any point, Reflex Time can be turned on or off without standing still(and it is rather useful, foes get a "hue" so they are easier to spot), and I could go on. I did not figure out the ending before it came, and it didn't come out of the blue, either. This doesn't have to be the last in the series, and yet it gives you a sense of accomplishment. The plot is compelling, and you want to get further, want to see where it is going. Level design is marvelous, and while they are entirely linear, it doesn't bother you, because it's so exciting to play. The story is told through in-engine cut-scenes and scripted sequences, so you are at no time forced out of the immersive state this puts you in. This begins right before the end of the original VG(and you don't need to have tried that one to be able to follow this), and takes the consequence of what happened in that one. It's awesome. This is engaging from start to finish, a perfect mix of the elements, switching between battles and paranormal phenomena so that you never get bored of either. It is focused on the action aspect, but can you have something that is centrally about enhanced clone soldiers and simply rely on setup? And since the encounters with the things not of this world has been given a solid dose of adrenalin, they are a source of thrilling combat as well. The weapons are cool(and they clearly went for them being mind-blowing and memorable this time), with an unorthodox Flamethrower, the Hammerhead that allows you to literally nail opponents to the wall, a Pulse-firing thingamajig that reminded me of the ol' BFG, and a Laser that means serious business. You get to "drive" an Elite Powered Suit, essentially a mech, equipped with Gatling guns and missiles. Oh, and it's got Thermal Vision, and like every single other addition to your arsenal, it has zoom capabilities. For your throwing pleasure, there are Frag, Incendiary and Shock grenades, and Proximity Mines that will stick to the majority of surfaces. You can create your own cover now, by sliding a desk to the side, or tipping over a table. Enemy types are diverse, and they are all fun to fight. The AI for both them and the allies that you are sometimes assisted by allies is excellent, flawless. They can spot you by as little as the beam of your flashlight, and they will take cover and use tactics against you. In spite of your slow-motion, the apparitions and such remain terrifying. You can't save when you want, instead this relies on a checkpoint system to store your progress(and it does so unobtrusively). When you load, you will get a brief description of the most recent events to remind you and bring you up to speed. Multi-player includes six different modes... Deathmatch, TDM, Control(capture specific points in the field), Armoured Front(like the previous one, with other rules), Failsafe(think CS, plant a bomb) and Blitz(CTF). I have found no bugs or glitches in this. In fact, my one complaint about this is that it is short. Yes. Very. It took me one day and maybe a few hours to complete. Half a weekend. I will be going back to it... I haven't earned all of the Awards yet. There is frequent gratuitous swearing, constant brutal violence, and a ton of disturbing content in this. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys terror-packed electronic entertainment, served with a mystery that will instantly get you interested. 10/10