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

The original F.E.A.R. was a game that combined an intense, action movie-like shooter with a terrifying, atmospheric horror movie, with a story that rivals even the most dramatic flims of our time. F.E.A.R. was followed by two expansion packs, which were headed by Sierra; unfortuantely, they could not live up to the bar that the original game had set for itself. Now with Monolith back in the helm of the project F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin promises to bring the series back to its original glory with the phrase, "Fear Alma Again!"

The story begins with Michael Becket on assignment to take Armacham President, Genevieve Aristide into protective custody. The mission takes place at the same time as the final events of the original F.E.A.R., and its nice to see how the events unfold on the outside world. From there on Michael Becket and his team are thrust into a conspiracy that they can not even fathom. Now, with the player assuming the role of a different character, one would have to wonder how the events prior to F.E.A.R. 2 relate to Michael Becket and how he is able to use the Slow-Mo mechanic from the original game. I can assure you, all these story elements are explained, and they are explained very well. Now, even if you haven't played the original F.E.A.R.,  the game does a very good job of catching the player up as to what events occured prior to this game. The story telling is still intact, and if anything is easier to access than in the original F.E.A.R.,  since if you missed an intel in the original the player was often left in a haze as to what was happening, and this is no longer the case. The story leaves off on a note that may be a negative or a positive depending upon your own personal opinion. I happened to really enjoy the ending of F.E.A.R. 2, but there are people who didn't enjoy it as much, so as far as the ending goes, that is your own personal preference. Overall, the story of F.E.A.R. 2 is a great continuation to the original, that answers several of the questions that were left off, where-as the expansions, raised a million questions and answered zero.

Everything in F.E.A.R. 2 looks great. The game does a great job of taking the series into the next generation while still retaining the design that made the original game so claustrophobic. The environments are exceptionally more diverse than the original F.E.A.R., which is a welcome change because the environments in F.E.A.R. 2 truly expand the conspiracy that surrounded the first game. Character models look great and are far superior to that of the original, but perhaps the highlight of the game's graphics is the visual effects that place when Alma shows herself or when the player is using Slow-Mo. The path of bullets are visible in Slow-Mo which createa very Matrix-ish action movie feel to the game. The visual effects that occur during an Alma sequence are very impressive. The visual filters range from a slight red or grey tint to the character's view to the hallucinatory filters and images that flash before the player. All the graphics contribute to the feel of the game, and are a definite hallmark of the experience.

The sound is also a hallmark of the game. The sound effects create a very atmospheric shooter, which Monolith is famous for. The sounds of the game can be just as scary as the visuals in many cases, which is impressive on Monolith's part. I also found the soundtrack of the game to be quite enjoyable. A few tracks have returned from the orginal game, which can create fond memories for fans of the original, but it also features quite a few new songs, including one almost metal? song that creates an awesome moment that could have been ripped right out of a fast paced action movies. In the end, the sound donates to the game in the same way as the graphics; they create an action movie-like game with the atmospheric elements of a japanese horror movie.

The gameplay is largely similar to the original F.E.A.R., which is a great positive for the game, but it also implements a few unique touches to the gameplay. The player still has use of the Slow-Mo that played a large part of the original game, and the guns also kick ass just as much as they previously did. A new feature to the game is the use of interective cover. The player can now flip tables, benches, and other things to create cover for himself. Its a fun little bonus to the gameplay, but it isn't entirely neccesary since there is already more than enough cover present. Another new element to the game is the piloting of the Mech Suits that you fought in the first game. These moments are truly awesome to play because of the power they give to the player. Its an interesting and fun position to place the player in and it helps break up the pacing of the game quite well. The environments are also alot more linear than the orignal F.E.A.R. That sounds like a negative but it is actually a large improvement over the original's winding hallways that after 5 minutes led to nowhere. There are a couple of minor drawbacks to the gameplay though. The game is significantly shorter than the first game, clocking in at about 10 hours, it will leave you wishing for more there was more to the game. Also, the game is noticeably easier than the original. The tactical edge that was neccesary in the original game just isn't present in the F.E.A.R. 2. Also it may seem that the game is not as terrifying as its predecessor, but thats not fair to the game. One of the reasons players were afraid of the original F.E.A.R.,  was because they didn't know what was going on, all they knew was that it was scary. Now, it is almost expected that Alma will show herself every once in a while. Its not that the game is less scary, or that the scares are cheap scares, its that we've come to expect it. This represents a new challenge for Monolith in the next F.E.A.R. game.These drawbacks are forgiveable though, because F.E.A.R. 2 delivers an exciting and fun time.

The larger drawback is the multiplayer of F.E.A.R. 2. It isn't that the multiplayer is bad. It can serve as entertainment for a while if you don't feel like playing anything else, but it just doesn't have anything unique enough to set it apart from its competitors that exist today. It just isn't special enough to stand on its own, unfortuantely. The multiplayer is going to fall under your radar, but this is also forgivable because the multiplyer is not bad by any standards.

F.E.A.R. 2 serves its purpose as a successful sequel to its predecessor. Even though it has a few drawbacks, the game is fun and entertaining. It is a much simpler Shooter than what exists today, and that often gets overlooked.
For F.E.A.R. fans, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a must-buy. For shooter fans, it should at least be rented. For horror fans, you should try this game.