After the release of the original F.E.A.R., developer Monolith had to watch as its creation was farmed out to other studios thanks to Vivendi owning the rights and abusing them with extreme prejudice. Two expansion packs, Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate, were released, neither of which managed to endear the series to critics and players.
Now Monolith is back in the saddle, backed by Warner Brothers, and with the two expansions disregarded as non-canon, the series returns with its only official follow-up, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin.
Has Monolith managed to wipe away the foul stink of Vivendi's clammy dead claws, or do we have nothing to fear but F.E.A.R. itself? Read on as myself, Brad Nicholson and Reverend Anthony join hands and fear Alma again.
F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 [Reviewed]) Developer: Monolith Productions Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Studios Released: February 10, 2009 MSRP: $59.99
Jim Sterling
F.E.A.R. 2 picks up roughly thirty minutes before the original F.E.A.R. left off, as Sgt. Michael Beckett and his Delta Squad team move to apprehend the shady Genevieve Aristide. Aristide works for the Armacham Technology Corporation, the same company responsible for turning Alma Wade into a wrathful psychic superbitch.
I'll illuminate no more than that for fear of spoilers, but it's safe to say that Project Origin's story is a lot easier to follow than the convoluted plot of the original game, not to mention more interesting. While it may still confuse those who aren't paying attention, there are helpful intel collectibles that keep players clued in and even those who have not played F.E.A.R. should be able to understand what's going on. All you really need to know is this -- the evil military guys are trying to kill you, the evil replica soldiers are trying to kill you, and Alma is trying to kill everything.
The most striking thing about Project Origin is just how atmospheric it is. The original game tried too hard to be scary and ended up being annoying more often than not. Project Origin, however, maintains an almost constantly threatening atmosphere with a morose air and a high amount of tension. While some of the scares are predictable, there are some legitimately spooky moments that should stick in your memory long after playing.
As far as the gameplay goes, Project Origin certainly does nothing new, but the gameplay is so solid that innovation is certainly not necessary. Typical FPS action has been married almost perfectly to the creepy psychic shenanigans, with neither element getting in the way of the other. To go from a crazy one-man-army section full of bullets and blood to feeling like you're the thoroughly possessed bitch of a demented young girl is difficult to pull off, but Monolith has done so admirably.
The shooting sections are standard but slickly produced and full of fun weaponry that ranges from standard pistols and shotguns to energy cannons and laser beams. Just like the original F.E.A.R., Beckett has access to the SlowMo ability that temporarily induces bullet time -- a necessity for some of the game's most intense battles. As well as the ground combat, some turret and mech battles have also been thrown in, and unlike other games, these stages actually feel empowering -- just like they should.
F.E.A.R. 2's single-player campaign is, to be honest, stunning. The pacing is almost perfect, never once letting you feel bored or indulging in useless filler. The criticisms are minimal -- some of the set pieces feel more like ambushes that will probably kill you the first time around, and you constantly seem to keep needing to turn your flashlight back on after the game's turned it off. These minor annoyances do very little to hamper to overall product, however.
Special attention must also be given to the environments, as they are some of the most atmospheric and unsettling I have seen for a while in a game. From the eerily realistic elementary school to the nuked-out city streets, F.E.A.R. 2 manages to be dark and gritty without falling into the usual "dark and gritty" stereotypes of most modern videogames.
As with nearly all shooters, there is an obligatory multiplayer mode, but it feels just that -- obligatory. When I could actually get into a game (which appears to be statistically improbable), I found it to be rather bog-standard nineties stuff, and completely lacking the tension and atmosphere that Monolith has worked so hard to build. I'd much rather the multiplayer be nixed altogether and the single-player expanded upon.
The multiplayer, however, has no bearing on what an ultimately fine product F.E.A.R. 2 has turned out to be. This game is all about the single-player, and it's a thoroughly engrossing one that FPS and horror fans would do well to check out. Even if you didn't like the first F.E.A.R. (I certainly didn't), it is still recommended that you give this one a chance. It won't change the way you look at the world or provide some grand revolution to gaming as we know it, but it will give you an incredibly good time. That's all it needed to do.
Score: 8.5
Anthony Burch
In all my years of playing games, I don't think I've ever found a more deserving example of the 5/10 score than F.E.A.R. 2. It's totally solid, yet completely predictable.
F.E.A.R. 2includes pretty much every single FPS cliché of the last few years -- turret levels, ventilation shafts, tedious turn-off-the-gas-valve-to-proceed puzzles -- yet these remain tolerable, due almost solely to the strength of the central gunfighting mechanics. The enemy AI is even better than in the first F.E.A.R., the weapons feel responsive and brutal (though I still can't comprehend why Monolith got rid of the akimbo pistols), and the environments tear apart rather nicely in the heat of protracted gun battles. It may not sound that impressive when I say that enemies will team up, throw grenades, create cover and flank you at every opportunity, but the impressive baddie AI alone still kept me at least marginally interested for most of the game's eight-hour campaign.
There is only one area in which F.E.A.R. 2 unquestionably fails (hint: it's in the title). The “gunfight, scary sequence, gunfight, scary sequence” structure is back from the first game, but it's just hard to care anymore. Alma wasn't terribly frightening to begin with, and the cheap scares that were occasionally effective from the first game now feel old and expected. It's worth mentioning, though, that few of the scare sequences are visually striking and damn near gorgeous (actually reminding me of Flower, believe it or not). So, they've got that going for them.
If you played the first F.E.A.R., you'll be surprised to find that every single enemy and weapon (sans akimbo pistols) from the first game make an appearance. You will then be even more surprised to find that they make up roughly 90% of the game's content. Apart from two new weapons (both of them pretty cool), two new enemy types, and an occasional hop into a Giant Goddamn Robot with unlimited ammunition, the campaign doesn't have anything terribly new to offer. Again, though, maybe this isn't a problem; personally, I haven't played F.E.A.R. since it first came out, so the enemy and weapon repetition felt fresh, if only because I couldn't remember them that well. The one problem I do remember having with the first game -- the repetitive office building environments -- is thankfully addressed in the sequel thanks to the frequent changes of scenery offered by the story.
Speaking of story: some of it is better-integrated with the actual gameplay than the email- and PDA-heavy first game, but I still found it loose and irrelevant in the final analysis. Though I had a pretty decent idea of what was going on the majority of the time, some stuff happens at the end that made absolutely no sense to me until I looked up an explanation on the F.E.A.R. wiki. Again, there'd be more to say about this if Alma were still scary or interesting, but she sort of isn't. She's just a narrative catalyst for neato gunfights, and the game doesn't attempt to make her much more than that.
In some ways, F.E.A.R. 2's single-player almost feels like a litmus test for shooter fans. The story is meh, the gameplay steadfastly refuses to innovate in any way, and doesn't even make any clear improvements over the first game outside of including more varied environments and a few short sections where you control a Giant Goddamn Robot. Apart from said Giant Goddamn Robot, it has absolutely nothing new to offer -- but, hey, does it need to? I can't say for sure. It's not going to win any awards or stick out in your memory a few years from now, but it provides simple, solid, and fairly entertaining gunplay. Whether or not that's enough to sustain an entire game is up to you.
Score: 5.0
Brad Nicholson
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin isn’t a horror title, despite what the game’s cover conveys. Pictured on the insert is a nasty little girl with greasy wisps of black hair streaming into a circlet of red destruction. A stoic man stands in the center, rifle arm raised, attention focused on something outside the art. I popped the disc in the Xbox 360 and expected to be greeted with closet monsters and static hisses; I was surprised that none were to be found. Instead, I discovered that Monolith built a game based on varying amounts of teeth-gnashing intensity -- sometimes veering into the obscene, always bloody and constantly engaging.
The intensity is delivered in a variety of ways. The most notable is contained within the game’s narrative. You’re a soldier, tossed into a fucked-up city controlled by a little girl who has just escaped her cage. The little girl, Alma, has all sorts of Art Bell-inspired power, including the ability to distort reality. The game often breaks the monotony of soldier slaying by tossing you into a red-washed world, complete with a gnarled tree and unassuming swing set. It isn’t just a visual ploy -- although the effects are amazing -- it’s also a narrative device. The game builds around your perspective and intermittently worsening condition. When you freak out, people notice. And when they blank out and enter into Alma’s reality, you pursue. You also get plenty of opportunity to build upon the game’s story elements by finding documents that contain relevant information or being guided in real time by radio events.
F.E.A.R. 2 has savage AI that constantly moves and seeks new paths according to your behavior and actions in battle. The combination makes for intense and interesting battles, especially towards the latter portion of the game when the monsters come out to play. However clever, the AI’s movements don’t hide some of the game’s flaws. The glaring problem is the cover mechanic, which feels ineffectual. You can knock down tables and desks to crouch behind, but the AI can still pick you off from your short, makeshift hiding position. I eventually got comfortable running between and hiding behind vertical barriers to avoid the short cover issue and in the process, ignored the entire mechanic.
Despite the cover issue, I had a great time with F.E.A.R. 2’s single-player component. I loved how the tight environments focused your attention on the action and allowed for a smoother progression of the game’s story by not letting you get lost in the game’s many dark corridors. I also enjoyed the varied environments and immense detail within.
The multiplayer component doesn’t have the polish that the single-player has. It offers several modes ranging from the standard deathmatch to capture the PHLAG, but Armored Front is the only mode worth playing. It pits two eight-man teams against each other in a territory capturing competition. Each team has an Elite Powered Armor vehicle -- good luck getting in one with the crowds it draws between respawns -- and it can swing a team’s circumstance with just a few rockets and a couple thousand bullets.
I enjoyed Armored Front because of its impersonal combat. People are more concerned with objectives and getting into the EPA instead of spawn-camping you with a missile launcher for ten minutes. The game has a ton of devastating weapons scattered throughout the maps; each one easily trumps anything you can pick with the game’s pre-match point-style armor and weapon combinations.
There are numerous instances of bad multiplayer design that pushed me towards Armored Front as the premier mode. Maps funnel players into narrow zones that don’t serve the game’s pacing or mid-range gunplay. Awkward close encounters rule these areas and remind you why you have to slow down time in the single-player. There are also multiple balance issues. Spawn points are poorly placed and predictable, weapons are strewn haphazardly across the map, and the SMG kicks more ass than the combat shotgun. It never comes together without objectives, and even with, you’ll find yourself feeling like you haven’t contributed because of the EPA’s ability to dominate the match.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a great game, despite its lackluster multiplayer component. The intense imagery and action is framed between gratifying exploratory segments that allow you to navigate and learn about the haunted world at your own pace. A coherent story holds the dizzying narrative together, which is something that the game’s predecessor sorely lacked. Ultimately, it delivers almost everything an atmospheric shooter should.
Score: 8.0
Average Score: 7.0 -- Good(7s are solid games that definitely have an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.)
I agree with Jim that F.E.A.R. 2 is average. I just didn't get that same feeling I got when I played the first game back in 2005. It's a shame because I was looking forward to this game.
I think of the F.E.A.R. games as the video game equivalent of a good bad movie. Starship Troopers, for example. I'll probably pick it up at $30 or $40.
I enjoyed the first F.E.A.R. when it was originally released and I feel that this proper sequel improves in many of the places its predecessor was lacking in I however, do not feel that it's worth its current $60 price tag due to its lack of replay value. Without decent multi-player content much like the first game I can't see myself playing through the single player campaign more then once honestly. Definitely an extended rental with a possible purchase in the distant future but sadly, with the current alternatives available on the market (i.e. Resistance 2, Farcry 2, etc.) I don't see too many people putting their money behind this one. Which is a shame. More so having been released in the shadow of Kill Zone 2*. All in all though, great reviews.
* - which is an awful, awful game. And I HAVEN'T EVEN PLAYED IT. You guys are so much fun (Anthony) ;D - obvious sarcasm is obvious
I bought it and have thus far only beaten the first level. So far it does seem rather generic, but perhaps the game will ramp up a bit in intensity later on.
That's pretty much what I expected. Generic, but fun, with some interesting stuff in it. I was hoping for a more improvement over the first, but I guess it's good they didn't go completely downhill. Good review guys, I like the three-way going on here.
I agree with Anthony here, I thought this game was bland.
I LOVED the first FEAR. I played that game over so many times, I would have to use both hands to count. The main gripe that I have about this though, is that the feel is nothing like the original. Plus, a lot more of the game is lit up, even the "hidden" collectibles have a cursor around them.
I don't know... maybe it's just me, but I would only give this a decent rent. FEAR 2 really disappointed me.
This is a nice format to be able to see multiple opinions on a game that has received some mixed reviews. Nice job team. I've really been enjoying these reviews, colour me impressed.
I love this game. It looks like Condemned2 but in the FEAR setting, which is to say the graphics are awesome. There are some really scary parts in this game, some more than other popular horror titles (FatalFRame/SilentHill/Condemned). The multiplayer isn't amazing, but it is fun. All in all, I'd give it a 9/10 from myself.
This game restored my faith in FPS games after playing the absolute boring dog shit that is Far Cry 2. What a waste of money that was... 9/10 game my arse!
F.E.A.R 2 though... great graphics, atmosphere and enemy A.I. I loved the first game, but even I got bored during the middle portion when it was office after office after office. This sorts it right out with a wide range of environments. The guns feel meaty as fuck too.
It may be a bit old school with its corridor mechanics, but it does it so well.
FEAR 2 doesn't offer much besides a solid shooter with old school ramifications. I can see Rev giving 5/10 to Street Fighter for the same reason ahahah.
The gun fights where amazing and I think the QTEs could have gone by without visual cues. Shame that people still don't realize that games that are suppose to fright you, they should shuffle the scares on the next playthrough.
Actually, I do take issue with Anthony's score, because it doesn't really reflect his review. He described a 6 or a 7. He described a good, though flawed, game. A 5 suggests a much more neutral game. It's just... confusing.
I think Anthony reviewed this like a movie critique. "It's totally solid, yet completely predictable." and then a five/ten. So the score is not important. If you want a solid shooter, there you have it.
I'll be renting this, since the multiplayer doesn't seem to be up to much. And I actually thought the first was balls scary, I'm going to suggest that most of you are too damn 'macho' to admit you were scared at all!
it was the first time I played a "horror" game and my heart skipped a beat really often.
try playing it for 4 hours (almost) straight and tell me it is not scary. I had tears all the time because i wasnt closing my eyes. It is all about the experience!
and I think it is hard to rate horror games if youve played a lot of them. They cannot all be that much different. I did not finish the game yet, but hell, I am going to tonight for sure!
I never played the first FEAR but I tried the demo for this and I found it scary but I didn't like the controls. I would probably rent this down the line.
Anthony, stop being such a dick about mainstream releases and the scores you give them. I swear you take a point or two off the score if it's not an indie title.
great reviews guys, except for the video. Please i mean no disrespect, the editing was great, but there is something missing in Mr. Sterling's voice...i think its humor or excitement, something found in abundance in your articles. You are an AMAZING writer, i just don't think the voice works mate. Sorry.
Thank you for your views. These reviews are still in the practice phase and I'm trying to strike a balance between not sounding boring and being informative and "reviewy." I have some plans for future reviews, so we'll see how it goes.
I know about the full scale, but the game is "Totally solid, yet completely predictable."
The God of War series didn't innovate the action slash genre, and the game simply consisted of beating the shit out of enemies and doing the occaisional simple puzzle or QTE. So by Anthony's logic I think he'd give it around a 6. God of War is better than a 6. It was very fun to play, and isn't that the point of a videogame? I know he is entitled to perceiving a game as not very fun, but it seems like he just says it with no backup. The AI is challenging in FEAR 2 he states, and keeps you on your toes, but he doesn't mention them being cheap or anything like that. Why is that not fun? What does he expect an FPS to be? Are the enemies just supposed to be blown away like there aint nothin to it?
And it seems like he takes issue with gunfights being broken up by scary (or at least attempting to be) events/cutscenes. What the hell do you expect? It's FEAR 2, the scares are required and it's what makes FEAR the franchise it is.
The critical downfall of the first game, the constant office environment, has been addressed. He likes the new weapons, better AI, the new robot parts, and the slightly better integrated story. The formula for FEAR was improved; that is what you want in a sequel. A 5 does not match his written review.
@ran24 I understand your logic there, but people get too used to the normal "7.0 is average" situation. A 5.0 should be a 'Hey, it was fine' as in Anthony's review. He gave the game some ups and some downs, it wasn't a bashing review. Maybe a little bit low, but he's the reviewer and we're the readers, which makes it his call.
In any case, I played the demo which really got me excited. I'm going to play the game when I get home tonight. Around 12. Perfect time to play :-).
The video review would have been much nicer with a somehow less epileptic editing IMHO. There wasn't a single sequence which lasted more than 4-5sec. It's a game, not a music video. It would have been nice to get a little sense of the game's action's feel and pace..
Anthony's review sounds like how I felt about Prey: completely competent, yet completely predictable, with innovations that end up not being implemented well enough to be considered innovations. My one complaint is that Anthony telegraphed his score so blatantly at the start, I was hoping his final score would be something different just to throw me off. The original F.E.A.R. fell into my hands for cheap recently, so I'll certainly be trying that one out before Project Origin.
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