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

"What used to be the top-end definition of horror has now become standard FPS fare"

The original F.E.A.R. was a groundbreaking test of PC gamers' mettle - both in terms of subject matter and the somewhat steep system requirements Combining the fundamental elements of Japanese horror phenomena such as "The Grudge" and "The Ring", First Encounter Assault Recon managed to bring players to the edge of their seats, then slowly creep into their skin when the monitors went black.

Of course, no successful game goes without a sequel; it is much more than convention, it is now nearly compulsory. F.E.A.R. saw two expansions, though they were not produced by the original developers at Monolith. "Extraction Point" and "Perseus Mandate" chronicled the continued exploits of the Pointman against a resurrected Paxton Fettel, and a supposed alternate F.E.A.R. team who fought against the Nightstalker mercenary group, respectively. With the advent of Project Origin, these were considered non-canon, and so gamers were left to wonder exactly what the future of the series entailed as envisioned by its creators.

Needless to say, F.E.A.R. 2 continues the story after the explosion in Armacham, when Alma is released into the world, filled with rage and able to manipulate the very fabric of reality to her will. However, the story does not continue with the Pointman; rather, the player assumes the guise of a Delta Force sergeant named Beckett, tasked with finding Jenevieve Aristide, one of the top officials within the Armacham corporation.


Story: 7/10 - A reminder with a few glimpses of the future

F.E.A.R. 2's change of perspective already leaves gamers with unanswered questions, namely of the fate of the original's "Pointman" character and the original F.E.A.R. team. Considering the name of the game itself references the team in question, it is odd that the main character of the sequel is a Delta Force operative. However, his involvement, as well as his teammates', becomes apparent during the very first level. I won't spoil the plot, but I will say that while the plot is still largely supported by the player's finding of intel within each level, it is not executed as well as its predecessor - instead of hearing eerie phone messages, news reports, etc., the player is left to simply read various documents and papers. The ending of the story is also about as perplexing as the original, with little to nothing actually resolved; if anything, it serves to remind you of exactly what went on with Alma, rather than revealing new information as to how everything came about.


Gameplay: 6/10 - Standard FPS with jumpy scare tactics; Even detracts from what could have been a much more realistic, if not enjoyably scary, atmosphere

The meat of Project Origin is its gunfights, and while they're on par with the original's drop-kicking, gore-filled bullet fiestas, they suffer from some glaring issues. The level design, while still well done in terms of graphics and interesting locales, suffers from a kind of linear pacing that, while it was present in the original's cramped office corridors, feels somewhat claustrophobic - you'll frequently be outside, but there are always conveniently-placed piles of rubble blocking your way, and while there are certainly some interesting scenes to be had in some levels (the elementary school, namely), you will almost never find yourself doing anything beyond running from room to room killing people. There are no real puzzles, no urgent getaways from Alma's fury, and the mech levels, while hilariously brutal, feel more like miniature rail-shooter sections than actual additions to the core mechanic.

Beyond the overly-linear level design, there are some additions to, as well as some omissions of, various combat mechanics. Long-time players of the original will notice a lack of a lean function, and with the added, albeit gimmicky cover-making system, this omission becomes almost frustrating to deal with. There is virtually no way to really hug the cover - it's either stand in the middle of fire, or stand behind a wall, and turning over a table is of little use when you still get hit due to not being able to adhere to it properly. There are also some items of cover that simply don't make sense - while it is certainly cool to overturn a drink machine and use it for cover, the cover is useless when your crouching self stands a full two feet above the top, leaving your head exposed to all the nasty gunfire. Even the enemy AI will try to use this improvised cover, only to be mowed down because half their body is poking out of the side - while it could have been an interesting mechanic, in lieu of keeping the player restricted in terms of how to interact with it, the cover system is simply non-existent.

Another addition to combat is the tweaked slow-motion mechanic - instead of simply slowing down time due to "enhanced reflexes", the enemies also magically glow various colors, making them look less like a threat and more like a giant target. It doesn't help that the difficulty is significantly less than the original game, either. You won't find yourself in many hard-fought battles, nor feel any real sense of accomplishment after mowing down your 50th horde of replica soldiers. It's easy to sort of settle into the rhythm of the game, and let it go - you'll hardly feel like you're working at it if you're even moderately good at shooters.

Weapon selection is relatively the same, though the names of the guns have changed, and their aesthetic seems to lean towards having LED's everywhere rather than being functional. Honestly, how much sense does it truly make to have your gun covered in glowing lights? It may look cool, but it makes them a little too cartoonish for my taste.

Combat and level design aside, there are the encounters with Alma. Gone are the slow-moving, eerie visions of a little girl in a red dress - they're mostly replaced with jump-out-of-the-closet scares from the adult version of Alma, and while they all look sufficiently creepy and strange, they're simply not on par with the "under your skin" feeling the original managed to elicit.


Graphics: 9/10 - Very cinematic, with some extremely nice touches to lighting to give it an extra edge

While it's certainly not a groundbreaker, it is nice to know that F.E.A.R. 2 looks great even on a mid-range PC. Most of the lighting effects help to give the game a really cinematic atmosphere, and it is often in the middle of hard firefights that the fluid, movie-like quality of it all really sinks in. While it isn't immersive perhaps in the way that gamers were looking for, it certainly pulls off the feeling of being in a top-notch movie, with plenty of eye-candy to help ease what could be perceived as the pain of losing some of the good horror aspects. There is one perhaps glaring issue though - fire. The fire looks, frankly, like water. It moves more like a liquid than a flame, and without much differentiation in color, it looks more like an impressionist's painting of a fire than a real smoldering inferno. Considering how often it's seen, and how large of a role it plays in showing off Alma's fury, the fire really could have been shaped up a bit. It's not a huge issue, no, but it's one that you're likely to notice throughout the game, which takes a bit from its ability to keep you engrossed.


Sound: 9/10 - Adds what the gameplay took away from the atmosphere

This is where the game truly shines. F.E.A.R. 2, though its gameplay and story appear somewhat lacking, executes a perfect atmosphere in terms of audio. From the eerie whispers to a particularly disturbing line of audio during the end-sequence, F.E.A.R. 2's sound helps to overcome some of the lost terror of the original - at the very least, you are going to feel immersed in what you're doing, because you can hear every little "bump in the night". There are more musical sequences as well, and they are all done at a level on par with most other games - I've heard better music, and some of the more magnificent pieces reek of synthesized instruments, but it suffices to keep the mood going, and even give you a sense of urgency that you otherwise might not have had.

Multiplayer: 5/10 - Functional, but bland

It's not broken, but honestly, if you're content with playing what is in essence yet another iteration of every multiplayer FPS in existence, you should probably reconsider what counts for "fun". Utterly stripped of anything even remotely unique, the multiplayer fails to be anything worth more than a few bored minutes after the game is over.

Replayability: 4/10 - Near to none

Once the game is done, it's done. There is little inclination to play it through again, unless you're the type that like achievements. There are plenty to be had, but in lieu of them not unlocking anything, or even counting towards anything, there is really no reason to play through a second time. Given the stale multiplayer, the question of how much the game is actually worth will definitely hit your mind as it all winds down.

Overall: 7/10 - More like cubic zirconia than diamond

Project Origin is certainly not one of the best games ever made. It stands more as a testament to a tried-and-true formula of how to make a competent FPS. It does nothing new, even in the context of its own lore - you're left still wondering exactly what in all hell is going on, despite finding piles of information on the inner workings of a particular kind of hell.

However, it is a competent shooter in that there is fun to be had - there are no broken segments, no cheap kills, no totally bugged AI or vehicle segments, and the graphics are polished enough to give you a sense of at least something fairly unique.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/24/09

Game Release: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (US, 02/10/09)