When F.E.A.R. came out in 2005 it brought new meaning to "survival
action horror". The game played with shadows and sound like few titles
before it, even rivaling the Resident Evil series in some aspects.
Monolith Productions had successfully adapted popular horror movie
formulas to scare the living daylights out of players. They took the
most mundane of settings and turned them into veritable nightmares.
Offices never looked the same.
The first game was poignant but short, which was a downer because the
overall product left many wanting more. F.E.A.R. also disappointingly
ended in a cliffhanger, guaranteeing a sequel that would finish all the
loose ends. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin unfortunately doesn't quite
finish the story (ya, another one of those episodic series) but in the
process it improves on the overall gameplay experience with smarter
A.I. and sharper action. Though this sequel might be a notch below its
predecessor in terms of horror, it surpasses its forerunner in terms of
execution as a solid shooter.
THEY GOT ME IN THE AORTA!
The game begins rather abruptly with Michael Becket and his squad sent
to retrieve Genevieve Aristide, the Armacham Technology Corporation
executive so frequently mentioned in the first game. It turns out the
events of the first encounter were but a prelude to the real crisis
involving the omni-powerful telepath, Alma, and the Replica force
running loose. Players are again thrust into a chaotic situation as the
point man of First Encounter Assault Recon (F.E.A.R.), a special unit
almost as secretive as the evil Armacham Corporation that concocted the
whole mess by trying to clone telepathic super-soldiers.
Once the dust settles players end up with more questions than answers
but the story finally begins to make sense, maybe because the whole
experience no longer feels like a cold shower and because we see
reoccurring faces and names. A rundown of previous events would have
helped but it's not essential, though it might take players some time
to repaint the first game (it took me a few "intel pieces" to remember
who Paxton Fettel was). Regardless, once things start rolling F.E.A.R.
2 presents a better picture than its overly-abstract predecessor.
Alma begins to show signs of humanity, clearly the victim in the
ordeal, and players are no longer alone in fixing the mess. Becket's
squad, while not very present, makes a few cameos. Sadly, their company
isn't used to the fullest. Most of the game is played out in solo with
nothing more than exchanges over the comm. system to remind us of
Becket's team, but the exchanges are well executed with some funny
lines, especially in the beginning and the end. Besides the gratuitous
and forced swearing your mates properly react to your actions, but
again, this is very rare -- a mere two or three occasions.
OFFERS LESS FEAR AND MORE SHOOT
F.E.A.R. 2 shines in the gameplay even though previous melee elements
are absent, like kicks and slides. A.I. is smarter and deadlier. Enemy
opponents aptly use grenades and various tactics to flush players out.
They will often run and gun to move between cover points and you will
never see any of them walk through a door only to get blasted one after
another. Shooting blindly from behind objects, ducking and jumping over
railings is also in their repertoire, which makes the whole experience
a welcome change of pace from the various clones out there that have
players gunning swarms of stupid targets. In fact, the game prefers to
focus on fewer, quality skirmishes.
One negative about the gameplay has to be the lack of side-routes. This
aspect of level design takes a toll on action because it's very
scripted. Enemies always come out of the same spots -- in front of you
because of the linear paths -- and players can't take different routes
to dispatch them. Objects can be flipped over for cover, like tables
and desks, but that feature will be seldom used since levels have a
natural abundance of cove points and because, unlike his opponents,
Becket can't shoot around corners. Another bummer is the ridiculously
slow sprint mode. Running makes the character increase his speed to a
meager trot, which is totally useless during a fight. But overall
F.E.A.R. 2 is an excellent shooter.
Enemies react to hit locations and die in the most realistic of ways.
Death animations are particularly well done, as one would expect from
armor-encumbered characters. Hit detection is precise even amidst the
myriad of objects in rooms. Gun fights in office settings usually leave
shreds of paper flying and bullets sometimes create realistic burning
effects on solid surfaces. All weapons are perfectly balanced,
depending on whom you are facing. All in all, great shooter action. The
lack of melee options is not missed. In fact, action is so precise,
players will seldom need to use time-reflex mode.
But despite the clean action some elements could have been improved,
like limited interaction with levels. Most of it comes in the form of
flipping objects over or pressing buttons (lifts, elevators,
computers). Only two instances actually offers level interaction with
any creative bearing on gameplay (on one occasion Becket can power a
set of subway tracks to zap three opponents and in another he has to
shoot an electrical transformer), but the rest of the game is very
straightforward.
AWW, THE MECH RIDE IS OVER ALREADY?
Levels, however, have a degree of destructibility. Some walls and
pillars can be blasted away. Rooms are loaded with trivial objects that
fall and explode when shot and hanging lights rock when hit, creating
some eerie effects. Speaking of lights, Monolith seems to have toned
down the use of lighting to instill fear. In fact, the entire game has
fewer frightening moments than in the first installment. Overall
Monolith tries to scare players more frequently than in the previous
game and that strategy seems to have an adverse effect. Clearly more
emphasis was put on action than horror, though a few spots will have
you jump.
Monolith again does a great job designing realistic settings. The game
features fewer offices but players are now treated to more urban
fighting. Labs, school, cities, subways, offices, hospitals and giant
underground facilities create a perfect tapestry for the unfolding
devastation. Some parts even have Becket riding a mechanized armored
suit. The suit is a great addition to gameplay, which almost acts as a
pleasant intermission to the constant tension players feel while
pushing onward on foot.
The Mech compliments Monolith's attention to detail and knack for
making the simplest of things look and sound cool. I personally never
got tired of the screen going black then seeing the control deck power
up every time Becket entered the Mech, or hearing the onboard computer
notify me when missiles where ready for launch -- great stuff.
Traversing bombed out cities while mowing down Replica soldier is also
a blast, especially the sound and effects characters produce when they
get nailed with the Mech's powerful guns. Other instances have Becket
manning gun turrets with the same gratifying results.
Levels have enough details to paint a clear picture of the events and
their ramifications and make players forget about the linear action.
The bombed out city does a great job presenting the effects of a
nuclear explosion (come on, all the trailers shows it). The closer
players get to the epicenter, the worse the devastation gets. The
school where Replica leaders were groomed conveys the sick methodology
used to create future telepaths. Details like the three school test
groups (Ladybugs, Frogs and Bluebirds) spread out in the classrooms and
the propaganda used to mold impressionable children is subtle but very
much visible. Sadly, there aren't enough moments like that. The
non-existent intro and virtually non-existent ending also sours an
otherwise delicious action-horror-soup.
"SNAKE FIST – LOSE YOUR HEAD OVER IT THIS SUMMER"
The first game used voicemails to tell the story behind the events.
Now, voicemails have been entirely replaced with text "intel items"
lying around on the ground. Granted, we still get to hear things unfold
through our teammates and other supporting characters, like "Snake
Fist", but voice messages have made a very conspicuous retreat in this
sequel. Intel items offer a cheap plot-to-game transition.
Voice acting is superb. In fact, sound effects and music are probably
the game's strongest point. Some of the better tunes are repeated from
the previous game, which is smart from Monolith's part (gives the game
a sense of continuity), but overall F.E.A.R. 2 has perfectly eerie
ambient music. A few instances have hard rock and heavy metal,
especially at the end. With the amount of moveable items in each level,
Monolith did a great job giving most of them their own sound effects.
The game is also alive with various spectral moans and groans, maybe
one of the reasons this version isn't as scary (you're always on edge).
Your character wears a visor that produces a grainy effect on screen
and gets wet on occasion, and players get to see their character's body
as he climbs ladders or hurdles over pieces of furniture or railings,
so attention to detail is there. Cars alarms go off when shot at,
broken glass cracks under your feet, fire extinguishers and gas tanks
on flamethrower units explode when shot, all of it creates a fully
immersive experience.
SUMMARY
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a better shooter than a horror game.
Precision and details abound, which make the whole experience highly
immersive. Action is a bit linear because of the straightforward level
designs, but again, details and solid shooter action make you forget
that the game practically plays on rails. Things aren't as scary as in
the first title, mainly because levels are oversaturated with scary
sounds and ghostly effects. Players eventually get used to the constant
tension and become impervious to all the horror parts. Despite being a
bit repetitive, action doesn't get old because of its fine polish and
the occasional Mech and turret scenes, which are a guilty pleasure.
Recommended for anyone who likes solid shooters.
GRAPHICS 82
Good details and effects. Nice character animation. Lighting isn't as prominent as in the first game.
GAMEPLAY 85
Precise shooter action. A few features could be improved. Lack of team
interaction and linear levels. Enemies have more moves than Becket.
PRODUCTION 83
Lack of intro and another cliffhanger ending. Intel items cheaply tie
all the loose ends. Unscrupulousness of Armacham Corp. conveyed well in
most levels.
SOUND 95
Great ambient music and sound effects. Sound holds its ground to level
details. Excellent voice acting. Too many scary sounds dilute horror
experience.
LASTING APPEAL 78
For some the 10-15 hours of polished shooter action might warrant a
second playthrough in solo mode. Average multiplayer. Useless extras.
