Game Review | February 19, 2009 2:00 pm

By Illuminatus Obscurus

A small tree, barren and leafless, dominates the view of a small grassy hillock. Clear blue skies, with a wisp of a cloud, pass overhead. There is a creak, a swing gently rocking back and forth; mounted on one slender branch. Upon the swing sits an eight year old girl, her red dress and black hair making the bulk of her figure. While not the most intimidating sight, players of the first F.E.A.R will remember her well. Her name is Alma. She will be the haunting force of this paranormal first-person shooter. Unlike the first game, your character has a face. And a real name: Sergeant Michael Becket of SFOD-D Squad Dark Signal. A haunting music box tune plays after a nightmare sequence. The jolts and atmosphere are already building as Becket turns to inspect a small music box beside him in the APC. Shaking his head, he turns back to have Alma scream and pop up in his face. Waking from that nightmare, Redd Jankowski greets you with a humorous line.

FEAR 2: Project Origin is a complete ladder up from the previous game. Not only are the graphics vastly improved, but the narrative is masterfully crafted. Gone (mostly) are the linear office and warehouses from the first. Monolith has made an effort to vary environments, and it has paid off. Scenery ranges from an Elementary School to Ground Zero for the explosion. More than one type/shade of colour (SHOCK!) is prevalent throughout the entirety of the game. Multiple paths to an objective, and approaches to firefights contribute to the scenery as well. Albeit, there are several linear sequences (but really, this isn't a sandbox game) and you'll find yourself trudging through a hospital for what seems like hours. Wandering through a ruinous city, with rubble and ashen statues of people dotting the road is certainly an interesting treat as well.

What contributes even more, though, is the lighting. Much like the first you will have to rely on your headlamp for some parts of levels. However, dynamically generated shadows are sadly absent from this game; giving it not as dark an atmosphere as the first. But there are several sequences in which you encounter Spectres that this truly shines. From their eerie glow, to the flickering lights and pitch blackness that usually accompanies them; the effects are a treat.


The game is very visceral. Blood (which is a very strong part of the game) is very juicy. Nothing is really more satisfying than watching an enemy explode into globules as you pump a shotgun round into him whilst in slow motion. Or the jolts of electricity that flare across your screen as you are electrocuted flash by. But perhaps you will enjoy the slight red tinge of the screen as Alma draws near, and Becket begins to throb in the temples. Accompanying these visual effects are stellar sounds. The eerie music, to the pouding thump of a machine gun, to the often comical chatter of enemies. All these contribute. Not to mention the quiet, yet ominous phrases uttered by Alma....But I will leave it to you to discover these.

From a narrative standpoint, FEAR 2 succeeds. Driven by a decent story, of which I cannot divulge much without spoiling, it has an impactful (and boggling) ending. I will say this: There are several twists and turns. You may get attached to some characters, and thankfully to superb voice acting; the narrative is delivered well. Unlike the first, where you had to piece together the ending; a segment actually explains some of Alma's history. A nice addition is the PDA. Upon collecting any intelligence; it will be saved in your PDA under a relative heading. These provide some interesting reads, and hidden messages for the more hardcore fans.

The gameplay formula hasn't changed much; which is a good thing. The Slo-Mo ability is still there, and adds to the creativity or a firefight. Couple this with some sophisticated AI, and you can have many interesting firefights and encounters. Replica and ATC soldiers will realistically respond to your flashlight, and any explosives you may throw their way. The Remnant, a sadly underused enemy, is extremely fun to fight. There are several in the game, but Monolith could have added more. There's just a lot of potential in these guys who control the dead like puppets. One annoyance I have with the game controls, however, is the weapon selection interface. By holding down the left bumper, you can call up your inventory. This doesn't pause the game, but here you can switch firing patterns for weapons; and cycle grenade types. I say the nuance of this system is the touchiness of selecting a weapon. Scroll up too far; and you'll select your rocket launcher instead of shotgun. Oops. But added to this, is possibly one of the more ingenious items. A mech. Of the two mech sequences in the game, both are adrenaline filled and fun. It definitely alters the formula, not to mention levels the playing field as you will be faced with the odds stacked against you. But a steady trigger finger and well placed missiles will keep you blasting away.

One thing that is sorely missed though, are those Alma moments. Sure Monolith makes the moments you and her do share a lot more intimate; but it is adult Alma. The naked, emaciated corpse chasing after you. Rather than ogle, you run away and scream as she grabs onto you and screams at you. All the while you are frantically mashing B. Sounds scary to some; but I missed the moments where little Alma would just be silently standing there; then disappear. Like a certain part in the first F.E.A.R; when you hop onto a ladder...


Overall, the single player portion of the game is an impressive feat. While it may not garner as many awards as Fallout 3. Or gain as much publicity as Gears of War or Halo; FEAR 2 has proved that it will definitely hold its own in the coming year. The single player, I give a rating of four and a half of five stars. The story, graphics, and gameplay will definitely keep you hooked for several playthroughs. The end itself is just pure shock value and will have you sitting there plumbing the darkest depths of your brain. I myself have played through several times, encountering things I didn't notice before. FEAR 2 Project Origin definitely gets the seal of approval.

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