Now, after a few name changes, a ban, and then an unbanning, F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin is almost ready to remind us why we should be fearing that little freak girl Alma again. And thankfully, us lucky PALGNers got some hands on time with the scare-fest, and we certainly can't wait to get some more.
F.E.A.R 2 starts off 30 minutes before the ending events of the original F.E.A.R, and puts you in the role of Beckett, a special forces soldier sent in with a recon team to find someone. Unsurprisingly, this person you're looking for is also being hounded by another mysterious military force, and you and your squad fight your way in to get to the target first. As all of this unfolds, a supernatural explosion hammers you from afar, and from here on the F.E.A.R 2 story goes into overdrive. Though we only saw a glimpse of what kind of events will happen in F.E.A.R 2, we're certainly excited to see what unfolds in Monolith's latest scare-fest.
This noob can't aim. I'm sorry.
And one big scare-fest it is. Monolith have upped the ante in creepiness with F.E.A.R 2 by a whole lot, particularly with their gorgeous new visual engine, which aids in making things seem a lot freakier. Several moments just like in the original game send you into moments of psychedelic terror, where the world warps around you and Alma continually haunts you, whether it be in her childish form or disfigured adult form. But that's not all that makes F.E.A.R 2 so compelling, as Monolith have added new enemy types too, such as the Spectre, a powerful psychic ghost which stalks you throughout the level until it feels the right time to attack, and when it does, you will dread the next time another one appears. There are several other enemy types we encountered, but we feel you should see them for yourself come the game's release on February 13.
The combat has also been given an injection of steroids too, with more chaos and intensity than ever before. Veterans of the original will feel right at home with F.E.A.R 2's combat, where AI still retains its incredible intelligence and agility, flipping through windows, knocking things down for cover and whatnot. But this time you're also capable of the latter. With the push of a button, a table can be tipped over and crouched behind, and can save you from certain death in many situations. Slo-mo is also back, though not always, as it's tuned into the story in a form we'll let you find out. There are also many new tools of destruction, such as the Sniper Rifle, which can effortlessly lob arms off of opponents with its powerful firing force. We thought the combat in F.E.A.R was awesome, and it's nice to see Monolith not necessarily revamping it, but just tweaking it slightly to make it that feel fresh again. There are some really cool new features - but we insist, you do not want it spoiled.
In motion, the fire effects and lighting is outstanding.
Visually, F.E.A.R 2 holds up well. Though not a hug step forward in visual prowess, you'll come to appreciate the finer points of the new engine developed by Monolith, which retains an extremely smooth feel to it, and subtle but beautiful effects, namely in the fire and particles. Environments are also much more varied, so Monolith clearly listened to the audience of the last game and decided that officeworks is not the way to go for their sequel.
Audio wise it's just as strong as the original, with directional audio used effectively to set some very tense moods, and killer use of soundtrack to keep you sucked in and on the edge of your seat the whole time. Overall, it's not necessarily an entire revamp of technical strength, but more subtle improvements, which are very noticeable after a while, and makes things feel like the original F.E.A.R did when we first played it.
This is something suitably awesome for you to see in the final build.
F.E.A.R 2 looks like it's shaping up to be just as good, and if not, superior to the original in every way. Monolith have rectified most of the issues of the original and look to continue the story behind Alma and her origins. It looks and plays great on all platforms, and feels polished even in the near-final build we played. In a month filled with mostly no new big releases, F.E.A.R 2 might just be that tasty piece that will fill the hollow this February. Remember to strap yourselves in though - it's one scary ride.
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