F.E.A.R. 2 'Armored Front' Map Pack Hands-On

We went hands-on with the latest F.E.A.R. 2 maps, playing head-to-head against the developers of the game.Following last month's release of the free Toy Soldiers Map Pack, Monolith has just unleashed the first paid-for content for F.E.A.R. 2. The Armored Front map pack contains two new multiplayer maps, both of which have an emphasis on mech-based combat, and four new skins for your multiplayer character. The pack launches on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network this week, but we managed to score an advance play of the maps against the developers themselves.

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Check out the Armored Front map pack in our video hands-on.

The Armored Front map pack contains two new multiplayer maps, both of which are large and open. Conductor takes place in a train yard, while Decoy is an old soldier training ground. Conductor feels the largest of the two, with a huge open area that you can easily snipe from, while Decoy features cardboard targets that pop up and down. They're not particularly distracting, but you do need to shoot them out of the way to access certain areas.Given the name of this expansion, it's suitable that both maps should be focussed on the Armored Front game mode. In this mode, each team has to fight to take control of five different points across the map. The twist is that you have to capture each point sequentially, so battles often centre around the third capture point in each map. The games we played were three-on-three against a combination of Monolith developers and WB marketing peeps, and we have to say that we found it pretty difficult to put up a decent fight against such expert competition. The common theme in these new maps is mech combat. Both teams have access to a giant robot, which can provide effective support for those who are doing the capturing. The mechs have both rocket grenades and machine guns at their disposal, which can make mincemeat out of any standard soldiers. The rockets take a few seconds to reload, while the turrets overheat quickly, so you still have to think about how you're going to approach each situation. The only effective ways to take out a mech are to use another mech or to pick up one of the rocket launchers that lie around in each map. It still takes a few rockets to take down the robots, so it's best to approach them from behind, as it takes the mechs a while to turn around. The Decoy map also features gun turrets next to the final capture points, which you can jump into and make a desperate last stand. With all these high-powered weapons, the Armored Front maps have a real hectic feel to them, and we have to say that's probably the best thing about them.Three months on from release, the online community for F.E.A.R. 2 doesn't seem to be huge, but it's clear that Warner Bros. is keen on supporting the game. While 560 Microsoft points is slightly overpriced for two maps and some new avatars, the Armored Front pack is still worth playing if you're a fan of the game. Watch the video above to see it in action, and you can download it from Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network now.