"F.E.A.R. 2" features great action scenes and firefights, though some areas seem a little sub-par.
The original "F.E.A.R." garnered a lot talk for its originality, scary sequences, and varied gameplay. Bring in the sequel, with improved graphics, gameplay, and control. The story is the same in terms of how dark, scary, and suspenseful the series is known for. With Alma returning, do you stand a chance of survival, or will she terrorize you until the end? Team up with Delta Squad of the "First Encounter Assault Recon" team, in this first person shooter. Read on for more.
Gameplay:
"F.E.A.R. 2" has improved on the ideas of the original in a variety of ways, mainly with the tight control scheme, and better gunfights. As was the first, this is a first person shooter, and you will at times jump in "fear" (no pun intended) at the random things Alma will do to you. Enemies are varied in some areas, ranging from the regular soldiers to the heavier ones and even Mechs. I recommend the game on the harder difficulty settings, because on the lower, it seems too easy at times, even with the paranormal phenomenon.
Environments are very cramped in some areas, and really can creep you out, because you have nowhere to take cover, or hide from an enemy that you feel is about to jump out from around a corner and scare you. I myself can say, that previous sentence fully describes my approach to playing this game. There are a couple of spots where you get to pilot the "Power Mech", which is great fun as you feel like you are indestructible while shooting rockets and tons of machine gun rounds into enemies. You will go to several places in this game, which is nice due to the amount of repetitive areas in the original.
Sound:
There is really no need to explain how the sound will indeed build some suspense in throughout the game. Things like overhead lights moving, forklifts turning on, and paranormal creatures coming from behind you all build some great suspense, and it never feels out of place. Scenes where Alma appears sound "movie-worthy", and I almost wish they would make a movie out of "F.E.A.R.". Even the slight music in some areas help, and creep you out, though it is cliche in some areas. For a horror game, the developers got this just right in my opinion.
Story:
The story will be somewhat confusing in you haven't played the original, though the game overall can pretty much be interpreted by what is going on. You play as Michael Beckett, a member of the special forces unit, F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon), and must destroy Alma. The game will grip you right from the beginning where you see the city in shambles. I will not go into anymore detail to avoid spoilers. .
Graphics:
This is where I believe the game has improved the most. Note that these aren't the best graphics, though they fit the style of "F.E.A.R. 2" perfectly. I was very impressed. A couple of games that the graphics can be compared to is either "Blacksite: Area 51", or "Clive Barker's Jericho". The dark areas feature tons of little details, from blood splattered all over the place to enemy soldiers being a bloodied mess in pieces. This game looks as good as any first-person shooter on the Xbox 360 today, and that includes "Modern Warfare 2".
Presentation:
"F.E.A.R. 2" accomplishes its goal of a creepy atmosphere, and grips you right from the beginning. There are no bugs, or glitches in the campaign, which was a huge plus for me. Due to the small online community, I wasn't able to ever find any worthwhile matches, so I won't go into any detail about that. While the plot may seem confusing in some areas, it all gets tied together in the end, and sets itself up for the sequel, "F.3.A.R.", due out in October, very nicely. When I say that, I mean it in the most disturbing way possible.
Conclusion:
"F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin" is a fun shooter, and a step up from the original in my opinion. The new control scheme is a large factor to that, and I hope nothing changes with the sequel later this year. While it is a fun game, it doesn't really bring anything new to the genre, but keeps itself in tact with a polished game. Fans of the first game will enjoy it, but for those who haven't played it before, don't expect a deep shooter full with features.
Gameplay Score: 8/10
Sound Score: 9/10
Story Score: 8/10
Graphics Score: 7.5/10
Presentation Score: 8.5/10
Overall Score: 8/10
Replay Value: Moderate