F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Preview
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Preview Preview
By Gaetano Prestia
Back in August 08, we got a first-hand look at the then-named Project Origin, the official sequel to 2006’s awesome FPS, F.E.A.R.. We loved what we played of it, highlighting the brand-new EMP levels and enhanced environments that looked set to out-do the great achievements of the original. Since then, the game has gone through a few changes. We’ve seen a name change to F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, as well as a banning (and quick unbanning) of the title in Australia. We got a chance to play it again last week in Sydney, but has all that much changed in five months?
F.E.A.R. 2 begins 30 minutes before the ending of F.E.A.R., putting you into the shoes of special-forces soldier Beckett, a man that is haunted by visions of a secret military experiment. From what we saw, F.E.A.R. 2 maintains many of the same story-telling elements of the original, focusing on supernatural characters and eerie environments. Thankfully, this sequel doesn’t seem to have strayed too far away from the direction of the first, a problem many sequels seem to fall victim too. It’s not that F.E.A.R. 2 follows the exact same path of F.E.A.R. when it comes to the story, but it feels like it expands on it, telling it from a different perspective.
The game has the same thrilling and suspense-filled feeling about it, which is something that the first was able to do so well. We just know, after having played it for well over an hour, that this sequel will be just as scary, just as challenging and just as mind-blowingly awesome as the original, perhaps even exceeding it in particular areas.
While not much seems to have changed on the gameplay front from the last time we played it, we were introduced to a few new enemies and environments, which highlight Monolith’s dedication to improved visuals in the sequel. It’s obvious that the developer’s all-new visual engine is being put to good use, with environments having a far more eerie and scary feeling about them. When you couple the improved environments with frightening new enemies - most notably the puppet master - you get a game that looks set to improve on one of the original’s claims to fame – its scare factor.
The AI is tougher and responsive to your actions, taking cover as you throw a grenade into an open area or bombarding them with bullets as they take cover behind a decaying pillar. F.E.A.R. is still praised to this day for its amazing AI and F.E.A.R. 2 looks set to continue that trend. The enemies use tactics and the environments to their advantage and this makes the gameplay far more challenging. AI enemies knock down tables to take cover, jump over desks and even duck into a corner to reload while you wait for them to stick their head out. The AI in F.E.A.R. 2 definitely adds a whole new dimension to the gameplay, excelling it to more than just a basic FPS experience.
Slo-mo returns from the original, however its use within the confounds of the story stop us from giving away too much about it, as we don’t want to ruin the story for you.
Just like what was mentioned in our original preview, the EMP mech levels are absolutely insane. We really can’t praise the FPS gameplay and AI enough, but once you step into these beasts of machinery, plenty of fun is to be had. Their pure destructive nature make them undeniably addictive to play and while they aren’t compulsory in levels they’re available in, as soon as you see one you’ll want to jump in purely for the enjoyment factor. Whether it’s shooting down enemies until they burst or bombarding an enemy EMP with rockets, the EMP’s handle perfectly. There will also be an online multiplayer mode which looks set to be a first of its kind, allowing up to 16 players to engage in EMP madness online.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is going to be one of the best shooters of 2009. It looks great, with enhanced environments and all-new frightening enemies. The gameplay has been tweaked just enough and the AI is superb. February 11 couldn’t come any sooner!
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin will be available for PC, XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 on February 11th, 2009 for a RRP (recommended retail price) of $99.99
Tags:
360
alma
beckett
Blu-ray
fear
FPS
Microsoft
Monolith
original
playstation
project
ps3
xbox
F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin News
F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin Discussions
F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin Guides
F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin Reviews
F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin Videos