I fondly remember playing the original FEAR in a darkened room on my PC several years ago. Gripping my gaming mouse tightly, shoulders firmly tensed, I would creep down hallways and jump consistently at every in-game scare. I was also taken with the game’s presentation which was considered to be, at the time, very well-done. Enter the sequel, which after skirting the harrowing shoals of developmental hell, has finally been released. Good news is, most sources seem to echo sentiments that the game is comparable no matter what platform you play it on (Windows PC, Xbox 360, or PlayStation 3). So let’s take a deeper look at FEAR 2: Project Origin and see if the sequel is true to the original scare fest. Just to be clear, we are taking a look at the PC version.
In FEAR 2: Project Origin, you play as a member of a Delta Force team which gets caught up in a gigantic corporate conspiracy/supernatural hell-fest where you will encounter a good variety of enemies of all types, human and…other… Thankfully you are not the standard, mk1 human as you will obtain psychic powers such as the ‘reflex’ ability which allows you to slow down time (think bullet-time).
One of the key features which really pushed FEAR over the top were its scary moments, and there were plenty. Bizarre scenes and encounters which seemed to jump straight out of the gigantic, mutated minds of Clive Barker, Dario Argento, and Hideo Nakata. I am VERY happy to report that FEAR 2: Project Origin does not disappoint in this department. The supernatural encounters are genuinely scary and are sure to make even the most die-hard PC gamer jump at times. The best part about these sequences is that they fit within the framework of the story given. I never felt that they were added into the game ‘just because’. These scares are also very well-spaced out in the game so that they do not become routine.
Visually, the game is very pleasing when in most of the indoor environments. The game does dark and foreboding well. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the outdoor levels which don’t come out looking nearly as nice. In fact, when compared to the original game, this one does not push the graphical envelope nearly as much. Again, not say it doesn’t look nice, it just doesn’t require a super high-end machine to run it. Perhaps this is the console influence, but I digress.
Monolith has done a bang-up job on the sound effects in this game. From the ambient noises to minor details like shell casings hitting the floor, you are barraged with realistic audio. These ambient effects are critical, as the audio is at least half of the scare during the supernatural sequences. The score also plays a big part in creating the proper mood and I can safely say that they succeed in spades. From eerie childlike ‘toy box’ melodies to military marches, it is all good in the FEAR 2 music department. The voice actors do wonderful jobs in their various roles and never sound wooden or unbelievable. It is really nice to see the amount of quality WB Games and Monolith have put into the title.
Combat is one area of the game we found to be lacking in contrast to the more supernatural sequences. Controlling the character feels very linear in that there is not a lot of animation or movement to the camera to give a sense of motion. The cover system works well enough, being able to interact with various objects such as tables and flip them over to crouch behind. You will not find a Gears of War style cover system here. The combat in FEAR 2: Project Origin hearkens back to earlier days in PC first-person shooters when, in order to take cover, you hit the ‘crouch’ key and did you best to pop up from and down behind whatever you could find. This is also trye for the health system, in which your character does not suddenly ‘recharge’ his health and armor after taking cover for a while. You actually have to acquire and use health kits and body armor which is scattered throught the game’s levels. Overall, the game’s combat could have been a bit more challenging. Once you obtain the ‘reflex ability’, most enemies don’t stand much of a chance against you. There are not many different types of weapons in the game, but enough to cover most categories of weapon types. You can pick them up and drop them at will over the course of a mission. Obviously, this is very convenient when you find yourself out of ammo in your assault rifle. Just grab the nearest dead guy’s weapon and get back into the fight.
Overall, we found FEAR 2: Project Origin to be a very fun playthrough which is definitely going to make you jump at least a few times. Games like this are like great scary movies: enjoy it in a darkened room with either good surround sound speakers or a headset. The more intimate you can make the playing experience, the better. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching for the light switch after a while to break the tension. Also, the good people at WB Games and Monolith have not skimped and taken the easy, politically-correct road here. Enemies explode into giblets on numerous occasions and well, without spoiling anything (you really should play it through but YouTube can also show you what I am about to mention) the ending is one of the most messed-up (in a good way) endings in the entire history of PC gaming. Seriously…
If you are looking for a ride like this, you would be remiss to pass up FEAR 2: Project Origin.
