F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin

Alma returns for a second dose of F.E.A.R.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin brings old-school gunplay and psychological horror to PlayStation 3

In 2007’s F.E.A.R. and this sequel, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, developer Monolith Productions has crafted a pair of games that marry traditional first person shooter gameplay with highly original mood and pacing.

At the centre of the story, once again, is Alma, a ghostly little girl whose psychic powers and rage against those who have wronged her threaten to destroy the very fabric of reality. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin’s story begins approximately 30 minutes before the end of F.E.A.R.’s and places the player in control of Michael Becket, a Delta Force operative sent in for the seemingly routine arrest of Genevieve Aristide.

The gameplay combines traditional elements, such as the use of health and armour packs as opposed to a regenerating health bar, with cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence that sees opposing troops knocking over tables to take cover and flushing you out with grenades, should you dwell too long in your own sanctuary.

As in the original, pressing the Triangle button activates SlowMo, reducing the enemy’s reactions for a limited time at no cost to your own, giving you an edge whenever you are surprised or outnumbered. Activating the feature is visually impressive, with your bullets leaving subtle trails in the air.

F.E.A.R. 2’s pacing is excellent; one minute you’re raining bullets and grenades on a crack military troop, the next you are wandering down a dark corridor alone, seeing spectral figures that vanish before you think to pull the trigger. This provokes a feeling of unease throughout and heightens the frights that the game’s title promises. Further variety is added by sections placing you in control of a giant mech-suit and a pair of rail guns.

The game’s art style and audio add a great deal to the foreboding feeling that follows you throughout; you could be walking down a peaceful corridor only to unexpectedly enter a room smeared with blood and littered with dead bodies or have a hallucination suddenly pierced by a torrent of gunfire. Overall, the developer has created a fine balance between action, shocks and the surreal.

Online multiplayer is present for up to 16 people and it includes all the game modes you would expect from a modern shooter, such as Team Deathmatch, as well as an intriguing Armored Front mode which introduces two mech-suits to the map, both capable of inflicting massive damage. There is also an original system which allows the player to customise their soldier by spending a set number of points on weapons and abilities, allowing more flexibility than a normal class based system. Most of the weapons from the single player campaign are present, although some have been altered to make them balanced; the assault rifle carries less ammo in multiplayer, for example.

The original F.E.A.R. successfully incorporated Japanese survival horror elements into a first person shooter and F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin builds on this original concept with solid game design and fantastic pacing. For a game that incorporates such traditional elements as health packs, it feels fresh, thanks to a mature, memorable art style and subtle approach to storytelling.

Download the F.E.A.R. 2 demo from PlayStation Store for a taste of this chilling first person shooter.