The original FEAR is a game that I hold very highly in my opinions. It gets a lot of criticism for having repetitive environments and enemies, but I think that added to it’s atmosphere. It was a fairly standard (but very well executed) shooter with some cool mechanics such as the infamous bullet time slow mo shooting that made FEAR so great to play. The other side of FEAR was the horror theme, borrowing heavily from sources like The Ring, with Alma playing the powerful creepy little girl. It was definitely effective in a few spots, but at times it felt too much like a light switch, ruining the feel of the game, as by the end you could see the horror switch turn on and off and the action followed suit. FEAR 2: Project Origin is the long awaited sequel after being told that the two expansion packs weren’t a part of the canon, thus this game only uses the first game for it’s story.

The game kicks off right where FEAR ended, with Alma now a fully grown woman, still causing havoc. Once again the story isn’t too deep to begin with and is essentially there to thread the gameplay together. The horror elements have changed a little, with less of a concentration on creepy atmosphere in favour of freakout visual elements and jump scares. A couple of them where effective, but in general jump scares usually feel pretty cheap, and in FEAR 2 there’s no exception. It’s maybe a little less of a switch than the first game, but it can still feel a little shoe horned in. Although the story isn’t too deep to start, it does start to ask questions, although I felt like not enough of them were answered, and the ending will most likely completely confuse, and it won’t be until the credits roll that you’ll wonder about what you just saw.

The game feels a little different this time around. Much like the change from Condemned to Condemned 2 (which were both developed by the same developer, Monolith), the sequel to FEAR piles on the video effects, with film grain being an obvious start. The actual graphics aren’t the best ever seen in a shooter but they’re not terrible. The textures vary in quality but for the most part look great, and the environments look very good. Some of the level design gets a little obtuse, and in a couple of spots I lost track of where I was going, but for the most part it’s straight-forward. The one thing I did pick up on however was how uninspiring some of the environments were. It’s almost as if Monolith are doing this style of game so often that they have created a template for a game. Throughout the course of the game you see a school level, a subway level and a hospital level, and when you start to think about it, it is a little too stock standard for this formula to keep working. I also get the feeling that Monolith’s games are getting a little too close, as a couple of times in FEAR 2 I started to wonder if I was playing through Condemned 2 environments.

The gunplay feels a little different also. It looks more akin to a Call of Duty game, with you being able to aim down the sights of the gun. It definitely feels more modern than just using the exact gunplay from the first game, and it makes the game feel just as comfortable to play as the original was in 2005. The one big change to the gameplay is the inclusion of different gameplay segments. The first of these is the big mech sections, which have you controlling a huge robot, charged to the limit with machine guns and rockets, usually tearing apart a city street. These sections bring a bit of variety and although they can get a little tough if you’re powering into these situations, they’re a lot of fun, and break up the regular gunplay. The second of these gameplay segments are the turret shootouts that you see in a lot more shooters. I actually quite enjoyed these segments, as they are usually pretty short, and you’re given a very powerful turret machine gun that makes these segments worth it.

The game isn’t very long, and I got through the main campaign in just 6 hours. For the most part, the game is visceral action with solid controls and a great flair for visual style. There are some rough spots, and I didn’t much appreciate the return of the cyborg ninja style enemies from the first game, but for the most part it is an entertaining first person shooter with some great looking moments. If you weren’t a fan of the original FEAR, then I doubt this game would change your mind much, but for anyone who enjoyed the first, or someone who just likes a great shooter, then FEAR 2, though a disappointing sequel for what the original delivered, is still a great game that’s worth a playthrough.