F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin Demo Hands-on

So F.E.A.R 2, the first real Sequel to the F.E.A.R stories kind of destroys nearly everything that’s happened in any expansion or side games that have come out.  The F.E.A.R experience has slowly begun to die as the seperate games lived nowhere near up to the original. The only actual good throw-in was the expansion pack that played as an “Alternate” ending being the best way to put it.

When I downloaded the demo from the PSN, I was mixed with excitement and caution for how this game was going to work out and all I can say is that the demo did nothing but leave me shaking and anticipating the full game’s release.

The first thing to start out with is the graphics, the first FEAR was known to be one of the best looking games for 2005 and was truly high demanding for the PC, however considering how much detail was in that game it was no surprise. FEAR2 does not dissapoint there, the entire game has pretty much come to life and feels revamped from the previous game.   Little glasses shattering into tiny pieces, sparks shooting out from electronic equipment, bullet recoils to much more. This game brings back the chaotic feeling of destructable objects the first one had and extends it by just adding those little extra details.

The second to bring out in this short hands-on demo is the gameplay.  Most people see a shooter it’s going to be the same thing, it just depends on how sharp the creators make it to make it different. In terms of FEAR 2 the combat has become way more intense then before, and the mechanics have improved.  The enemy’s A.I made an improvement from the first game, not major improvements but definitely one to keep the fight on. You can be stuck in a one-on-one gunfight for a good 40 seconds if your health was low enough.  The enemies continue using flanks, covers and decoys to keep you busy causing you to think strategically with each of your moves especially when you want to conserve your ammo which brings me to the next upgrade to the series, cover.

Cover has always been something major in most shooters but Monolith has brought it to the next level. With the push of the action button (Depending on your console) you can flip tables, pull down shelves and use them as your new cover while you’re engaging the enemy. They even got as far as to allow you to forcefully open car doors as cover and then close them again when you’re done.  This is very helpful considering the enemies you’ll be going up against, not only that though but increases the intensity online multiplayer will be having.  Another newly added feature is the ability to control Mechs, in the demo you are given a chance to pilot one of these mechs. However it’s really required to have one for this (Unlike games that let you use them to just tear down enemies with ease) as they’ll be sending you against multiple opponents with missle launchers and even those mechs you found enjoyable in FEAR and it’s expansion pack.

The last thing to add into this Demo Hands-on will be the F.E.A.R Factor of this game. When I started up the level, I felt rather dissapointed, the game seemed to have begone following the normal horror games instead of the japanese horror the original went for. However as I progressed further and further into the game.  I began wasting half my ammo on stuff that wern’t even there. This game brings back the feeling of horror the original went for and intensifies it by casting shadows where you just came from. Having short montages of Alma popping up in the least expected spots. Haivng you get a taste of hell in FEAR for short moments. I don’t want to spoil any of those moments, in fact I’m trying to do this hands-on without spoiling too much of the demo itself so it’s coming out a bit rough. Either way, if you’re a fan of horror games or a fan of intense shooters, FEAR is the game for you.