Games That Matter: F.E.A.R 2:Project Origin

As you all should know by now MysticReviews has a series called "Games That Matter", and if you haven't grasped the point of this series just yet let me explain it in a nut shell. The series was created with the intent of bringing video games to the attention of gamers because of their concept ideas. The entire purpose is to talk about games that have released or are up and coming and have promising ideas put into them, these games could be revolutionary or they could completely flop when released, either way the ideas and concepts behind the titles are what we care about and should other companies build upon these titles, we without a doubt will eventually obtain some fantastic, revolutionary videogames.

So what do we have today folks? Well, it's F.E.A.R 2: Project Origins and to say the least this game has upped the ante in First-person shooters alike. Should you not be aware, F.E.A.R 2: Project Origins is the official sequel to the original F.E.A.R released back in 2005, on October 18th. A great release for Halloween fans because the title successfully mixed the two genres: FPS and Horror together. It was a refreshing title when it released and even today it still remains a great shooter with a bit of scare or supernatural elements incorporated. Now I have said this before and anyone who has read my previous articles regarding F.E.A.R 2 already should know this. F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin is NOT just a cheap expansion released to bring in more cash, much like F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and F.E.A.R Perseus Mandate, two expansions packed released and published by Sierra entertainment back in 2006 and 2007. These two titles did little to nothing in adding to the plot of F.E.A.R or the actual game play. What they did manage to do was give players who were thirsty for more F.E.A.R a somewhat healthy dose of what they wanted, more action, though for me personally they were a complete let down at the end of the day. I played both expansion packs and was left with more questions than answers at the end of them, and I am sure many other gamers feel the same.

I have kept up with most of the updates and news surrounding F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin since it grabbed my attention back when it was first announced and Monolith held a fan competition to grab a new name for the sequel. Should you not know, F.E.A.R 2 was originally dubbed Project Origin because Monolith Productions did not have the rights to the F.E.A.R name, though by luck I suppose they were able to obtain the rights, which lead to the final name F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin.

There are plenty of reasons why I have chosen this game for our series, and I’m going to quickly talk about them, in hope that people see why this game, its concept ideas, theme and what it is trying to achieve should matter. F.E.A.R 2 is a fantastic first person shooter filled with plenty of action to keep you on your toes, however many of you may be saying “It’s just another FPS, the market is flooded with them and well I already know what to expect.” I would say to you that while it is an FPS at its core, Monolith has spent a great deal of time making a unique and refreshing title. I have come to learn that most FPS titles on the market lack a very important element, a plot. You can have a fantastic title with plenty of action and gore, but without a good plot the end product may fall short. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of franchises out there that have a very simplistic plot but the game play itself is so refreshing and unique that a well thought out plot is not needed. This doesn’t hold true for First-Person Shooters.

In F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin we have been promised by Monolith themselves that the game will continue on the plot presented in F.E.A.R, adding to the story, answering questions fans have had for years, and perhaps raising additional questions to be answered in a later title. All in all I found the F.E.A.R plot very interesting and when it finally came down to discovering what was causing all the bizarre events to occur, it grabbed my attention even more because now I had more questions that I needed answers to, specifically regarding Alma and why the main character seem to be saved or even left alone when she rampaged the city and its inhabitants. Though still in question, what happened to Paxton Fettel and will he make an appearance in the sequel or has his usefulness expired?

Moving on, F.E.A.R 2 has expanded on the successful additional to horror/supernatural elements into the FPS genre. F.E.A.R had its fair share of scary moments, but they were far and few between, usually ranging from the typical jump out of no place to a rather more “What is that” scare tactic as the chills traveled down the spine of the player. The ante has been upped in the sequel, you no longer are just presented with a creature jumping or appearing out of no place, Monolith has pushed forward to incorporate a spine chilly ghostly effect into the game, much like many of the haunting reports found on T.V in real life, and they have done a fantastic job at making it real enough and scary enough for the player to actually feel it and be in shock. And this isn’t just some cheesy effect to scare the player for a few seconds; it sticks with you, in the back of your mind even after you’ve stepped away from the game. Care to enhance this feeling, play the game alone in a dark room with headphones on, and it will feel even more realistic.

F.E.A.R 2 doesn’t stop there; the genre its predecessor has successfully created came up short with the original release. The environments in this sequel are just as creepy as the supernatural and horror elements. Not only are they creepy they are extremely unique when passing from one location to the next. The original looked much like office buildings and industry factories, the scare factors didn’t quite match the environments, but they were isolated.

Many FPS titles these days have expanded the game play elements by adding in features such as helicopters, vehicles and slow-mo ability used by the character to gain an edge or perhaps just to have a cool fighting experience. F.E.A.R 2 has incorporated the Slow-mo ability once more and it’s beautiful, and it aids in leveling the playing field against the advance AI (we'll get to that in a moment). However, I have been long over traditional vehicle chases or battles in FPS titles, they are no longer fun and in most cases just feel like a cheep way to extend the game play. Monolith has honestly went a separate route here and added in “vehicles” that the player actually jumps into and controls much like a giant robot equipped with missiles and high powered machine guns. These “vehicles” control very well in F.E.A.R and add to the game play experience. I feel it was a great change to add to the series, it definitely adds upon the original extending the game play even further.

Finally AI or Artificial intelligence is quite important in any videogame, however in First-Person Shooters the AI no matter how smart it is, without the programming of movements and actions it is able to do within the environments, will simple just stand there unloading clip after clip at the player. Doesn’t sound like fun to me, after all if your simply going to stand there and shoot, I'll duck and take cover ensuring I am able to take you out before I even have to worry about you taking me out. F.E.A.R 2's AI is quite unique and intelligent, the soldiers communicate and work together when fighting against you, and Monolith has really went the extra mile to make it feel like your fighting an actual human, instead of a robot preprogrammed with limited movements and actions. I have covered this part in the demo impressions, but once again the AI in F.E.A.R 2 goes by a general rule of thumb; if you can do it, so can it. I think it is very important that game developers incorporate great AI in their games. It keeps things fresh and challenging and it also helps to make the experience different each time you play it. Much like the original F.E.A.R, F.E.A.R 2 changes up where enemies may be found or how they react each time you play it. The AI doesn’t just do the same thing over, which enhances the replay value.

In conclusion, F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin has set itself apart from other First-Person shooters for several reasons and has started a trend of added onto the genre by incorporating new elements that work extremely well together. By Adding great AI, Horror/supernatural elements, unique “vehicles”, an interesting plot and a little girl Alma that just wants to be loved (errr...maybe not) they have successfully established themselves as a developer that wants to expand the FPS genre and create games that are not only refreshing and unique, but stand out from the tiresome trend of traditional FPS titles that are unwilling to expand beyond the boundaries of what has been deem as the standard to the FPS genre.

Should you feel I have missed a vital reason F.E.A.R should be in our “Games that Matter Series”, want to further discuss why I chose this title or would like to suggest a game that you feel should be part of this series, feel free to leave a comment or head over to the forums and start a thread. I will be more than happy to engage in a conversation with you.