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

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F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
File:POF2picture.jpg
Developer(s)Monolith Productions
Publisher(s)Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
EngineLithtech: Jupiter EX
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3[4]
Genre(s)First-person shooter, Horror
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a horror first-person shooter video game, developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is a sequel to F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon and was released in February of 2009.

Gameplay

F.E.A.R. 2 is an FPS horror game. The gameplay maintains the core elements from the original, including slo-mo combat, martial arts attacks, and enhanced AI. The AI from the original F.E.A.R. was known for its exploitation of the environments, taking cover behind pillars and knocking down tables.[citation needed] The AI in F.E.A.R. 2 set to out-do what was achieved in the first, with even more intelligent AI that is far more challenging and aggressive.[citation needed] New features in the game include iron sight aiming, creating cover by pushing objects, and the ability to use mechs during vehicle segments. Project Origin features a more diverse cast of enemies, as well as more encounters with supernatural enemies.

F.E.A.R. 2 does not allow the player to manually save and features a single save slot. However, the game allows the player to replay any level from the main menu after first completing that level.

Plot

The sequel to F.E.A.R. continues the supernatural suspense story of the supernatural being, Alma, whose rage against those who wronged her caused an escalating paranormal crisis that threatens to devour and replace reality with her own.[5] Instead of playing as the Point Man, the game's protagonist is Michael Becket, a Delta Force operator [6] whose squad is sent in to take Genevieve Aristide into protective custody approximately thirty minutes before the ending of F.E.A.R.

The game opens with Becket experiencing a hallucination involving a ruined city, where he sees Alma walking along. As he recovers, Becket's squad arrives at the penthouse complex where Aristide lives, only to find it under assault by a black ops team of mercenaries dispatched by Armacham Technology Corporation's Board of Directors. After saving Aristide, Becket uncovers hints of a project known as "Harbinger," which involves himself and several of his teammates. Aristide claims that Becket and his team are the only way to stop Alma, but before she can elaborate, the F.E.A.R. Point Man detonates the Origin Facility's reactor. Becket is knocked unconscious in the explosion.

When he comes to, Becket finds he is being operated on by a team of doctors under Aristide, and begins seeing more visions of Alma. After he recovers, Becket finds himself in a hospital deep underground, along with the rest of his squad. The hospital comes under attack by ATC clean-up crews led by Colonel Vanek, and Becket must fight his way out. While escaping, Becket receives communications over his radio from a man who calls himself "Snake Fist." After escaping the hospital and confronting the commander of the ATC forces, Becket fights his way to the surface, encountering the reactivated Replica troops. As he moves to the surface, Becket is also repeatedly physically assaulted in hand-to-hand combat by Alma, who (according to Snake Fist) is trying to "absorb" Becket, drawn by the psychic signal he now emits after entering an "attunement chamber" that Aristide tricked him into entering.

After reaching the surface, Becket regroups with what is left of his team, many of whom have been systematically killed by Alma. Now consisting only of Becket himself, his superior Lieutenant Stokes, and Sergeants Morales and Keegan, the squad moves to nearby Wade Elementary, an ATC-controlled school where Snake Fist and Aristide are hiding. Once he reaches the basement, Becket discovers that the basement of the school is another ATC research facility, for a project known as "Paragon." Here, Becket discovers that Project Harbinger was an attempt to create more psychic commanders similar to Paxton Fettel, and that Becket and Keegan were the most promising subjects. Project Paragon, meanwhile, is intended to condition psychically-gifted children to work for ATC.

In the basement facility, Becket kills Colonel Vanek and finds Snake Fist. Snake Fist reveals himself as Terry Halford, a researcher for ATC, and explains that the only way to defeat Alma is to travel to an ATC base inside a nuclear reactor on nearby Still Island, which houses a device that can amplify psychic power. With this device, Becket can possibly defeat Alma with his own psychic abilities. As Becket and Halford prepare to head back to the surface, Halford is decapitated by a Replica assassin.

En route to Still Island, Becket's squad is ambushed by Replica troops, and Sergeant Keegan wanders off in a daze. Becket follows and tries to recover Keegan, but is instead delayed by Replica forces. After fighting off both the enemy soldiers and more of Alma's assaults, he eventually reunites with the remainder of the squad underneath Still Island and heads for the ATC facility. Becket enters the psychic amplifier, and as Stokes prepares to power up the machine, she is shot by Genevieve Aristide. Aristide explains that instead of destroying Alma, she plans to seal Becket and Alma inside the device together, so Aristide can use Alma as leverage against ATC.

Alma attacks again, and Aristide seals Becket and Alma together. Alma approaches Becket, and he is sent into another hallucination, where he fights off apparitions of a maddened Sergeant Keegan. While trying to reactivate the amplifier, Becket sees images of him having sex with Alma in the real world. Finally, after reactivating the last switch, Becket escapes the hallucination to find himself sealed inside the device. Suddenly, the device opens, and Becket sees Alma standing in the midst of a blasted landscape. Alma is now pregnant with Becket's child, and the game ends as she walks up to Becket, places his hand onto her pregnant belly, and Becket hears the baby saying "mommy".

Development

The sequel remains in the original's existing universe, retaining the original storyline and characters, although it does not recognize Extraction Point or Perseus Mandate.[7] Monolith Productions enlisted a new publisher for the game, since they were purchased by Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment in 2004 while development of F.E.A.R. was under way, after which Vivendi Universal was dropped as publisher.[8] F.E.A.R. 2 was released on February 10, 2009 in North America and Europe.[9]

The game was shown for the first time at the 2007 E3 Expo with an Xbox 360 demo. The demo footage showcased the game's revamped engine, and reveals glimpses of the plot, starting with a cutscene of Michael undergoing surgery overseen by Genevieve, with unexplained complications, later revealed to be linked with Alma.[10]

In an interview with John Mulkey, the lead designer for F.E.A.R. 2, he describes the game as being "a more open environment" further noting that "a destroyed city opens up an incredible amount of opportunities." Also, Mulkey mentions that the enemies will be much more varied than in the previous game.[6]

Name Your Fear

Monolith Productions announced a contest called "Name Your Fear" on June 4, 2007 to find a new name for the sequel.[11] Contestants had until June 22nd to submit a name, after which three finalists would be chosen with fans being able to choose their favorite. The three finalists will have their likeness featured in the upcoming game.[11] A special website was created for this contest.

On August 3, 2007, voting was opened to the public for the three naming finalists, which were Dead Echo, Project Origin and Dark Signal. Voting closed on August 10, 2007. On September 6, 2007 the winner was announced as Project Origin. On the games official website the reasons for Project Origin being chosen were explained:

Project Origin is a strong fan and developer favorite. We received over 400 submissions containing Origin in the name. The second submission of the contest was Project Origin, so we have had the name rattling around in our heads right from the beginning Project Origin is a natural fit for the title of the sequel because it is the Armacham program from which all of the trouble in the game world originates. The architect of Project Origin, Harlan Wade, used his daughter in a horrific experiment which turned her into the monster that we see in the first game. ..... In the sequel, the repercussions of Project Origin are only beginning to unravel.

Later announced on September 8, 2008, Monolith Productions Inc. and WB Games Inc. revealed that they had purchased the F.E.A.R. name from Activision/Blizzard. The moniker Project Origin remains, though used as a subtitle.[1]

Release

On October 31, 2008 Monolith and Warner Bros. released an exclusive digital comic on gametrailers.com (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42185.html). The comic takes place after the helicopter crash at the ending of F.E.A.R. Jin is shown alive but Point-man and Holiday are absent, and some bloody footprints lead away from the crash. Jin sees that Bremmer is still alive only to watch his flesh melt off. Jin looks out the window to stare the younger form of Alma smiling and her eyes glowing red.

On January 22, 2009 a playable demo was released to the public for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It starts at Interval 01 after the player's helicopter crashes and he must try to find his squad mates scattered around the city. The demo includes several Replica soldiers, Bullet Time and the traditional scare-tactics from Alma, alongside new features such as movable cover and a more intelligent HUD. Equipment changes shown include working red dot sights on the SMG and assault rifle, a neodymium glass solid-state laser and a self-repairing powered armor.

There are two released retail versions of the game, the most notable difference is the extra included. The regular retail version contains only the game, while a limited edition, includes F.E.A.R 2, the original F.E.A.R, exclusive artwork and downloadable skins all encased in a tin retail box.[12] [Ref http://www.platekompaniet.no/gameproduct.asp?id=SPCY25405]. The game is also available for purchase on the Steam Network.

Reception

F.E.A.R 2 has received an aggregate score of 81% from online aggregator Metacritic based on 25 reviews - indicating "generally favorable reviews"[13]. The Australian Official XBox Magazine gave the game 8/10 citing excellent atmosphere and scares, visually awesome gameplay and that the weapons are fun to use. Drawbacks, however, included lack of innovation and the text-driven story, along with many other unresolved problems on PC. Gamepro magazine rated the game with a 4/5, praising the slo-mo effect and gameplay, but criticized the opponent A.I., level designs, and the game ending on a flat note. [14]

Eurogamer, however, awarded the game 5/10. While agreeing that it was a rock solid shooter, it claimed the lasting impression is "one of a woeful lack of inspiration." Among its criticisms were poor story development, lack of level design, and poor execution in the developers' attempt to vary gameplay with the addition of mech armour.[15] Online Xbox magazine Boomtown expanded on this, claiming that FEAR 2 "offers so little in the way of fresh ideas that you actually start to question the charm established by the first game some four years ago."[16]

Several reviews such as Gamer 2.0 have criticized the console versions' visuals claiming that, unlike the games' predecessor, FEAR 2's graphics are not benchmark setting. Issues with lighting and textures were addressed, and argued that while the game attempts to immerse the player in a wider variety of settings, these settings "still suffer from linearity."[17] User forums, including IGN, indicate that many players agree with these criticisms, citing poor anti-aliasing, physics, and water effects.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b Ocampo, Jason (September 8, 2008). "Project Origin is Now F.E.A.R. 2". IGN. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
  2. ^ "F.E.A.R. 2 release dates". Gaming Today. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  3. ^ "F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - PC Game". Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  4. ^ "F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Page". GamePro. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  5. ^ Shea, Cam (April 22, 2008). "Project Origin Interview". IGN AU. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  6. ^ a b Porter, Will (December 14, 2007). "Project Origin Preview". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  7. ^ "Project Origin Forums". Retrieved March 23 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  8. ^ Surette, Tim (February 21, 2006). "Monolith scaring up new F.E.A.R.s". GameSpot. Retrieved October 2 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  9. ^ "Games Tracker". Retrieved February 16, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  10. ^ Park, Andrew (July 11, 2007). "E3 '07: F.E.A.R. 2 (working title) Impressions - First Look". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  11. ^ a b "A Sequel to F.E.A.R." IGN. June 4, 2007. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  12. ^ F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin Limited Edition
  13. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/projectorigin?q=F.e.a.r.%202
  14. ^ "Gamepro". Bob Huseby. March 2009. p. 78. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  15. ^ http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fear-2-project-origin-review?page=2
  16. ^ http://xbox.boomtown.net/en_uk/articles/art.view.php?id=17435
  17. ^ http://www.gamer20.com/gamehub/fear-2-project-origin-ps3/review/1494
  18. ^ http://boards.ign.com/f_e_a_r_/b7699/p1
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