F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - FirstPersonShooters.net

2009.0210 (NA)
2009.0213 (EU, AUS)
2009.0827 (JAP)
Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: WB Games
Designer: Nathan Hendrickson, Peter Wyse, John Zuur Platten
Engine: Lithtech: Jupiter EX with a modified Havok engine, Version 1.05 (Sept 3, 2009)

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a first-person shooter psychological horror video game, developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the sequel to F.E.A.R. and was released on February 10, 2009. It is the second game in the F.E.A.R. series. It was made available on Steam on February 12, 2009.

The F.E.A.R. 2 gameplay maintains the core elements from the original, including slo-mo combat, martial arts attacks, and enhanced A.I. The A.I. from the original F.E.A.R. was known for its exploitation of the environments, taking cover behind pillars and knocking down tables, and many of these behaviors have been retained for the sequel. 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 that relies on a checkpoint system. However, the game allows the player to replay any level from the main menu after first completing that level.

The sequel to F.E.A.R. continues the supernatural suspense story of the supernatural being, Alma, whose rage against those who wronged her causes an escalating paranormal crisis that threatens to devour and replace reality with her own.[6] Instead of playing as the Point Man, the game's protagonist is Michael Becket, a Delta Force operator 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 team from ATC Security's black ops, 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 recovers, Becket finds himself and the rest of his squad in a hospital deep underground, being operated on by a team of doctors under the direction of Aristide. 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, where he encounters the reactivated Replica troops. As he moves to the surface, Becket is repeatedly 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 being psychically altered in 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, his superior Lieutenant Stokes, Sergeant Morales, and Sergeant First Class Keegan, the squad moves to nearby Wade Elementary, a school now controlled by ATC Security, where Snake Fist and Aristide are hiding. 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, a major antagonist from the original game, and that Michael and Keegan were the most promising subjects.

In the basement facility, Michael 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 Armacham facility 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, Michael'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 killed 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 Alma, who appears to be sexually assaulting his body in the real world. Finally, after reactivating the last switch, Becket escapes the hallucination to find himself sealed inside the device. The device opens, and Becket sees Alma standing in the midst of a blasted landscape. Alma is now pregnant with Michael's child, and the game ends as she walks up to Michael and places his hand onto her stomach, and the voice of a child saying 'Mommy' can be distinctly heard.

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.[8] 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. F.E.A.R. 2 was released on February 10, 2009 in North America and Europe.

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.

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.

Another notable event happened on December 22, 2008 when thirty five Project Origin screenshots were released. One of them featured a man wearing a "Shogo 2" t-shirt. This caused an uproar of fan and industry speculation about a potential sequel to the old Shogo game being in production (even though other Shogo Easter eggs had appeared in other games including the original F.E.A.R.).

Monolith Productions announced a contest called "Name Your Fear" on June 4, 2007, to find a new name for the sequel. Contestants had until June 22 to submit a name, after which three finalists would be chosen with fans being able to choose their favorite. The three finalists would have their likeness featured in the game. 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 and Warner Bros. Interactive revealed that they had purchased the F.E.A.R. name from Activision Blizzard. The moniker Project Origin remains, though used as a subtitle.

On October 31, 2008, Monolith and Warner Bros. released an exclusive digital comic on GameTrailers. 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 see 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. Like the original F.E.A.R. demo, this one was made using segments merged from several different levels.

The limited edition version of F.E.A.R. 2 also included the original F.E.A.R., exclusive artwork and downloadable skins, all encased in a tin retail box. The game was also available by Steam. People who pre-ordered the game at Gamestop were able to receive an exclusive book which detailed the entire history of the F.E.A.R. storyline.

F.E.A.R. 2 received mostly positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version 79.26% and 79/100, the PC version 77.86% and 79/100 and the Xbox 360 version 77.82% and 77/100. Eurogamer 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, uninspired level design, and poor execution in the developers' attempt to vary gameplay with the addition of mech armour. 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. Resolution Magazine awarded the game a 76%. They praised the game's polish, and described it as enjoyable, despite its lack of creativity.

On its release, F.E.A.R. 2 debuted at number two on both the United States retail PC charts, and on the UK all formats charts. It was also the most queued title on GameFly.