Don't Be Scared!

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

System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Release: February 2009


On the surface F.E.A.R. appears to be an excellent FPS franchise. There is bullet time, crazy guns, and spooky stuff. The gameplay is solid. The graphics are polished. The AI acts intelligent, and there is some environmental damage for shits and giggles. Yet whenever I play through a F.E.A.R. game I'm overcome with a sense of indifference. I'm knee deep in blood as some mystical bitch tears apart my squad and I just don't care. Some geek I've been tracking down gets his head ripped off, and I barely bat an eye. The ending cinematic for the sequel brought about a sense of joy because I could get the next title from my Gamefly account.

The single player game is fun. I enjoy the overpowered bullet time. The nail gun is back in all it's glory, and there is even an awesome disintegration gun. The armored mech segments are a good idea, and some of the scary moments gave me chills. Especially during the ghost sections where it is unclear who is a threat. The majority of plot points, however, are your typical set up. Teammates do something stupid. They die, and you have to push on despite the "tragic" losses. Some chick keeps barking orders, and in the end you impregnate a telekinetic super being? At least I think that's what the ending is all about.

Multiplayer....well I didn't even bother. Why waste my time on low population games when I still enjoy fantastic franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, and Left 4 Dead? DLC content keeps the big three fresh enough for me.

Should you play F.E.A.R.? Only if your a die hard FPS fan, or your in need of something a bit different during the summer lull. There really isn't anything special. Snerts Snazzy Score is a 3 out of 5.