Published by:
Warner Bros.
Interactive
Developed by:
Monolith Productions
Release Date: February 10, 2009
Available only on:
PlayStation 3, PC, XBOX 360
INTRO:
Welcome to sequel city
as Alma, the evil little girl who brought the last F.E.A.R. our way is back
on the rampage, is free and looking for revenge. Grab a hold of agent
Michael Becket and lead your Special Forces unit into the fray in order to
try and rescue a girl who is under the gun for trying to work around an army
of mind controlled soldiers.
GAMEPLAY:
Alright, if you’ve
read my reviews for any length of time, you know that I reviewed F.E.A.R.
files awhile back and wasn’t a big fan of it. I can happily say that this
stand alone sequel is worth your time and effort, but it will be ultimately
a judgment call about whether or not you want to buy it.
This FPS
plays like many others but has a certain realistic feel to it where you can
actually feel your character walking- that is to say, you can feel him
placing each foot as he walks. It’s a weird quirk, but it is intended to add
realism and after awhile it isn’t so bad.
The bulk of the gameplay
involves you taking down members of the Armacham Corporation, a bunch of
clone soldiers who are evil. You’ll encounter Alma along the way too. She’ll
show up at random to wipe out other characters and to simply play havoc with
the surroundings. See, she isn’t a fan of the Arnacham and really likes
rending the flesh from their bones.
The balance is struck; the
horror genre feels right and the action is in check. The weapons are great,
especially the flesh-melting gun and the level where you jump into the mech
suit. Everything feels pretty natural and you won’t think this one is too
cheesy. The level design is great and makes for some wonderful atmospheric
fun along the way. I really was impressed by the levels in this game and
admire the amount of detail put into it all. The game is pretty linear, but
that’s okay too.
I didn’t find this one to be overly tough and it
does tend to hold your hand at times, but that’s okay because it makes up
for everything with the experience it provides. The enemies aren’t stupid
though and they do lots of cool things to ensure their survival, like
flanking you and hiding behind tables they flipped over. Sure, some things
aren’t difficult but it gives you an opportunity to really soak in the
nastiness that lines the walls of this intense bulletfest.
Gameplay: 8/10
GRAPHICS:
Graphics are really
impressive here; this one pushes the 360 to the max. This game is all about
details and doesn’t disappoint. Great gore, great environmental details and
incredible lighting. Alma’s effects will have you giggling with glee.
Graphics: 8/10
AUDIO:
Sound is awesome too;
I hope you have a Dolby surround system because this one will really push it
to the max. Great voice acting, sound effects and the like. The music and
atmospheric sounds will chill you to the bone if you play this at 3am by
yourself.
Audio: 9/10
FINAL VERDICT:
F.E.A.R. 2 is an
awesome game that will really thrill you during the single player. I thought
the multiplayer was only alright, but the single player campaign was
awesome- it’s just short, less than 10 hours long. Although I recommend at
least one play, it’ll be up to you if the game is worth revisiting over and
over again.
Final Score:
8/10
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