By: Charles P. Jefferies
INTRODUCTION
First Encounter Assault Recon (F.E.A.R) 2 by Monolith Productions is the sequel to the first F.E.A.R. This horror-themed first-person shooter revolves around a supernatural phenomena represented by a little girl named Alma, who, as part of the F.E.A.R. Special forces team, you must destroy. Today we explore the F.E.A.R. 2 demo and present our take on this most anticipated shooter.
GAME PLAY
Those who played the original F.E.A.R. will recognize the atmosphere, controls, and feel of the game. The players interface has been revised slightly; the original F.E.A.R. had a more traditional first-person shooter (FPS) interface, whereas the F.E.A.R. 2 takes a more modern heads-up display (HUD)-based approach. Health and ammo indicators remain in their original locations, however the slow motion indicator has been moved next to the crosshairs. The player’s health works more or less the same in F.E.A.R. 2 versus the original with some slight modifications. While medkits and armor work the same, in F.E.A.R 2 your health will recharge slightly if you are close to death.
The player is allowed to carry four weapons at a time plus several types of grenades. All of the weapons are brand-new in F.E.A.R. 2. The demo contains the following:
- SMG
- Assault rifle
- Combat shotgun
- Sniper rifle
- Rocket launcher
- Laser gun
The SMG is a bit lacking in power; the Assault Rifle is the most well-balanced weapon in the demo. The sniper rifle is a lot of fun to use, especially while scoped in using slow motion. While the weapon variety is impressive thus far (the full game is likely to contain more), I am not impressed with the way the guns feel and sound relative to the originals. The weapons in the original F.E.A.R. had a more distinctive feel and sound and felt more powerful. The SMG and Assault Rifle especially are lackluster compared to their equivalents in the original. 
F.E.A.R. 2 retains the originals slow motion feature, which allows the player to slow down time and makes it easier to kill enemies. Unfortunately, the slow motion in the F.E.A.R. 2 demo does not feel as distinctive, and pumping round after round into Replica soldier’s faces is simply not as satisfying. 
A new feature in F.E.A.R. 2 is movable cover; you can flip over tables and other objects and hide behind them in firefights.
F.E.A.R. 2 has new A.I.; you will notice their revised tactics. In the original F.E.A.R., the soldiers had menacing voices and said some, shall we say, unique and colorful phrases. This is not the case in F.E.A.R. 2; the soldiers no longer have that menacing voice and are simply not as formidable. 
Another new feature of F.E.A.R. 2 is the Powered Armor machine. It is essentially a robot the player controls. It has several machine guns with unlimited ammo on both arms which are devastating against foot soldiers. The Powered Armor will automatically repair minor damage taken in battle. Overall, it is quite entertaining and a nice addition to the game.
STORY
The game takes the player deep inside a destroyed city to investigate the supernatural phenomena represented as Alma, a tortured little girl. Your character is not the same as in the original; you play as a member of Delta Force, Michael Becket. In the demo level, Interval 01, the player starts out disoriented after a helicopter crash, and you must rejoin your team somewhere in the city. Naturally, the city is crawling with the same Replica clone soldiers from the first F.E.A.R.; you will encounter them several times.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
This is one area where F.E.A.R. 2 shines; the graphics and sound are outstanding and realistic. The original F.E.A.R. had excellent graphics for its time (and they are still quite good), so it is pleasing to see this trend continue. Textures, lighting, and shadows have all been taken to the next level. The sound makes the player feel very involved.
The game developers are very good at scaring the player by inserting small sounds at the right times. Combined with your player’s hallucinations, this game will scare you. Some of the events witnessed in this game . . . should never leave this game.
CONCLUSION
F.E.A.R. 2 is only a demo right now; the full game will be released on February 10, 2009. We like the continuation of the original F.E.A.R. storyline, the revised HUD-like interface, and we appreciate the excellent graphics and sound. We also like the Powered Armor robot, which is entertaining. However, we are less than impressed with some of the game play modifications versus the original F.E.A.R. The weapons simply do not have the definitive feel of the originals, and slow motion is not as fun. F.E.A.R. 2s gameplay is overall not as satisfying. We anticipate that the full game will be scary, and we can only hope the new and improved elements make up for its game play pitfalls.
WHAT WE LIKED:
- Excellent graphics and sound
- Powered Armor robot
- Revised HUD interface
- Weapon variety
WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE:
- Weapons do not ‘feel’ as defined as those in the original F.E.A.R.
- Slow motion is not as engaging
- Replica soldiers are not as unique
- Game play is overall not as rewarding as the originals
Stay tuned to PCGamingCorner.com for our full F.E.A.R. 2 review in February.
Official F.E.A.R. Website
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