F.E.A.R 2: Project Origins

Developer: Monolith
Format: PS3, Xbox 360 PC
Genre: Shooter

Your trigger finger may not be the only thing that's twitching.



There used to be a general rule of thumb with certain types of gun games. You had run and gun shooters that were all about visceral violence, where the thrill came from pumping lead into the nearest up-springing bad guy.

Then there was the cobwebby, creepy corner of survival horror where although you'd still aim down the barrel of a six shooter. The pace was slower and it was more about building tension with the occasional 'behind you' moment - rather than mowing down all you can see with a smokey machinegun.

It's because of this clear differentiation between the two sub genres that F.E.A.R and its forthcoming sequel F.E.A.R 2 is of particular interest to us. The first game delivered an unexpected masterpiece in combining the quick as lightening pace of a highly polished first person shooter, with the heart in your mouth sheer creepiness of a psychological horror.

When mixed in a gameworld that also incorporated drop dead gorgeous graphics (for the time), razor sharp AI and weapons that packed a bigger punch than a heavyweight, we were more than impressed to say the least.

The sequel looks set to deliver the same - but more, which is no bad thing if you ask us. Beginning shortly before the ending of F.E.A.R., a Special Forces squad is on a routine mission when the city of Auburn is rocked by a supernatural explosion. Alma, the spooky ghost child from the first outing, has unleashed her wrath upon the city and thrown it into chaos. The squad must combat enemy forces and the supernatural as they struggle to find a way to stop Alma.

What we're promised is all new enemies with even smarter intelligence; a new slow time feature (think Bullet tTime from Max Payne) that demonstrates your character's enhanced reflexes - and in your face close-quarter action in a variety of shiny and new indoor and outdoor environments.

There's a raft of multiplayer options too, but developers Monolith are keeping their cards firmly close to their chest on that front. A full release is expected in Feb 2009 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Start marking off the days - this one will be worth it.