'F.E.A.R 2' offers alternative to 'Halo,' 'Call of Duty'

The best features are the player's missions and the game's storyline.

By Derek Reagan

Published Feb. 23, 2009

"F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin" picks up right where the first game left off: scaring the hell out of its players.

If you are looking for a scary first-person shooter on the next generation consoles and can't wait for Resident Evil 5, look no further. "F.E.A.R. 2" is one of the best new shooters and Monolith Productions does a great job of developing a real sense of fear while playing the game.

There are only a few let downs in the sequel. The new game engine is smooth for the most part. It isn't quite as slick or polished as a "Call of Duty" or "Halo," and there are some issues with slow down. Overall "F.E.A.R. 2" is a fantastic shooting experience for those who want to find something other than "Call of Duty" or "Halo."

There are some new additions to the general gameplay. You can now create your own cover by flipping over tables and other objects. This is pretty effective once you get the hang of it, but guns blazing strategy seems to suit the game better.

The slow motion reflexes make the gun battles fun again and again. The gameplay can get really addictive and add a nice element of strategy to the game. Deciding when to use your reflexes becomes essential when you are fighting against tougher foes in the game.

The best part of the game is by far the missions and the storyline. The story picks up where the last game left off but you are fighting through the story from the point of view of a military squad. It starts somewhat slowly but, thankfully, the game escalates quickly.

I'll save the spoilers but the game's crazy little girl is back and this leads to tons "Oh my God, did that just happen?" moments. It's the way the Monolith Productions has incorporated the girl in new illusions and flashbacks. In the first game you eventually could predict when the girl would show up, but in "F.E.A.R. 2," Monolith keeps things varied. It's the variety of new surprises that will make you scream (definitely entertaining to watch someone else play through the game).

The game is a little on the short side. There are some well-created boss battles that will test you a little. But gamers will be able to quickly with play through in less than five hours but there are plenty of achievements and different difficulties to create more replay value.

Although you can only play through the mission on your own, online multiplayer is present. It is pretty bland with very basic game styles, such as deathmatch and capture points modes. This is definitely a weakness in a growing online environment for shooters. The problem with "F.E.A.R. 2" is it doesn't really attempt to do anything new with online modes and it doesn't give reason to put down a "Call of Duty"-type game.