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

videogamer.com (9 out of 10)

If you haven't already cottoned on to what I'm trying to say; I can't recommend Monolith's sequel highly enough. It might not have the jaw-dropping visuals to rival Killzone 2, but it's a hugely satisfying shooter that'll have you clinging onto that controller or mouse throughout its tension-filled campaign. If you like your combat meaty and with a solid dose of supernatural scares, there's every chance this will rank as one of your favourite games of 2009.

games xtreme (9 out of 10)

All in all, FEAR 2 is an excellent sequel to the first game and if you play them back to back you'll be rewarded with a fairly cohesive story that answers just as many questions as it asks whilst leaving room for more conjecture and debate for fans. F.E.A.R 2 is a good example of a game that succeeds on so many levels because the developers/publisher worked with real writers.

Planet Xbox 360 (8.7 out of 10)

The game is a visual treat, with some great character models and environments, in spite of the industrial look of most levels. The ghost effects look especially convincing, with some nice stylized visuals to convey their movements. Character faces, in the few spots you are with others in your squad, look solid as well. The voice acting is a little underwhelming, but lazy writing, that makes some of the characters talk like an adolescent Samuel L. Jackson, is mostly to blame. The rest of the sound fares better, with some entertaining banter between replica soldiers and the requisite eerie score. F.E.A.R. 2 is a very good game that is just a few scares short of being great.

IGN Australia (8.6 out of 10)

Project Origin really has two distinct aspects. One is a completely competent shooter set in some great environments that doesn't really challenge the player. The other sees you creeping down an elementary school hallway. Your flashlight suddenly stops working and you move towards the end of the corridor in almost complete darkness, save for an overhead light that flickers every couple of seconds. It's creepy as hell, but you almost wish it was completely dark when you catch a glimpse of the bloody walls and weird organic things clinging to the ceiling. A noise behind you. You see an apparition moving purposefully towards you. You fire at it and it lights up, then disappears. It soon becomes clear it's toying with you, approaching on all sides, leaving you wheeling in the dark, frantically searching for it, trying to finish it off...

Peliplaneetta.net (85 out of 100)

Kun analyyttisemmän ja henkilökohtaisiin kokemuksiin perustuvan arvion ynnää yhteen, käy ilmi, että kriittisempi näkemys on syytä heittää menemään. Tämä siis, jos haluaa nauttia tunnelmallisesta yliluonnollisesta räiskinnästä. Kauhua F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin tarjoaa vain nimeksi, vaikka heikkohermoisille tämäkin lienee liikaa. Intensiivistä tuhoamista, ampumista ja yleistä sekasorron aiheuttamista on sen sijaan tiedossa sitäkin enemmän. Eikä tarinakaan ole hullumpi, kunhan muistaa seurata sitä tarkasti keräilemällä ja lukemalla muistiinpanoja.

Gameplanet (8.5 out of 10)

If you're expecting innovation and something new, F.E.A.R. 2 isn’t for you, but if you are content with the FPS genre then it is an absolute must. It's an exceptional FPS, but it could certainly have certainly been longer and perhaps pushed our comfort zone a bit more, particularly when the FPS market is so saturated.

Game Informer Magazine (8.5 out of 10)

F.E.A.R. 2 has all the elements of a great FPS package, but a few very noticeable warts bring it down. The egregious head bob can cause headaches or nausea while playing, and there’s no way to turn it down or off. The combat feels great with a mouse and keyboard, but often finicky and annoying on a gamepad. Ultimately, the game never escapes feeling like a re-hash of the original, with the same ideas, themes, and gameplay elements repeated throughout. Nonetheless, F.E.A.R. 2 does what it does with great skill, and successfully delivers one of the better single-player FPS experiences around.

360 LIVE (8.5 out of 10)

Und so ist »FE.A.R. 2« eines der wenigen Action-Games, die erfolgreich mit den Ängsten spielen, auf eine so gekonnte Art und Weise, dass man das nur als faszinierend wahrnehmen kann — zumindest, sofern man den einfallsarmen Mehrspieler-Modus außer Acht lässt. Doch der ist ohnehin nur eine Dreingabe, genau wie beim Vorgängerspiel. Die nahe Verwandtschaft ist somit als Kompliment zu verstehen. Nur dass »FE.A.R. 2« größer, furchteinflößender und abwechslungsreicher geraten ist.

Extreme Gamer (8.5 out of 10)

Gamers who enjoyed Alma’s hell raising antics in the original F.E.A.R. will find what they are looking for in Monolith’s sequel F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. F.E.A.R. 2's spooky atmosphere and supernatural presence makes it an excellent alternative to the majority of “war-like” shooters. While F.E.A.R. 2 isn’t the most original in its core shooter gameplay, it makes up for any short comings with an interesting storyline with great cast members while keeping the action turned up high. Sure, F.E.A.R. 2 could have been so much more, but for what it is, it gets the job done and at times it down right creeptacular. F.E.A.R. fans you can safely purchase this one and take on Alma one more time, and for all the Newbies to F.E.A.R., Project Origin is a solid shooter set in a cool setting. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a defienate must for all shooter fans.

Game Observer (85 out of 100)

The ending might not be conclusive, it might not be as scary as the last one and it might be too linear, but action is solid enough to make you forget all that.

IGN UK (8.5 out of 10)

It’s 2009 though and, from the game’s well-worn jolts right through to environments consistently drawn from the big book of FPS clichés – hello subway system, hospital, derelict street, science lab and underground bunker – there are simply too few moments that alleviate proceedings to the top tier of genre daddies. Admittedly, F.E.A.R. 2 raises its game in final few hours – with a few stand-out set-pieces including a cargo train assault, an eerie descent into ground zero and an ending so spectacularly obtuse it’s likely to elicit more than its fair share of “Wuh?”s. Overall though, rather than any sense of surprise or genre-shifting admiration, it’s the minute-by-minute assault of trigger-fumbling tension and horror, married with the games’ superb underlining shooter mechanics that drive you toward the game’s baffling conclusion.

XboxAchievements (85 out of 100)

There’s no doubting that FEAR 2 will be setting the standard for horror titles this year and beyond. The title has a great blend of action and horror and they’re right on the money with the pacing and balance too. The lighting, the mood, the atmosphere ... everything is spot on. It could be defined as a must experience single player campaign with a less than inspiring multiplayer mode which fails to capitalise on what makes the single player so successful. Either way, a good start to 2009 for sure.

Play.tm (83 out of 100)

As an overall product, F.E.A.R. 2 is a decent mix of self-aware cliche, gratuitous and hyperbolic violence mixed with the occasional touch of subtlety and reservation. It's a solid, dependable shooter that, in its best moments, gets your heart racing. Whilst the universe might be confusing and unfriendly for those who haven't played the first game, the shooting mechanics should be satisfying enough for fans of the genre. And, let's face it, that's pretty much everyone with an Xbox 360. The ending isn't as spectacular as the original's, but it is just as abrupt. Which is again a shame. It couldn't be more disparagingly abrupt unless it printed "F.E.A.R. 3, anyone?" onto the screen before the credits rolled.

Xboxdynasty (XD) (8.3 out of 10)

Mit F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin wird uns wieder mal ein grundsolider Shooter präsentiert, welcher sinnvoll durch Gruselelemente ergänzt wird. Die Schockmomente reichen dabei nicht ganz an diejenigen aus Dead Space heran, verfehlen aber keineswegs ihren Effekt. Die Stärken, welche der erste Teil besessen hat, wurden zudem weiter ausgebaut: Die Physik der einzelnen Gegenstände wurde erweitert und eure Gegner agieren noch cleverer. Auch die Story wurde mehr in das Spiel integriert als es noch beim ersten Teil der Fall war. Insgesamt leistet sich der Titel keine großen Schwächen und sollte von jedem von euch, der auf Shooter steht, ins Auge gefasst werden!

Game Informer Magazine (8.25 out of 10)

After the embarrassment of The Perseus Mandate, F.E.A.R. 2 should be in consideration for comeback player of the year. While the multiplayer is weak and the mood won’t make people forget Dead Space any time soon, the solid action core makes it worth a play.

TeamXbox (8.1 out of 10)

Despite its flaws, F.E.A.R. 2 is a solid game, with some decent gameplay. But it’s not going to light your soul on fire like other shooters hopefully will, and might bore gamers who’ve played every single shooter out there and are looking for something new. It may not feel new, but it definitely feels polished and solid. If not very scary.

GameSpot (Belgium/Netherlands) (81 out of 100)

F.E.A.R. 2, zal je nog regelmatig de stuipen op het lijf jagen, ook al is de verrassing van de voorganger er wat af en hebben we ondertussen ook het uitstekende Dead Space gehad. De shootergameplay blijft echter zo intens als tevoren en op een taaiere moeilijkeidsgraad krijg je een mooi staaltje van wat intelligente computertegenstanders in elk game zouden moeten zijn.

IGN (8.1 out of 10)

With F.E.A.R. 2, Monolith has crafted a solid follow-up to F.E.A.R. It’s a good shooter, bordering on great at times, but it’s not as groundbreaking as its predecessor. Still, it’s definitely faithful to the idea of F.E.A.R., which is mainly trying to get under your skin using a combination of tried-and-true horror elements, not the least of which is a creepy little girl.

G4 TV: X-Play ( )

In short, if you like FEAR, you will love FEAR 2. It may be too scary for some and the wobble of your character walking might induce a slight bit of motion sickness, but it’s a well constructed horror/action title. A few more subtle scares rather than the “jump out and jar you” scares might improve the game, but it’s all over well constructed and engaging, even if you can’t begin to wrap your head around the plot anymore.

411mania.com (8 out of 10)

Overall the game was a satisfying experience, minus what I mentioned in the spoiler section, and the slightly low curve of difficulty. F.E.A.R 2 offers a compelling story, with a pretty sick and twisted ending. The game also includes plenty of action to keep most fans of the genre happy. With a decent multi-player mode, that I may give more time to, I would say F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is definitely worth a look.

XBox Front (80 out of 100)

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin ist ein guter, aber kein herausragender Ego-Shooter. Einerseits stimmt die Action, die Zeitlupenkämpfe wissen immer noch zu gefallen und auch in Sachen Grafik und Sound gibt es wenig zu bemängeln. Andererseits mangelt es dem Spiel aber an Abwechslung und überraschenden Momenten. An die gruselige Atmosphäre des Vorgängers kommt F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin ohnehin nicht ran, denn viele Schock-Momente kamen so auch schon in F.E.A.R vor. Fans des Vorgängers werden mit dem Kauf sicher nichts falsch machen und auch diejenigen, die mal wieder einen kompromisslosen Ego-Shooter spielen wollen, werden den Kauf nicht bereuen.PS3-Besitzern empfehlen wir jedoch, sich lieber Killzone 2 zuzulegen.

Gamer.nl (8 out of 10)

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin pakt moeiteloos de draad op waar het eerste deel was gebleven. Monolith heeft in dit deel duidelijk gekozen voor wat meer actie dan angst, maar weet nog steeds de juiste balans te vinden. Het uiterlijk van het spel heeft de tand des tijd echter wat minder goed doorstaan en ook de poging van Monolith om enkele nieuwe gameplay-elementen toe te voegen, had zeker niet gehoeven. Toch blijft F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin een angstig goed spel.

GamingBolt (8 out of 10)

It only remains to be seen whether the devlopers are really making a major change to the franchise or will they continue with the same way with the future installments. FEAR 2 will thrill fans and might disappoint others. But if you need an overall better experience than you might go with Resistance 2 or the latest Killzone.

GameSpy ( )

I'm extremely curious to see how gamers react to F.E.A.R. 2. Personally, I felt the first game was somewhat unappreciated, and maybe Monolith agreed, opting to churn out a near-identical game with hopes of getting more attention this time around. For shooter fans, the combat is still outstanding, and you'll get a great eight hours or so by the time you reach your final encounter with Alma, although fans of the first game may feel like they've done this before. In many ways, F.E.A.R. 2 feels like the middle chapter in a trilogy, and there's certainly enough momentum here for at least one more run.

GameDaily (8 out of 10)

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a successful blend of fast-paced first person shooting and nightmare-inducing visuals, all provided by the creepy little girl from the original F.E.A.R., Alma. Not only must you deal with her demonic hallucinations, but you'll also need to confront gun-carrying soldiers and giant mechs. The shooting is lots of fun, especially when you kick in your slow-mo ability and grind enemies to bloody chunks with the flame cannon and shotgun. The new mech segments let you rip through city streets while firing guns and missiles in a super-armored suit. The presentation is top-notch, with tight level design and no shortage of jump-out-of-your seat moments. Multiplayer is somewhat empty, with only a scattering of modes that are mostly the same. There's no reason you should F.E.A.R. this terrific shooter.

Gameplayer (Australia) (8 out of 10)

So yes, F.E.A.R. 2 is a strange one. In many ways it’s an old fashioned game, rooted in design mechanics (and to a certain extent visuals) that were doing the rounds years ago; but the whole thing is so polished that, after a short breaking-in period, you won’t really mind. F.E.A.R. 2 is just a solid video game: nothing more, nothing less. It won’t blow your mind, and it won’t change your life, but it most certainly won’t disappoint.

Giant Bomb ( )

I honestly think there are few developers today with both the technical and creative chops to establish such a specific tone as Monolith does so successfully with F.E.A.R. 2. Even though the ghost-story stuff ends up being about as threatening as a trip through The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, and the tactical gameplay is softened up by an abundance of player-boosting pick-ups, F.E.A.R. 2 still puts on one hell of a show.

UOL Jogos ( )

"F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin" é uma continuação conservadora do marcante jogo de tiro de 2005, seguindo exatamente as mesmas fórmulas, infelizmente todas muito imitadas pelos concorrentes durante todo este tempo. No entanto, o novo game consegue prender a atenção não só pela mecânica precisa e sua boa dose de sustos, mas pela história complexa e bem amarrada, que se liga perfeitamente ao episódio original e ainda deixa as portas abertas para uma sequência.

JustPressPlay (8 out of 10)

The game is worthwhile and delivers. For a horror games fan this is a must own as it is one of the best of the genre in the last few years. The game offers a story filled with haunting moments and other times when pure terror takes over. Trust me, the first time Alma jumps your ass you will not only be caught off guard, but you might crap yourself. The story and updated gameplay are the real reason why you bought this game and there is nothing that proves that any different. Project Origin is built around the terror factor as I said before and damn does it use it like a midget to a stepping stool. The crazy fights, the insane encounters with supernatural shit and the aggravating replica soldiers all make for a bad stay anywhere you go.

Frictionless Insight ( )

F.E.A.R. 2 does present a strong, single-player first-person shooter experience, but making me mash the "B" button every time a disturbed girl's face flashes on my screen detracts, just as first-person shooter conventions like overpowered 'Mechs detract from the fright. In games, most horror comes from being ill equipped to deal with a dangerous situation in a disturbing or incomprehensible environment, not from being able to instantly reduce every enemy to a red cloud of blood.

Games TM (8 out of 10)

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin matches and surpasses the original game in all of the ways you might expect, and some that you wouldn't. What we're left with is a wonderfully polished sequel that you will enjoy every minute of and then wonder why all you can think about is how it felt to play its predecessor. With a better script writer and far fewer bullets this could have been brilliant. However, we're more than happy to settle for very good Not every game needs to be a masterpiece. This one could have been.

Le Geek (4 out of 5)

In whole I can definitely recommend this game to first person shooter and survival horror fans. The environments are brilliant, and as a shooter I feel it brings enough to the table to keep me happy.

4Players.de (79 out of 100)

FEAR wird für immer in meinem Shooter-Herzen bleiben, auch wenn sich die beiden offiziellen Add-Ons alle Mühe gaben, das innovative Ballergruselspektakel möglichst banal und ideenlos weiterzuführen. Das passiert hier nicht, Project Origin ist ein absolut solider Shooter, der fetzige und intensive Gefechte mit netten Gruseleffekten garniert in abwechslungsreichen Levels bietet - gekrönt von sehr spaßigen, aber leider viel zu selten vorkommenden Mech-Abschnitten. Das Problem ist allerdings: Unheimlich wird’s nur selten. Die Schockeffekte, Schattenspiele und HUD-Flackereien sind beim ersten Mal noch aufregend, und auch beim zweiten Mal beschleunigen sie vielleicht noch den Puls. Aber danach werden sie vorhersehbar und verlieren gehörig an Wirkung - Dead Space ist in dieser Hinsicht viel weiter.

3D Juegos (7.8 out of 10)

Para definir F.E.A.R. 2 deberíamos utilizar la palabra sólido, con todo lo bueno y malo que eso conlleva. Por un lado resultan obvias las virtudes que atesora como heredero directo del original, pero al mismo tiempo le ha faltado chispa y ritmo para llegar a su nivel. No da la impresión de que Monolith necesitara más tiempo de desarrollo para mejorarlo, lo que transmite Project Origin es que pese a ser un muy buen shooter le ha faltado un punto extra de inspiración.

GamersHell.com (7.5 out of 10)

Essentially a straightforward first-person shooter with a crazy girl giving your character headaches and hallucinations of damnation, F.E.A.R 2 may have some things going for it, but for the most part, its execution lacks imagination. Whether the fact that you have to search out bits of the story is just an attempt to extend play time or not, it adds to a game where if the story wasn't interesting in the least, then the whole thing would feel completely uninspired. As it is, strong storytelling through various media makes for a single-player shooter that's digestible, and somewhat fun to play. Hopefully, should there be a threequel, next time the horror aspect will keep up with the exposition.

Worth Playing (7.5 out of 10)

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a competent, if unexceptional, game. The gameplay is more of an expansion of F.E.A.R. than a full-blown sequel, and unfortunately, the plot and "fear factor" don't quite reach the heights achieved by the first F.E.A.R. However, it's still a fast-paced shooter with some interesting set pieces, useful weapons and enjoyable gameplay. The multiplayer isn't quite as tacked-on as F.E.A.R.'s was, but it isn't going to hold a gamer's attention for too long. All in all, F.E.A.R. 2's biggest problem is that it feels like yet another expansion pack to the F.E.A.R. franchise instead of a sequel, and gamers eager for something new may be a bit disappointed. The biggest and most interesting change involves the rarely used robot suit, and everything else feels like more of the same.

Official XBox Magazine (7.5 out of 10)

And that’s really how we feel about F.E.A.R. 2 as a whole. It’s here if you want to play it, and it’s well done in lots of ways. But it feels a lot like the last 007 movie: plenty of fun, but nowhere near as awesome as we hoped it’d be.

AusGamers (7 out of 10)

I'll go out on a limb here and say this is far from Game of the Year material, but anyone who enjoyed the first game is going to get something out of Project Origin. Not a great deal has changed, but there's enough story development the hardcore Alma fans will sink their teeth in, while horror and action fans alike can definitely enjoy this. It just isn't breaking any new ground, looks mildly dated and suffers from being a little too self-indulgent in areas.

Official Xbox Magazine (UK) (7 out of 10)

F.E.A.R. 2 delivers some meaty combat, but fails to improve on the original. Where was the ambition to innovate or surprise? It's by no means terrible, but for such a major franchise, more was expected. This is still an enjoyable shooter, just not a particularly hair-raising one.

Video Games Daily (7 out of 10)

That most damning of all things - neither memorably awful, nor memorably brilliant, but simply decent. The sureness with which Monolith revisits the original game's themes and dual gameplay structure is commendable, but the spark isn't quite there. A solid rental option with plenty of chills.

GameSpot (7 out of 10)

You'll get the occasional heebie-jeebies from F.E.A.R. 2, but the magic of the first game hasn't been re-created here. It’s true that some of the changes in the new game seem like they were intended to address criticism of the first F.E.A.R.: tedious and claustrophobic environments, lack of enemy variety, and so on. Sadly, though these changes were made, the resulting sequel, while fun and well-crafted, seems to have lost sight of the strengths that made its predecessor so unique. Nevertheless, playing F.E.A.R. 2 is a worthwhile way to pass the time while we wait for the inevitable next installment.

TotalVideoGames (TVG) (6 out of 10)

The fact remains that F.E.A.R evolved shooters back in 2005, but there appears to be very little progress in the four years since with F.E.A.R 2. Like the expansion packs before it, F.E.A.R 2 maintains the core mechanics, but ultimately fails to expand upon them or develop a sequel that really pushes the boundaries like the original did.

Blend Games ( )

F.E.A.R. 2 is perfectly fine from a technical standpoint.The character models look great, especially your squadmates, and the hallucinations can be quite trippy. All aspects of the audio design - the voice acting, ambient noises, and gunfire sounds - are strong as well. What's most striking about the game, though, is the lack of ambition in its design. It looks and sounds as it should and, hey, it's even got a pretty significant multiplayer segment (five modes, all of which are pretty standard fare but still) but the raw elements of the game are never pulled together to form a game you'll remember after you've finished the 10+ hour campaign. A F.E.A.R. 3 wouldn't be unsuspected and I hope that instead of simply churning out another installment using the exact same blueprint as the last two games, Monolith takes a step back to reassess the formula.

Mania (C+)

F.E.A.R. 2 is a perfectly worthwhile game, I enjoyed my time playing it but it makes a great argument for the necessity of a tiered pricing structure for games. Bioshock, Fallout 3 or Call of Duty may be worthy of a $60 price tag but F.E.A.R. 2 would feel much more respectable at a $30 price point. At twice that much it’s a little pricey and probably worth waiting a few months for a price drop. If you’re just plain hungry for a no frills shooter that will tide you over until the next triple A title comes along then F2 just might be the hamburger to tide you over until steak goes on sale but you have to ask yourself, do you really want to pay $60 for hamburger?

Game Revolution (C+)

All in all, if you played the first few FEAR games and you want to know what happens next to the faceless, characterless, protagonist then you could do a lot worse than FEAR 2: Project Origin. I really can’t recommend this to players that are new to either the series or the genre. The lack of reiteration of the first game’s story is rather perplexing. Why wouldn’t you want new players? What is the dev team afraid of?

Thunderbolt Games (5 out of 10)

Once Project Origin has been completed, an aura of indecision will shroud your mind. It’s blatantly clear that Monolith have approached a vital crossroad; should they stick to their tiring, but largely revered formula, or do they begin developing the series into a new and much needed direction? With this instalment, it’s unfortunate to announce that they haven’t made this choice yet, as the developers stand nervously on the brink of dismantling a franchise that has held some truly terrific moments. For now, their main concern should be whether or not fans will be coming back to see Alma again, as Project Origin delivers an experience that will have you turning off the console, and not the lights.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (5 out of 10)

It's a checklist of genre-tropes, well performed. If you're just looking for more well-polished shooting, this will while away the hours pleasantly enough. If you've never played a first-person shooter before, you'll probably be in love - this is as archetypal a corridor-shooter as has ever been made, and there's a reason why it works. But for anyone who's been running down corridors with shotguns for most of their adult life, this is so uninspired that you worry for the spark of Monolith's soul. You guys made No One Lives Forever, remember? You're smart. You're better than this. FEAR 2 isn't terrible. That's the most terrible thing of all. Is mere competency enough to garner gamers' love? I don't know. But it's the one thing I really do fear.