‘F.E.A.R.’ sequel continues to fright, delight - Military Video Games, computer games, games, gaming - Army Times

‘F.E.A.R.’ sequel continues to fright, delight

Combine the thrill of a first-person shooter with the creepy visuals of a horror movie and you’ll end up with “F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin,” a sequel to the 2005 award-winning paranormal adventure.

In the sequel now available for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Windows PCs, you once again join the F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) elite military squad as Sgt. Michael Becket, tapped to investigate mysterious happenings within a private aerospace company. The story takes place just prior to the ending of the first game, when a nuclear explosion rocks the Auburn industrial district.

If you haven’t played the original game, you’re likely unaware of Alma, a “spirited” young girl with supernatural powers responsible in part for the fear that has blanketed the city. She’s back again in this sequel, of course, and her long black hair and lifeless pale face might remind you of the eerie child from the film, “The Ring.” Not only will you see Alma appear and disappear in numerous visions during game play, but many creepy cinematic sequences are also peppered throughout the game to help push the story along.

Played from a first-person perspective, the single-player campaign has you stealthily navigating through many indoor and outdoor areas to take down enemies, upgrade weaponry, collect clues and work with teammates on completing missions (which you can replay at any time from the main menu).

Much of the game consists of intense close-quartered gunfights against smart computer-controlled villains (including creatures) that use the environment to their advantage. You can also create instant cover with a nearby object by pressing the square button on the controller (in the PlayStation 3 version), to help avoid being shot. If you run out of ammo you can perform some hand-to-hand combat moves, be it a strike to the head with the butt of your gun, roundhouse kick, slide or jump kick. When necessary, you can also bend time by tapping the triangle button to enter a slow-motion state for increased accuracy.

The high-definition graphics look fantastic and the spine-chilling music and sound effects complement the atmospheric visuals nicely.

We weren’t able to test the myriad multiplayer modes because we received an advance copy of “F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin,” but the game will let you host or join a match via an online lobby. A number of maps and game types (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and four others) are available, all of which require you to first select your weapon load prior to the fight.

Whether or not you gave the original “F.E.A.R.” a spin, this paranormal first-person shooter is a frightfully good time.