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

Lore & Background

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin begins thirty minutes prior to the conclusion of the original F.E.A.R., with the player controlling Michael Becket, a Delta Force sergeant. Sent to take the president of Armacham Technology Corporation (ATC) into protective custody, things go awry when Point Man destroys the Origin Facility, and Becket and his teammates are caught in the blast. Waking up in a strange hospital under attack by an ATC black ops squad, Becket finds that Alma Wade, now free, shows a keen interest in him. The game ignores the events of the expansion packs F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate, which are no longer considered canon.

In making Project Origin, Monolith looked at the reception of the first game, aiming to correct the two most frequently criticized elements: monotone and repetitive environments, and lack of enemy variety. They also attempted to enhance the game's most lauded elements—combat mechanics and enemy AI—and made Alma a more central presence to enhance horror elements. The game was generally well received by critics, though felt inferior to the first game, with praise for combat mechanics, sound effects, mech sections, graphics, and enemy variety, while criticism targeted the plot, cover mechanics, horror elements, removal of the lean function, and multiplayer.

Reader's Guide

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is notable for its gameplay refinements over the original, including a limited regenerative health system, iron sight aiming, and environmental interaction such as upending tables for cover. The game introduces Elite Power Armor (EPA) mechs armed with miniguns and rocket launchers, available during certain sections. The reflex time ability returns, allowing slow-motion combat with a meter that can be permanently increased via reflex injections. The multiplayer supports up to 16 players with modes including deathmatch, team deathmatch, Control, Armored Front, Failsafe, and Blitz, along with a later-added SloMo Deathmatch mode. A September 2009 patch added this mode, and the game features an experience levelling system and customizable loadouts. The base game and its DLC, F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn, were made available on GOG.com in March 2015, and the franchise was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program in November 2021, making the games playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

Did You Know?

• The player can carry up to 20 projectiles (five of each of four types) but only one type may be equipped at a time.
• Elite Power Armor (EPA) mechs have infinite ammo but miniguns overheat if fired continuously.
• The multiplayer mode 'Blitz' is a capture the flag variant where the flag leaks a substance that reveals the carrier's position.