Top 19 How To Play Cry Of Fear Co Op 2021 Top 101 Best Answers

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Can you play Cry of Fear campaign coop?

Besides the Main Campaign, Doctor mode and Custom Campaigns, Cry of Fear also features a Co-op Campaign.

How do you join Cry of Fear co-op?

Start up Cry of Fear and start a server like usual (Host Server > etc…) BUT make sure LAN is checked before starting. Now, you are going to give your Hamachi IP to your friend in this form…. …. and he will type that into the console (~ key) to connect.

Can you play fear coop?

Gameplay. F.E.A.R. 3 is a first-person shooter in which the campaign can be played in either single-player mode or co-op mode. As well as being playable online, co-op is also available offline via split screen.

Is fear a two player game?

Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Games, it was released for all platforms in February 2009. In September 2009, Monolith released a single-player DLC pack, F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
Genre(s) First-person shooter, psychological horror
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

How do you cheat on Cry of Fear?

Cheats
  1. Warning: Team Psykskallar did not intend for cheats to be used in Cry of Fear, and you may be denied support if you choose to use cheats.
  2. sv_cheats 1.
  3. sv_maxspeed 999.
  4. bind x “cl_forwardspeed 999”
  5. bind y “cl_forwardspeed 300”
  6. bind x “sv_gravity 800”
  7. bind y “sv_gravity -100”
  8. bind z “sv_gravity 100”

How do I use hamachi?

Setup
  1. Install Hamachi. You want the Unmanaged version, which is free.
  2. Create a VPN tunnel in Hamachi. (Network>Create a new network…)
  3. Get your friends to join your Hamachi network. …
  4. Have everyone on the server set the Hamachi network as a Home Network, or allow Minecraft to use Public Networks.

How many chapters are in Cry of Fear co-op?

Plot. Cry of Fear’s story spans seven to eight chapters, depending on the player’s actions. The game features a total of nine endings, six of which are available in the single-player campaign, one – in the normal co-op mode, and two – in the co-op survival mode.

Is Cry of Fear Free on Steam?

Cry of Fear is Now Available on Steam for Free! Cry of Fear is a psychological single-player and co-op horror game set in a deserted town filled with horrific creatures and nightmarish delusions.

Can you still play FEAR 3 coop?

The co-op campaign can be played online or locally via splitscreen on the PS3 or 360 and splits vertically with offset. Sadly, players can not play split screen with online play in the extra co-op modes.

Are fear servers still up?

In 2014, F.E.A.R. Online, a free-to-play game, was released, but the servers were shut down in 2015 with the game still in open beta.

Is fear local coop?

Players can take the role of point man, the main character from previous FEAR titles or Fettel, a pscho-kintetic character that can inhabit the bodies of enemies in two player local or online co-op.In addition the game features two survival style online co-op modes for four players.

IS FEAR 2 a prequel or a sequel?

Part prequel, part sequel, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is the first official continuation of Monolith’s F.E.A.R., a horror FPS that combined fantastic and frantic action sequences with some genuine scares.

When did FEAR 3 come out?

How many chapters are in Cry of Fear co-op?

Plot. Cry of Fear’s story spans seven to eight chapters, depending on the player’s actions. The game features a total of nine endings, six of which are available in the single-player campaign, one – in the normal co-op mode, and two – in the co-op survival mode.

How long does it take to finish Cry of Fear?

When focusing on the main objectives, Cry of Fear is about 7½ Hours in length. If you’re a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 21 Hours to obtain 100% completion.

How many endings are in Cry of Fear?

Cry of Fear has four different endings depending on the player’s choices.

Is we going back coop?

Thank you for playing our game! It appears that the “Multiplayer” tag is a user-defined tag that we don’t have any control over. I’m not sure why others had tagged it as that, but it’s definitely a singleplayer-only experience. Oh oky great, thank you.


Cry of Fear – How to play co-op (Hamachi tutorial)
Cry of Fear – How to play co-op (Hamachi tutorial)


Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom Updating …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom Updating Besides the Main Campaign, Doctor mode and Custom Campaigns, Cry of Fear also features a Co-op Campaign. In this mode, the players take control of The Cops who, after investigating Simon’s case and his book, they get swallowed by Simon’s nightmare in the Book. The cops realize that if they want…
  • Table of Contents:

Contents

Overview

Plot

Characters

CPRRespawn

Book Simon

DeathSaving

Server problems

Additional stuff

Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom
Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom

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How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions Updating (IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH CRY OF FEAR, VISIT http://www.cry-of-fear.com/forum/ !!) The forums of Cry of Fear is fairly absent of users (including me) to assist players with their issues in CoF. You can only look up old threads of problems that you might have, otherwise trying to create a new thread will be ignored/never seen.
  • Table of Contents:
How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions
How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions

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F.E.A.R. 3 – Wikipedia

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for F.E.A.R. 3 – Wikipedia Updating
  • Table of Contents:

Contents

Gameplay[edit]

Plot[edit]

Development[edit]

Reception[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Navigation menu

F.E.A.R. 3 - Wikipedia
F.E.A.R. 3 – Wikipedia

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

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  • Table of Contents:

Contents

Gameplay[edit]

Plot[edit]

Development[edit]

Reception[edit]

Downloadable content[edit]

References[edit]

Navigation menu

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - Wikipedia
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin – Wikipedia

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How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions Here are 2 ways to connect and play Co-op in Cry of Fear: Playing Co-op (WITH HAMACHI). You will need: Hamachi (duh). …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions Here are 2 ways to connect and play Co-op in Cry of Fear: Playing Co-op (WITH HAMACHI). You will need: Hamachi (duh). (IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH CRY OF FEAR, VISIT http://www.cry-of-fear.com/forum/ !!) The forums of Cry of Fear is fairly absent of users (including me) to assist players with their issues in CoF. You can only look up old threads of problems that you might have, otherwise trying to create a new thread will be ignored/never seen.
  • Table of Contents:
How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions
How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions

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How to play co-op mode in 2021? [WORKING WAY 100 PERCENT] – Steam Solo

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about How to play co-op mode in 2021? [WORKING WAY 100 PERCENT] – Steam Solo Open Cry of Fear and connect or create your own server. Create your own server. 1. Choose map in a tab server 2. Click on tab game …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to play co-op mode in 2021? [WORKING WAY 100 PERCENT] – Steam Solo Open Cry of Fear and connect or create your own server. Create your own server. 1. Choose map in a tab server 2. Click on tab game
  • Table of Contents:

Overview

1 Download hamachi (if you don’t have)

2 Create network or join to already created network

3 Open Cry of Fear and connect or create your own server

4 [IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!] If you get an error at connect host needs to turn off his firewall

5 Enjoy your game! 🙂

ADDITIONAL How to change map

How to play co-op mode in 2021? [WORKING WAY 100 PERCENT] – Steam Solo
How to play co-op mode in 2021? [WORKING WAY 100 PERCENT] – Steam Solo

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Cry of Fear – How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? – naguide

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about Cry of Fear – How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? – naguide 1. Right click on your host-friend in hamachi · 2. Click on copy ipv4 adress · 3. Open you game, open your console (it’s ~, if you cant open it … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Cry of Fear – How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? – naguide 1. Right click on your host-friend in hamachi · 2. Click on copy ipv4 adress · 3. Open you game, open your console (it’s ~, if you cant open it …
  • Table of Contents:
Cry of Fear - How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? - naguide
Cry of Fear – How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? – naguide

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Cry of Fear – How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? – naguide

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Cry of Fear – How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? – naguide How to play co-op mode in 2021? [WORKING WAY 100 … How to play Co-op with your friends! ( …
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Cry of Fear - How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? - naguide
Cry of Fear – How to Play Co-op Mode in 2019? – naguide

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How to Play Cry Of Fear Co Op Mode – ClutterTimes

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about How to Play Cry Of Fear Co Op Mode – ClutterTimes How to Play Co-op Mode in 2022? · Download Hamachi (If You Don’t Have) · Create a Network or Join to Already Created Network · Open Cry of Fear and … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Play Cry Of Fear Co Op Mode – ClutterTimes How to Play Co-op Mode in 2022? · Download Hamachi (If You Don’t Have) · Create a Network or Join to Already Created Network · Open Cry of Fear and … Also Read: How to Play Cry Of Fear Co Op Mode
  • Table of Contents:

How to Play Co-op Mode in 2022

Download Hamachi (If You Don’t Have)

Create a Network or Join to Already Created Network

Open Cry of Fear and Connect or Create Your Own Server

[IMPORTANT] If You Get an Error at Connect Host Needs to Turn Off His Firewall

Enjoy Your Game

How to Play Cry Of Fear Co Op Mode - ClutterTimes
How to Play Cry Of Fear Co Op Mode – ClutterTimes

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Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom The cops must travel the whole SP Campaign backwards to find Simon and save him. You can have up to 4 players, but you can also play alone, as there are no … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom The cops must travel the whole SP Campaign backwards to find Simon and save him. You can have up to 4 players, but you can also play alone, as there are no … Besides the Main Campaign, Doctor mode and Custom Campaigns, Cry of Fear also features a Co-op Campaign. In this mode, the players take control of The Cops who, after investigating Simon’s case and his book, they get swallowed by Simon’s nightmare in the Book. The cops realize that if they want…
  • Table of Contents:

Contents

Overview

Plot

Characters

CPRRespawn

Book Simon

DeathSaving

Server problems

Additional stuff

Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom
Co-op Campaign | Cry of Fear Wiki | Fandom

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Cry of Fear – Trang chủ

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about Cry of Fear – Trang chủ Cry of Fear is a psychological single-player and co-op horror game set in a … Top 5 Horror Mods To Scare Your Socks Off On ModDB on Halloween 2021. …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Cry of Fear – Trang chủ Cry of Fear is a psychological single-player and co-op horror game set in a … Top 5 Horror Mods To Scare Your Socks Off On ModDB on Halloween 2021. Cry of Fear. 21.342 lượt thích · 12 người đang nói về điều này. ******OFFICIAL PAGE******

    Download Cry of Fear directly from Steam here:…

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Cry of Fear - Trang chủ
Cry of Fear – Trang chủ

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See more articles in the same category here: 670+ tips for you.

How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi) :: Cry of Fear General Discussions

How to play Co-op with your friends! (With and Without Hamachi)

(IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH CRY OF FEAR, VISIT http://www.cry-of-fear.com/forum/ !!)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN…

Playing Co-op (WITH HAMACHI)

Hamachi (duh)

[www.vpn.net]

connect

sv_lan 0

Playing Co-op (W/O HAMACHI)

a Static IP Address

Port Forwarding

connect :27015

If none of the above steps work, then let your friend try hosting, following either steps (with or without Hamachi).

The forums of Cry of Fear is fairly absent of users (including me) to assist players with their issues in CoF. You can only look up old threads of problems that you might have, otherwise trying to create a new thread will be ignored/never seen.———————————————————————-People are having problems playing Co-op with a friend – either through the, “Host Server” option or, “Dedicated Server” tool. The “Dedicated Server” tool gives out an error, “….offset for is_donator!” and crashes the server, while “Host Server” just doesn’t allow connections.———————————————————————————————————————————————Here are 2 ways to connect and play Co-op in Cry of Fear:You will need:Here is the link to download Hamachi (Your friend needs Hamachi as well). You’ll have to create a login now to use Hamachi if you haven’t used Hamachi before, but it is pretty simple – username, email, and password and that’s it.After downloading Hamachi, start Hamachi up, and setup a network (Hamachi > Network > “Create a new network” > Fill in the blanks with whatever you want) and tell your friend to get in the network (Tell him the name and password).After he joins the network, copy your Hamachi IPv4 (located next to the Power Button Icon [ex. x.xxx.xx.xxx] you may left/right-click around this area and click “Copy IPv4 Address”) and don’t forget it, you are going to give it to your friend in a bit. Start up Cry of Fear and start a server like usual (Host Server > etc…) BUT make sure LAN is checked before starting.Now, you are going to give your Hamachi IP to your friend in this form…….. and he will type that into the console (~ key) to connect.Now you should be able to Coop, if he couldn’t connect with LAN on, then you may try this command:IF YOU CAN’T SEEM TO CONNECT, PLEASE REFER TO “BEFORE YOU BEGIN…” SECTION ABOVE.If you need visual guide for Hamachi, there’s a video now provided by the dev’s official YT channel by yours truly! Hope this helps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bw-_nnYeEU&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=TeamPsykskallar ———————————————————————–You will need:I should note that going with this step will require a user who have knowledge of their router and system, or else you will struggle trying to perform this step to host a server. It’s best that if you aren’t computer/networking savvy, stick with Hamachi.To start off, if you are unaware of your static IP, you may use Google to find tutorials on where to locate your static IP (this will help you host the server in a bit). If you do not have a Static IP, you will need to know information about your router in order to look up tutorials on how to set up a static IP on your router in order to continue.To find the ports you need, go https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8571-GLVN-8711 (If link doesn’t work, look up “Steam support ports”). If you do not know how to port-forward, then look at tutorials (you need to know the information about your router before doing this) – you can use this program as well. http://portforward.com/ Start up Cry of Fear and host the server (Host Server > etc…) with LAN off.After you’re in the Co-op lobby, tell your friend to type this in his console (~ key) to connect:Hopefully, this should work.IF YOU CAN’T SEEM TO CONNECT, PLEASE REFER TO “BEFORE YOU BEGIN…” SECTION ABOVE.——————————————————————————————[EDIT: Forgot one step in Playing Co-op (w/o Hamachi) ][EDIT 2: Corrected mistake under Playing Co-op (with Hamachi), this was probably the reason nobody could use Hamachi, sorry guys!][EDIT 3 (2/24/15): Slight adjustment to tutorial so it looks more organized and easier to read. Removed some text, developers are ‘done’ with developing Cry of Fear and will no longer update the game, so this tutorial is here to stay.][EDIT 4 (6/1/16): Added warning/troubleshoot step above steps about Firewall.[EDIT 5 (1/15/17): Changed Hamachi download link.[EDIT 6 (6/13/17): Updated Hamachi info, slight edit to some text.[EDIT 7 (8/22/18): Updated Hamachi info regarding connect command. You don’t necessarily need the port number at the end of the command to connect, but you can use it if you like (the “:27015”). Also added that you can left/right-click on IP next to Power Button and it gives you an option to “Copy IPv4 address”.[EDIT 8 (2/2/2021): Added Hamachi video tutorial from dev’s official YT channel – made by me c:

F.E.A.R. 3

2011 first-person shooter psychological horror video game

2011 video game

F.E.A.R. 3 (stylized as F.3.A.R.) is a first-person shooter psychological horror video game for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is the third game in the F.E.A.R. series.[a] Developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games, it was released on all platforms in June 2011. Filmmaker John Carpenter consulted on the cutscenes and script, which was written by comic writer and novelist Steve Niles. It is the only F.E.A.R. game to feature co-op gameplay.

The game takes place nine months after the conclusion of F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, with Alma Wade’s pregnancy nearing its end. When a resurrected Paxton Fettel rescues Point Man from captivity by Armacham Technology Corporation (ATC) in a Brazilian prison, the two distrustful brothers head back to Fairport. Point Man plans to save the still-missing Jin Sun-Kwon and prevent Alma giving birth. Fettel, however, has an entirely different motive. Meanwhile, a new threat emerges, one of which even Alma herself is terrified.

Beginning life as F.E.A.R. 2, the game was initially to be published by Vivendi Games as direct competition to Monolith Productions’ Project Origin. However, when Warner acquired the rights to the entire franchise, the game was reconstituted as F.E.A.R. 3. Subsequently, a difficult development cycle saw Day 1 and Warner clashing over multiple gameplay and tonal elements, with Warner forcing Day 1 to build the game as a co-op. Enamoured of the success of the Call of Duty games, Warner also mandated more focus on action and less on horror, the exact opposite of what Day 1 had originally planned for the game. Forced to crunch, many of Day 1’s staff left the project before it was completed. After three postponements, the game was eventually released, but few at Day 1 were happy with it, feeling that although it was a satisfactory first-person shooter, it was not a F.E.A.R. game.

F.E.A.R. 3 received mixed reviews, and was felt to be significantly inferior to the original F.E.A.R. and on a par with Project Origin. Critics generally lauded the multiplayer, co-op, the differentiation between the play styles of Point Man and Fettel, and the combat mechanics, but they were unimpressed with the plot, the absence of any real horror, and the short length of the campaign. Many critics felt that although it was a solid, if by-the-numbers, first-person shooter, it failed as a F.E.A.R. game. The game’s sales were disappointing, and the F.E.A.R. franchise has been on hiatus since its release.

Gameplay [ edit ]

F.E.A.R. 3 is a first-person shooter in which the campaign can be played in either single-player mode or co-op mode. As well as being playable online, co-op is also available offline via split screen.[4] In single-player mode, the player can initially only play as Point Man. However, upon the completion of each level, the player unlocks the ability to play through that level as Paxton Fettel. Level layout, cutscenes, and dialogue are identical irrespective of which character the player is using.[5]

When playing as Point Man, the player’s arsenal includes a handgun, assault rifle, submachine gun, combat shotgun, sniper rifle, nail gun, rocket launcher, machine pistols (which the player can dual wield), and arc weapon.[7] Only two different firearms can be carried at any one time.[8] Point Man also has access to three different types of projectile – frag grenades, flash bangs, and zap grenades (electricity-based).[9] The player can initially carry only two of each type, but this limit can be upped to five via upgrades. The player can carry all three types at once, but only one type may be equipped at any one time. Players can also “cook” grenades before throwing them; arming them but holding onto them for a moment before tossing them. An on screen meter tells the player how much time is left before they detonate.[9] Point Man also carries a knife for hand-to-hand combat, and can perform a silent insta-kill on an enemy if he can sneak up behind the enemy without being seen. He also has several melee attacks, such as a punch, a jumping kick, and a sliding kick.[10]

A prominent gameplay element when playing as Point Man is “reflex time”; an ability which slows down the game world while still allowing the player to aim and react at normal speeds.[11] This effect is used to simulate Point Man’s superhuman reflexes, and is represented by stylized visual effects, such as bullets in flight that cause air distortion or interact with the game’s particle system. The duration which reflex time lasts is limited, determined by a meter which slowly fills up automatically when the ability is not being used.[9]

Instead of reflex time, when playing as Fettel, the player has access to a possession ability.[11] Like reflex time, possession is determined by an on-screen meter, but unlike reflex time, possession only becomes available when the meter is full. The ability allows Fettel to take control of an enemy NPC, who then becomes the playable character. When Fettel possesses an NPC, he gains access to any abilities and weaponry wielded by that individual, meaning that although the player cannot use guns when playing directly as Fettel, they can use guns when Fettel possesses gun-wielding enemies.[12][13] Once in possession of an NPC, the possession meter will begin to empty, and when it is depleted, the possession ends, and the player returns to controlling Fettel. The meter fills up automatically when the ability is not being used. The player also has the option to manually end possession at any time.[14]

Fettel attacks an enemy in his normal form, suspending the NPC in mid-air.

Although he cannot carry any weapons in his normal form, Fettel does have other combat abilities.[12] He can fire bolts of psychic energy, use telekinesis to lift and throw objects, punch enemies, crush their heads with his hands (if he can successfully sneak up behind them), suspend them mid-air, explode them (if he is close enough to a suspended enemy), and send out a concussive blast (only available in co-op mode, and only when the other player is using Point Man’s reflex time ability).[12][15]

Whether playing in single-player or co-op mode, the player can permanently increase the size of the reflex time/possession meter via the game’s ranking system, which is based on completing various challenges in four different categories (aggressive, technical, aptitude, psychic).[16] These challenges include such things as killing a certain number of enemies, using specific weapons a certain number of times, finding hidden collectibles, using reflex time or possession for a certain amount of time, killing a certain number of enemies from cover, etc.[11] Completing a challenge awards points, and when enough points have been accrued, the player’s rank increases. Each rank progression gives the player an award, such as increasing the size of the reflex time/possession meter, unlocking new melee abilities, increasing ammo and grenade capacity, or allowing the player’s health to regenerate faster.[11]

As with F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, the player can use mechs, although in F.E.A.R. 3 there are two available; the REV9 Powered Armor and the Enhanced Power Armor (EPA). The REV9 is armed with two burst cannons and a head-mounted raygun. The EPA has two miniguns and a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher.[17] Ammo is infinite for all weapons, but the cannons/miniguns overheat if fired continuously, and require a short cool-down period. Similarly, the raygun/rocket launchers require a moment to arm.[18] Both mechs also have fully regenerative health.[18] New to the EPA in F.E.A.R. 3 is that it has shields, which can significantly reduce incoming damage. However, when the shields are deployed, the rocket launchers cannot be used. Also new is a target lock system for the rockets, a melee attack, and a foot stomp that stuns enemies within a certain radius.[18][19]

F.E.A.R. 3 also features an active cover system, the first game in the franchise to do so. When cover is available to the player, a command prompt will appear on-screen, allowing the player to snap to cover. Once in cover, the player can peer around or over their cover and can move around to a limited degree while staying snapped. If another piece of cover is nearby, the player can move from one piece to the other without having to leave cover.[17] Players can also vault over cover and automatically spin 180 degrees to face in the opposite direction and target any enemies who have emerged behind them.[13][20] Players are also capable of firing from within cover, both standard firing and unsighted firing over the top of the cover without being able to aim.[21]

Multiplayer [ edit ]

The game’s multiplayer, like co-op, is available both online and offline, via split-screen.[4] There are four different multiplayer modes, each allowing for up to four players.

In “Soul King”, all players have the possession ability and are unable to bear arms. To win, the player must possess enemy NPCs and collect their souls; the winner is the player with the most souls at the end of the match. As well as acquiring souls, when a player possesses an NPC, they get access to that NPC’s weaponry, and thus the ability to kill the other players. Killing another player causes them to drop half of their souls, which then become available for other players to pick up. However, the player with the most souls at any given moment is highlighted via a glowing outline, making them an easy target.[22][23][24]

“Contractions” is a co-op mode. Players must defend a base against a series of increasingly difficult enemy waves, working together to collect resources, construct barricades, and revive one another when necessary. Additionally, Alma is present on the battlefield, and if a player attacks her or keeps her in their sight for too long, that player dies.[23][24][25]

In “F**king Run!”, players must fight their way through enemies as they move towards an extraction point, all while running from Alma’s “Wall of Death”. If a player is killed by an NPC, their teammates can revive them, but if the Wall consumes any one player, the game is over for all players.[25][26][27][28]

“Soul Survivor”, like “Contractions”, sees the players defending against waves of enemies. However, in this mode, one of the players is randomly corrupted by Alma at the commencement of the game, and that player’s goal is to possess the other players before the time limit expires. When a player is possessed, they too become corrupted and work to possess the remaining players. To win the game, a player must survive until the end of the round without being possessed.[23][24][29]

Plot [ edit ]

The game begins nine months after the events of the first two games.[30] Young Alma is shown sitting at a tree, playing with her doll. She pauses, listening for a moment, but then continues playing. Suddenly, there is a growl, and Alma becomes instantly terrified.

The game then cuts to a prison in Brazil where Armacham Technology Corporation (ATC) soldiers are interrogating Point Man.[b] As the interrogators demand to know the location of Jin Sun-Kwon,[c] a red mist floats through the room’s closed door, and possesses one of them, who then snaps the other’s neck. Point Man immediately grabs a knife and slits the possessed interrogator’s throat. The man’s body falls to the ground, leaving only Fettel, surrounded by the red mist.[d] Point Man then sets out to rescue Jin, who is trapped in Fairport, and is joined by a reluctant Fettel, who is more concerned with Alma’s pregnancy than Jin’s fate.

The brothers escape the prison via the sewers, and steal a helicopter, flying back to Fairport, unaware how dangerous the city has become.[31] As they approach the city, a wave of psychic energy hits the helicopter, forcing them to crash. As they move across the city, they discover that most of the population have either been driven insane by the paranormal activity or executed by ATC clean up crews.[32][33] Meanwhile, both men begin to catch glimpses and have hallucinations of a hideous creature. In one particular vision, the creature is about to attack a terrified Alma. Intermittently, they are also dragged into a fragment of memory from their childhood, when they were kept imprisoned in a lab by Harlan Wade, and experimented upon.

Eventually, the brothers find Jin, although she cannot see Fettel. She tells Point Man that Sgt. Michael Becket of Delta Force is claiming he was raped by Alma and is the father of her unborn child.[34] Given that Alma is pregnant, Jin speculates that the energy pulses may be her contractions rippling out across the world.[35] With Becket held captive by ATC, he is due to be transported out of the city in a few hours, and so the brothers head to intercept him. As the city literally collapses in on ourself with massive fissures opening up and buildings collapsing, they approach the airport. Finding a distraught Becket, Fettel possesses him, confirming he is telling the truth about his role in Alma’s pregnancy and learning about Project Harbinger and the attempt to artificially create psychic commanders.[36] However, the possession causes Becket to explode.

The brothers head to the facility where Harlan Wade kept them as children. There, as the creature stalks them, they begin destroying items associated with horrific memories from their childhood. As they do, they recall ATC scientists talking about how the first prototype (Point Man) was a failure but the second (Fettel) is perfect.[37] They then remember that the creature is from their childhood. Called “the Creep”, it is a monster manifested from the cruel actions of Harlan Wade towards the brothers and their subsequent psychological trauma.[38]

They defeat the Creep and find Alma, who is moments away from giving birth. Point Man aims his pistol at her belly, but Fettel intervenes. They fight, and one of two endings occur, depending on which character has scored the most points across the game’s challenge system.[39] In Point Man’s ending, he shoots Fettel in the head. He then aims his gun at Alma before lowering it, and helps her give birth. She then peacefully dies and Point Man learns from Jin that everything in the world has returned to normal.[40] He then leaves with the baby. In Fettel’s ending, Fettel possesses Point Man and extracts the baby. He vows to raise the child in his own image before cannibalizing Alma to acquire her power.

In a post-credits scene, security footage of the first Synchronicity Event is shown; Alma, although in a coma at the time, linked telepathically with the ten-year-old Fettel, causing him to go into a rage, in which he mutilates several ATC security officers using his psychic powers. Fettel is then heard in voiceover saying, “They deserved to die. They all deserved to die.” He vows he won’t stop until ATC is completely destroyed and he has achieved revenge for his mother.

Development [ edit ]

Announcement [ edit ]

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced F.E.A.R. 3 for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in April 2010. The announcement revealed that both Point Man and Paxton Fettel would be playable characters and, for the first time in the F.E.A.R. franchise, there would be a co-op mode of gameplay. The press release also revealed that Monolith Productions, who had developed both the original F.E.A.R. and F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, would not be developing F.E.A.R. 3. Instead, the game was being developed by Day 1 Studios, who had handled the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 ports of the original game.[41][42] Warner would later say that Monolith had “passed the torch” to Day 1.[43] The game was scheduled for a third quarter 2010 release.[41][42]

Warner also revealed that film director John Carpenter was working as a creative consultant for the game’s cutscenes and script, which was being written by comic book author and novelist Steve Niles.[41][42][44][45] Both men were fans of the franchise already, and Carpenter had previously done promotional work for the first game.[46][47]

The following week, Warner released additional details about the game mechanics, explaining that the co-op mode would be “divergent”, wherein players won’t necessarily have to help one another and can, in fact, compete for bonuses. They also noted that the game would have a prominent semi-randomised system based on Left 4 Dead’s “Director” system, but there was no information on exactly how this system would manifest in-game.[48]

Origins [ edit ]

F.E.A.R. 3 originally began life as F.E.A.R. 2.[49] In 2004, after the original F.E.A.R. had already begun development and a publishing deal struck with Vivendi, Monolith was purchased by Warner. This led to a copyright split whereby Monolith and Warner owned the rights to the F.E.A.R. intellectual property and characters, and Vivendi owned the name “F.E.A.R.” As a result, any non-Vivendi game set in the F.E.A.R. universe could use the characters and events from the original game, but could not be called F.E.A.R. At the same time, any non-Warner game set in the F.E.A.R. universe could not use the characters and events from the original game, but could be called F.E.A.R.[50][51]

In 2006, both Warner and Vivendi began development of their own sequel to the original game; Warner stuck with Monolith as developers whereas Vivendi hired Day 1. Thus, two rival sequels were in production at the same time – the Warner/Monolith game and the Vivendi/Day 1 game.[49] The Day 1 game was loosely inspired by the Philadelphia Experiment, and was to depict a new phasing technology falling into the wrong hands and being used open up a passage to and from a supernatural parallel universe called the World Behind the Walls. To close it, a F.E.A.R. squad is deployed.[49]

In September 2008, 18 months into development on the Vivendi/Day 1 game, Monolith and Warner re-acquired the F.E.A.R. name from Vivendi, bringing all of the copyrights under one roof.[52][53] Monolith continued development on their sequel, which now became the ‘official’ sequel (and could once again be called F.E.A.R.). When Warner looked at the work Day 1 had been doing for their version of F.E.A.R. 2, they suggested that the game could be moulded into F.E.A.R. 3. Day 1 began reworking the game from the ground up.[49]

Writing [ edit ]

With Day 1 now having access to the established characters and events of the F.E.A.R. universe, they consulted with Monolith to ensure the F.E.A.R. 3 storyline was in line with Project Origin.[17] It was Monolith who suggested that the game focus on the relationship between Point Man and Fettel.[49] Associate producer Jason Frederick said that the team felt obliged to work with Monolith, and to not do so would be “doing the fans a disservice.”[54] More specifically, producer Dan Hay said, “we brought the best parts of Monolith, their understanding of the F.E.A.R. franchise, and then we marry it with Day 1’s expertise in mech combat and combat in general.”[55] Producer Ernest Zamora said that Monolith’s involvement was crucial in terms of “making sure all of the tenets of F.E.A.R. were in place from the ground up.”[56]

The earliest iterations of the storyline for F.E.A.R. 3 (after it had ceased to be F.E.A.R. 2) were constructed by Stephen Dinehart (credited as “narrative designer” in the final game). His main role was to integrate into the existing framework the characters and events that Day 1 originally weren’t allowed to use and to mould the concept for F.E.A.R. 2 so that it fit sequentially into the F.E.A.R. universe.[49] According to Dinehart, “it wasn’t really F.E.A.R., and suddenly the game had to be F.E.A.R., with all the characters and in alignment with the canon of the franchise.”[49] He says that when he joined the team, there was already a lot of burnout amongst the Day 1 people, as they had put a lot of work into their original concept for F.E.A.R. 2, and “basically they realised it was all for naught.”[49]

When it came time to write an actual script, Warner hired Niles over the objections of Day 1, who wanted to use Brian Keene.[49] Niles had finished playing Project Origin just a month before he got the offer to write F.E.A.R 3, which he immediately accepted. At the same time, a project on which he had working with Carpenter recently fell through, and so he asked Warner if they’d be interested in bringing Carpenter on board, to which they said yes.[57] Upon being hired, Niles immersed himself in the lore of the first two games, and set out to “turn the series into a trilogy; to really bring all the points of the games together into this game and answer a lot of questions.”[58]

Being unfamiliar with the technology behind video game design, having never worked on a game before, Niles treated the story as if it were a film.[59] He wrote a conventionally formatted script;

we started, and at first they would show me the story and literally hand me a graph, because they’re the tech people. So we had to come up with a way to work, and what I wound up doing was using Final Draft, which is what I write screenplays with. I said, “how about I just write the story? I write all the elements, I write the scenes and the dialogue, and all that stuff, and then you guys plug it into the tech and send it back to me and tell me what you need changed and additional dialogue.”[60]

Some of the Day 1 staff, however, do not have fond memories of working with Niles and Carpenter. According to associate producer Chris Julian, “John Carpenter did absolutely nothing. It was like we licensed his name and that was about it.” He also criticised Niles for regularly being late turning in deliverables and for not keeping in touch with the designers as much as he should have; “it was a less than ideal relationship with both of them.” Speaking of Niles, Dinehart said that much of what he turned in had to rewritten by Day 1.[49]

On the other hand, both Dinehart and narrative designer Cory Lanham said that Carpenter was involved, albeit limited to conference calls where he would listen to the team’s ideas and give suggestions, occasionally advising on cutscenes and the script. Carpenter himself was never on-site and never met any of the Day 1 people in person. According to lead artist Heinz Schuller, “they wrote him a cheque to get his name on the game and they got some ideas from him. Probably.”[49]

Design and atmosphere [ edit ]

Officially, the main design principal when making F.E.A.R. 3 was to preserve the core F.E.A.R. mechanics and both enhance and expand upon them.[5][16][61][62] Specifically, the team didn’t want to “mess too much with the F.E.A.R. franchise’s successful formula of frenetic soldier combat and paranormal horror.”[61] Behind the scenes, however, Day 1 initially wanted to make the game more like the original than the sequel – emphasising the survival horror elements, such as a dearth of ammo and medkits, and a real sense of being isolated and alone. However, according to Schuller, the then president of Warner Bros. Games, Martin Tremblay, had become a big fan of the Call of Duty games, and Day 1

started getting notes from [Warner] saying, “we really need epic moments, we want big out of control, world-coming-to-an-end type stuff.” We were really taken aback because that was not the game we were making. We weren’t making Call of Duty, we were making F.E.A.R., and F.E.A.R. is you against an unbelievably terrifying force. That completely changed the nature of the game, and hard core fans will tell you right away, this was not a scary game.[49]

In relation to the game’s horror, the key element was the “generative scare system”, which randomises the appearance of the game’s apparitions, scares, and enemies.[5] According to product manager Alex Friend, “you will never know what is going to happen next, or when it is going to happen.”[17] Hay explained, “the AI and scare moments are going to be reactive to how you play the game.”[63] Similarly, Frederick said the system “monitors the way you are playing the game and determines which scare events to trigger next.”[54] The system tracks the player’s movements, where they are looking at any given moment, and which scares they have already seen. It then uses this data not just to determine what scare to use next, but where and how to use it.[54]

Chris Julian was primarily responsible for the game’s horror elements. He had a team of ten Day 1 personnel each of whom had experience with different types of horror. This group, called the “Scare Team” set themselves the goal of creating 10 to 15 really good scares to spread across the game. According to Julian, however, “once the co-op came down, horror pretty much went out the window.”[49]

Divergent co-op [ edit ]

In relation to the game’s co-op, Hay explained that one of the benefits of the system is that Point Man and Fettel can combine their attacks to create a unique offensive unavailable to either one of them alone; “we thought maybe there could be a tie in with some of the powers, and how they work in conjunction with one another.”[64] However, the major selling point for the game’s co-op system was not the benefit of teamwork, but what the developers referred to as “divergent co-op”. Essentially, this means that players can compete for bonuses instead of simply assisting one another.[20]

The key element in divergent co-op is the game’s challenge system, which determines a player’s ranking. If the players work together, the game is easier, but points for completing challenges are not split between each player. The hope was that this would lead to situations were players would start to actively compete for points, stealing kills from one another, and playing to try to maximum their own score.[5][65][66] Behind the scenes, however, Day 1 had no real interest in making the game co-op, which was a decision made by Warner. According to Julian,

we had got the word from Warner that co-op was hot so we were making a co-op game. Our response was “co-op isn’t frightening, co-op isn’t scary when you’re playing with somebody else.” They didn’t care because co-op was a buzz word in the industry at the time and they demanded we make a co-op. So we had to go back and retool all the levels to make them co-op compatible.[49]

Similarly, programmer Matthew Singer states, “co-op hurt the scariness of the game, but none of us had control over that. It was decided from above that a co-op scoring system was going into place so at that stage, there’s no point complaining about it, you just have to do it.”[49]

Single-player and multiplayer [ edit ]

A screenshot from the game mode “F**king Run!”. Here, the player is running away from the Wall of Death.

Initially, the plan for the single-player campaign was to have Point Man as the only playable character, with Day 1 stating, “Fettel is a partner to Point Man, but the way we designed the game Point Man is the focus.”[65] In February 2011, however, it was revealed that the game had been altered, and players would also be able to play through each level as Fettel, but only after they had already completed that level as Point Man.[67] The decision for the game’s single player campaign not to feature an AI-controlled ally was met with some surprise, but Hay explained that they chose not to go this route so as to try to retain a horror element; “the F.E.A.R. franchise did a very good job of making you feel like you’re alone in a basement, and we wanted to make sure that as you’re playing the single-playing campaign, we leveraged that.”[68]

In relation to the game’s multiplayer, the unique game modes, and the absence of traditional modes such as deathmatch and capture the flag, the team wanted to make the multiplayer component as close as possible to the tone of the single-player/co-op campaign, to make the modes quintessentially F.E.A.R.-like.[23] According to Zamora, “what we set out to do was focus on making modes that are innovative and unique to the franchise. [We] focused on leveraging the F.E.A.R. brand.”[56]

Crunch, delays, and release [ edit ]

By late 2010, many of the staff, who had been working on the game for over four years, had burnt out. According to level designer Matt Mason, there were “many, many months” of “unofficial crunch”, before the crunch became official with staff being told they had to work longer hours. There were multiple occasions when staff members wouldn’t go home for several days, instead sleeping on site.[49] According to Schuller, the game had 44 milestones, each of which involved a degree of crunch, whilst the last crunch consisted of eight months of 60-80 hour weeks. Multiple staff members quit during this period.[49]

Mason says that one of the biggest problems was that there hadn’t been enough scoping; “we needed to scope the game down to fit what we could actually do, but instead of that, we tried something that was about 50% more than that.”[49] According to Dinehart, “there was a lot of negative attitude about this game, which led to poor decision making. It was something which I won’t blame on particular individuals, but maybe it was allowed to fester for longer than it should, and it became a very negative working environment.”[49]

Originally scheduled for a third quarter 2010 release, in August 2010, the game was pushed back to an unspecified date in 2011.[69] In October, it was given a world-wide release date for all platforms of March 22, 2011.[70][71] Also announced at that time were three pre-order bonuses; players who preordered the game at Amazon would get a prequel comic, those who used Best Buy would get access to an exclusive multiplayer weapon called the “Shredder” that fires nitrate bullets, and those who used GameStop would give access to a multiplayer weapon called the “Hammer”, a .50 caliber handgun.[70][71] In January 2011, however, the game was pushed back again, this time to May.[72][73] In March, the UK release was announced as May 27, although no North American date was specified.[74] Then, in April, the game was delayed for a third time, and was now scheduled for June.[75][76]

Collector’s Edition [ edit ]

Announced in January 2011, the steel case Collector’s Edition of F.E.A.R. 3 included an 18cm pregnant Alma figure with a glow in the dark fetus, the F.E.A.R. 3: Prelude comic, and the unlockable in-game gun the Hammer.[77]

Prelude [ edit ]

Available via Amazon pre-order and as part of the Collector’s Edition of the game, F.E.A.R. 3: Prelude was written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Stefano Raffaele, and published by DC Comics.[70][71][78] The comic serves as a prequel to the game, beginning with the helicopter crash which ends the original F.E.A.R. Point Man is thrown from the helicopter, and believing Jin to be dead, he takes off, unaware he is being followed by Fettel. Encountering a team of ATC soldiers, Point Man wipes them out, as Fettel, and then Alma reveal themselves. Point Man flees but he is captured by ATC. As they detain him, Fettel watches from nearby, laughing to himself.[79]

Reception [ edit ]

F.E.A.R. 3 received “mixed or average reviews,” with the PC and PlayStation 3 versions holding aggregate scores of 74 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 34 and 48 reviews, respectively.[80][81] The Xbox 360 version holds a score of 75 out of 100, based on 71 reviews.[82]

IGN’s Colin Moriarty scored the PC version 8 out of 10, praising the combat mechanics and the “authentically chilling” atmosphere. He also praised the game for trying something new, citing co-op, the “incredibly thoughtful” multiplayer, and the “addicting” challenge system. Although he was critical of the graphics, he praised the sound design and music, concluding, “you won’t find the be-all, end-all shooter experience with F.E.A.R. 3, but you’re still bound to have a lot of fun.”[87] Eurogamer’s Jeffrey Matulef scored the Xbox 360 version 8 out of 10 and was critical of the “subpar scares” and “shoddy narrative”, arguing that the game is “comically ineffective at getting us to care.” However, he praised the shooting mechanics, level design, “deceptively addictive” challenge system, co-op, and multiplayer. Ultimately, he found it to be “a finely crafted action game and an exceptionally inventive shooter.”[83]

Game Informer’s Matt Bertz scored the PC version 7.75 out of 10. He was highly critical of the narrative, lack of scares, and the length of the campaign, but praised the “satisfying action.” He was especially impressed with multiplayer. He concluded, “if you hardly pay attention to narratives and are looking for a fun multiplayer experience, F.E.A.R. 3 is worth checking out.”[39] GameSpot’s Carolyn Petit scored all three versions 7.5 out of 10, criticizing the graphics and lack of scares, but praising the shooting mechanics, co-op, the different gameplay styles, and multiplayer. She argued that “while F.E.A.R. 3 may disappoint as a horror game, it satisfies as a shooter.”[84][85][86]

Tim Francis of PC Gamer (UK) scored it 75 out of 100. He was critical of the plot and lack of scares but praised multiplayer and the “remarkably well-built co-op.” He found it to be “a passable single player game that’s hilarious fun in co-op.”[91] Rob Zacny of PC Gamer (US) scored it 74 out of 100, arguing that the decision to go with co-op undermined the horror. Finding it to be “just another shooter,” he argued, “there is no imagination or style here, just repeated blood-textures and shrill screams.” However, he praised Fettel’s gameplay and the multiplayer, concluding “the strong combat and clever mechanics save it from its own clumsy campaign.”[92]

Cameron Lewis of Official Xbox Magazine (US) scored the Xbox 360 version 8 out of 10. He praised Fettle’s “frantic” gameplay, and especially lauded multiplayer. He concluded, “F.E.A.R. 3 isn’t expertly polished or perfectly balanced, but it’s got sufficient creeping dread and more than enough gameplay variety.”[90] Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Official Xbox Magazine (UK) scored it 7 out of 10. He praised the shooting mechanics and multiplayer, which “makes the ambition festering within Day 1 Studios immediately plain”, but he criticised the story and lack of scares. He concluded, “bettering its predecessors in many respects, F.E.A.R. 3 falls well short of the mark in others.”[89]

Adam Mathew of Australia’s PlayStation Official Magazine scored it 6 out of 10. He was critical of the inconsistent logic regarding Fettel (such as how he use keyboards and open doors but cannot pick up guns), and argued that “F.E.A.R. 3 has gone the decidedly unscary, action intensive route of Resident Evil 5. Calling it “solid, if stock-standard”, he did praise the “halfway decent ” multiplayer. He concluded, “it does nothing to stand out from the status quo. Judged in the context of the wider F.E.A.R. franchise, this co-op infused test sacrifices too much of what made this series unique.”[88] Calum Wilson Austin of The Sydney Morning Herald praised the gameplay but was critical of the plot; “I would hate to see this entry be the death knell of the franchise […] those looking for any resolution from the previous games will be sorely disappointed.”[93]

Notes [ edit ]

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

2009 first-person shooter psychological horror video game

2009 video game

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a first-person shooter psychological horror video game for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is the second game in the F.E.A.R. series and is followed by F.E.A.R. 3. Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Games, it was released for all platforms in February 2009. In September 2009, Monolith released a single-player DLC pack, F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn. In March 2015, both the base game and Reborn were made available on GOG.com. Project Origin ignores the events of both TimeGate Studios-developed expansion packs for the original game (F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate), neither of which are now considered canon to the F.E.A.R. universe.

Project Origin begins thirty minutes prior to the conclusion of the original F.E.A.R., with the player controlling Micheal 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 that is seemingly under attack by an ATC black ops squad, things become even more complicated when Alma Wade, now free from her confinements, begins to show a keen interest in Becket.

In making Project Origin, Monolith looked at the reception of the first game, specifically what was popular and what was not. With this in mind, they set out to correct the two most frequently criticised elements of the original; monotone and repetitive environments, and lack of enemy variety. At the same time, they attempted to enhance the game’s most lauded elements; the combat mechanics and enemy AI. By making Alma a more central presence than in the first game, they also hoped to enhance the horror elements of the original.

Project Origin was generally well received by critics, although it was felt to be inferior to the first game. Common points of praise included the combat mechanics, sound effects, mech sections, graphics, and enemy variety, with some critics also lauding the level design and voice acting. Less enthusiastically received were the plot, cover mechanics, horror elements, some of the gameplay changes from the original (specifically the removal of the lean function), and multiplayer. Several critics also felt the game took too few risks and was little more than a generic, albeit well-made, shooter.

Gameplay [ edit ]

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a first-person shooter with gameplay broadly similar to the original F.E.A.R.[4][5][6] The player’s arsenal includes a handgun, assault rifle, submachine gun, shotgun, automatic shotgun, sniper rifle, nail gun, rocket launcher, laser carbine, flamethrower, and pulse rifle.[7][8] Each weapon differs in terms of accuracy, range, rate of fire, armor penetration, damage, and weight.[9] Only four different firearms can be carried at any one time.[10] The player also has access to four different types of projectile – frag grenades, incendiary grenades, shock grenades (electricity-based), and proximity mines.[11] The player can carry five of each type, and can carry all four at once (allowing for up to 20 projectiles), but only one type may be equipped at any one time.[9][10] Players can also “cook” grenades before throwing them; setting them off but holding onto them for a moment before tossing them. An on screen meter tells the player how much time is left before they detonate.[9]

A prominent gameplay element in Project Origin is “reflex time”; an ability which slows down the game world while still allowing the player to aim and react at normal speeds. This effect is used to simulate the player character’s superhuman reflexes, and is represented by stylized visual effects, such as bullets in flight that cause air distortion or interact with the game’s particle system.[12] The duration which reflex time lasts is limited, determined by a meter which slowly fills up automatically when the ability is not being used.[12] The player can permanently increase the size of the meter by picking up “reflex injections”.[13] Other pickups available during the game include medkits, medical injections, and protective armor (reduces the amount of damage the player takes during combat). Medical injections are automatically used as soon as they are picked up, but med kits can be stored (up to three), and used manually by the player.[14]

A new feature in the game is the ability to interact with the environment, such as upending a table or toppling a shelf to provide cover.[15] Occasionally, the player will also be able to move objects blocking their path.[16] Unlike the first game, Project Origin uses a limited regenerative health system. When the player’s health drops below 30%, if the player can avoid taking damage for a certain amount of time, the health meter will start to refill automatically, but only up to 30%.[17] Iron sight aiming is also new to the game (in the first game, the camera just zoomed in slightly rather than transitioning into a true iron sight perspective).[18] The player also has access to a PDA, which contains information on current objectives, gameplay tutorials, information on the player’s weaponry, and any intel the player has collected, automatically categorised into subjects.[19]

The HUD when in the EPA; one of the new gameplay styles added to the game.

Also new to Project Origin is the ability to use mechs, called Elite Power Armor (EPA) in-game. An EPA will become available during certain sections of the game, although the player is not obliged to use it, and can, if they wish, traverse the level on foot.[20][21] EPAs are armed with two miniguns and two shoulder mounted rocket launchers. Ammo for each is infinite, but the miniguns overheat if fired continuously, and require a short cool-down period. Similarly, the rocket launchers require a moment to arm. EPAs also have fully regenerative health and an optional night vision display that allows the player to easily discern heat signatures.[20]

Multiplayer [ edit ]

The game’s multiplayer can support up to 16 players, and initially featured deathmatch, team deathmatch, “Control” (three control points must be captured and defended), “Armored Front” (similar to Control, but control points must be captured in a specific order, and each team also has access to an EPA), “Failsafe” (one team is tasked with planting and detonating a bomb, the other team with preventing them), and “Blitz” (a capture the flag game in which the flags are canisters of PHLAG (“PhosphoLuminescent Agent”), a substance that leaks out behind the player as they carry the canister, allowing for them to be easily tracked).[22]

Multiplayer mode features an experience levelling system and all game modes feature a customisable load out, with the player free to choose their weaponry, grenades, and armor.[23] In the original release of the game, there were nine maps; six were general purpose and supported all game types except Armored Front, the other three supported only Armored Front.[24] In September 2009, a patch added SloMo Deathmatch as an additional game mode. This game type features a reflex power-up, which only one player can carry at a time, and when it is fully charged (it charges when it is being carried) that player can activate it and give themselves a considerable speed advantage over opposing players. However, whoever is carrying the power-up will have a bluish glow and will be permanently visible on all players’ mini-maps.[25]

Plot [ edit ]

The game begins thirty minutes before the end of the first game. A Delta Force unit has been deployed to take Genevieve Aristide, president of Armacham Technology Corporation (ATC) into protective custody, in light of fears that the ATC board may be planning to assassinate her so as to silence her.[26] The hand-picked team consists of 1st Sgt. Griffin; SFC Keegan, Sgt. Jankowski, Sgt. Morales, Sgt. Becket (the player character), Cpl. Fox, and communications liaison 1st Lt. Stokes.

Dropped at Aristide’s penthouse, the team are immediately attacked by an ATC black ops squad, and from the commencement of the mission, Becket begins to experience hallucinations involving Alma Wade. In Aristide’s apartment, Becket uncovers hints of an ATC project called “Harbinger”, which seems to involve himself and his teammates.[27][28] Files list each team members’ “Paragon Review Scores” and “telesthetic potential”, with Becket’s scores higher than anyone “aside from the Origin Prototypes.” Moments after Becket finds Aristide, Point Man blows up the Origin facility, with the shockwave knocking Becket unconscious.

He wakes up in a hospital which is under attack by the black ops, learning that himself, Stokes, and Griffin have all undergone “Activation” surgery, and were being prepared for “Attunement”.[29] He is then contacted by a man calling himself “Snake Fist”, who says he wants to help them escape and destroy Alma. He meets with Aristide, who tells him he needs to get into the Telesthetic Attunement Chamber (TAC) if he wants to have any hope of defeating Alma.[30] Mid-procedure, the lab is attacked and Becket witnesses several of the black ops team killed by black tentacles. He then passes out, and has a vision of Alma on a tree swing near a nuclear power plant.

Upon regaining consciousness, he finds Jankowski on an operating table. Jankowski says, “We have to help her. Can you hear? She’s crying”, before he dies. Shortly thereafter, Fox attacks Becket, telling him, “Stay away from her, she’s mine”, before Fox is killed by the black tentacles. Eventually, Becket learns the purpose of Harbinger – to turn ordinary people into psychic commanders.[31] Becket fights his way through a squad of revived Replicas, and Snake directs him to Wade Elementary. He reunites with Griffin and Stokes, but moments later, Griffin is killed by the black tentacles. The remainder of the team head to the school in an APC, and once there, Becket uncovers evidence of “Project Paragon”, which is designed to spot children with promising psychic ability.[32] Becket himself was a student at the school and, although he has no memory of it, must have been subjected to the project.[33]

Finding a secret Paragon facility beneath the school, Becket locates Snake; real name Terry Halford, an ATC researcher. Although he is killed by a Replica almost immediately, Halford is able to transfer files to the APC in which he explains that Aristide tricked Becket into the TAC so as to make Alma “aware” of him.[34] He also says that Becket isn’t yet strong enough to defeat Alma, and needs to amplify his psychic abilities by going to an ATC facility inside a nuclear power plant on nearby Still Island, which houses an amplification device.[35] Still Island was also Alma’s home before she was moved to the Origin facility.

En route, the APC is ambushed by Replicas, and Keegan wanders off in a daze, searching for “her”. Unable to retrieve him, Becket, Stokes, and Morales continue to the island. There, Becket finds the tree from his hallucinations, Alma’s swing still hanging from its branches. He and Stokes head to the amplifier and Becket enters. Aristide arrives and explains that she plans to seal Becket and Alma inside the device, and then use Alma as leverage against ATC. This is why she tricked Becket into the TAC; she needed Alma to be aware of Becket so she could be lured to the machine.[36] When Stokes tries to intervene, Aristide kills her.

Aristide seals the machine with Becket inside, and in a hallucinatory landscape, he fights off apparitions of a maddened Keegan. As he does, he sees flashes of Alma, who appears to be raping him in the real world. Eventually, he escapes the hallucination. The machine doors open, and Becket sees Alma standing in the midst of a post-apocalyptic landscape, the black tentacles spreading out around her. She is pregnant. She approaches Becket, placing his hand onto her stomach as a child’s voice says “Mommy”.

Reborn [ edit ]

Reborn begins with Paxton Fettel speaking about his prediction of a coming war from the original game; “The war has begun just as I dreamed it would, just as I foresaw. Dreams are all I have now, dreams of death, of blood and fire. Of her. The time has come to awaken; to be…reborn.”

The game is set concurrently to Project Origin. As Becket and his squad mates are tracking down Snake Fist at Wade Elementary, in a different part of Fairport, ATC Security has launched an attack against Replica Command Post Sigma, and additional Replicas have been called in. The game begins with the Replica designated Foxtrot 813 dropping to a location near the command post and taking control of an EPA. He fights his way through ATC forces but no sooner has his mission begun when he starts to have problems with his radio feed and video display. He eventually makes it to Sigma and tries to correct the problems with his equipment. As he ascertains that the interference is originating at the blast site of the Origin facility, he is pulled into a hallucinatory realm by Paxton Fettel, where he is attacked by corrupt Replicas. Upon killing them, Fettel tells him, “Do you see? You are different from the others. They are meaningless now. They are ghosts. You must set me free.” When 813 returns to reality, he finds that he has killed his Replica teammates. Replica command then issues an order for all Replicas to shoot 813 on sight.[37]

Guided by Fettel, 813 starts to move through the devastated city towards the blast site, fighting off Replicas throughout his journey. In an underground car park, he is attacked by Alma, but manages to escape and continue on, with Fettel continuously in his head (saying such things as “you must feel it all around you. The promise of things to come” and “they do not understand; they are blind to whom they serve”).

Eventually, 813 reaches the blast site, and proceeds deep under the rubble. As he moves, Fettel promises him that they will lead “a mighty army”. As he nears Fettel’s location, Alma again tries to stop him, but he again evades her. Eventually, 813 opens a door to find Fettel kneeling in the middle of a room. Fettel welcomes him, calling him “my brother”.[38] As he touches 813, Fettel melts away. 813 then removes his helmet to reveal Fettel’s face, as he gloats “I am…reborn.”

Development [ edit ]

Rights issues and canonicity [ edit ]

The game was announced by Monolith Productions in February 2006. Monolith had been purchased by Warner Bros. Games in 2004, after development of the original F.E.A.R was already underway and a publishing deal had already been struck with Vivendi. By 2006, although Monolith and Warner owned the rights to the F.E.A.R. intellectual property and characters, Vivendi (who had published the first game under their Sierra Entertainment label) still owned the name “F.E.A.R.” As a result, any non-Vivendi game set in the F.E.A.R. universe could use the characters and events from the original game, but could not be called F.E.A.R. At the same time, any non-Warner game set in the F.E.A.R. universe could not use the characters and events from the original game, but could be called F.E.A.R.[39][40] In May 2006, Vivendi announced that an expansion pack for the first game (F.E.A.R. Extraction Point) was being developed by TimeGate Studios. The press release clarified that the plot for the expansion had been approved by Monolith and was in line with their own plans for a full sequel.[41][42]

Speaking of the rights issues in August 2007, Troy Skinner (producer of the unnamed sequel) played down the significance of Monolith not being able to use the F.E.A.R. name;

the only things it changes are the name of the game, and the name of the unit the player character is assigned to. We have the rights to every other aspect of the game universe. Alma is ours. The previous story-line is ours. Armacham is ours. The weapons are ours. Obviously, the development team is ours. The game engine is ours. The AI expertise is ours.[43]

In December 2008, a few months before the release of what was now known as Project Origin, Monolith officially confirmed what had long been suspected; despite the initial reports that they had approved the story for both Extraction Point and a second expansion, F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate, and that that story was in line with their own plans for the sequel, in fact, that sequel would ignore the events of both expansions and instead serve as a canonical follow-up to the original game.[44] Lead artist Dave Matthews explained that the expansions

were made outside of Monolith and they took the story in a very different direction than we had intended, so when we started working on F.E.A.R. 2, there was a very difficult decision. Did we try to figure out and change the story with what we were trying to tell with Alma, and incorporate the story arc with what goes on between Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate? That’s when we decided to treat it as if it were a ‘what if?’ or an alternate spin because we thought it would be of merit to the story if it remained pure.[44]

Speaking to CVG, he reiterated, “[TimeGate] took the story in a direction that we didn’t intend. We look at Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate as an alternate universe, a ‘what could have been’, and because of that it doesn’t necessarily diminish the story that we were trying to tell. F.E.A.R. was about Alma, F.E.A.R. 2 is about Alma, and we wanted to continue the story the way we originally intended.”[45]

Naming the game [ edit ]

With the game unnamed as a result of the rights issues, in June 2007, Monolith announced a contest called “Name Your Fear” to find a new name. Open only to residents of the United States, contestants had three weeks to submit a name, after which three finalists would be chosen by Monolith, and those three finalists would be opened to a public vote. Monolith specifically asked for a name that would evoke associations with “Frenetic Action, Horror (Asian), Destruction, Apocalypse, Paramilitary, Gore.”[46] They discouraged fans from submitting acronyms, obscenities, or titles that mean something in a different language.[47] They also released a brief plot blurb and two pieces of concept art to help inspire fans.[48] The three finalists would be flown to Monolith’s headquarters in Kirkland, Washington, and given a behind-the-scenes tour where they’d meet the game’s designers and have their likenesses captured for use in the game itself.[47][49]

In August, the three names were revealed as Dead Echo, Project Origin, and Dark Signal.[43] Monolith also revealed some of the more humorous examples of names they had rejected, including, S.C.A.R.E.D., A.F.R.A.I.D., C.H.U.C.K.N.O.R.R.I.S., M.e.a.t., S.A.U.S.A.G.E., Little Miss Bloodshine, Bloodbath Tycoon, Snake FIST, Killdozer, Rage, Inhumane, Aftermath, Shroud, Atrox, and Shattered.[43] In September, the winning name was announced as Project Origin.[50]

In September 2008, Monolith Productions and Warner Bros. Games re-acquired the F.E.A.R. name from Vivendi and decided to keep “Project Origin” as a subtitle.[51][52]

Platforms [ edit ]

Originally, the plan for Project Origin was to release two completely different games – one for PC, and one for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with Monolith president Samantha Ryan stating, “in addition to continuing the series on PC, we’re committed to bringing it to next-generation consoles by creating separate titles tailored to each audience instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.”[39] This plan was never realised and in December 2008, writer and co-lead designer Craig Hubbard explained that the two titles “just merged.”[53]

In relation to the console versions of the game, Monolith had been unhappy with the console ports of the original game, which had been handled by Day 1 Studios, with Matthews stating, “we feel they didn’t do everything that they could of achieved.”[54] As a result of their disappointment with these ports, Monolith determined to develop all three versions of the sequel simultaneously, with no lead platform from which the others would derive. Matthews explains,

our current pipeline of development affords the opportunity to create and test assets and gameplay on all three platforms simultaneously. I can very quickly see if a certain experience is synonymous across all three platforms before I put it into the game. We haven’t taken a port mentality with F.E.A.R. 2, with a lead SKU that gets copied over to other platforms.[55]

Design [ edit ]

In a July 2008 blog post on the game’s community page, Matthews explained that the team had divided the first game’s elements into three categories based on fan reaction; the good (combat mechanics, atmosphere, AI, graphics), the bad (too many interiors), and the ugly (a monochrome palette, lack of enemy variety, repetitive environments).[19] With this in mind, one of Monolith’s main goals with Project Origin was to successfully tackle the biggest criticisms of the original game – the bland and repetitive environments, and the lack of enemy variety.[56] Co-lead designer John Mulkey explained that “variety” in a general sense was one of their main guiding principals as they strove for “more visual variety, more variety in enemies and in gameplay experiences.”[57]

Mulkey, who was lead level designer on the first game, acknowledged that although that game was claustrophobic by design, the interiors were too similar, and so, “we’ve decided to mix it up and to have these more open spaces.”[56] Similarly, Leo De Bruyn, lead level designer on the sequel, argued that in the first game, “we wanted to make the game have a very creepy and oppressive vibe. The color palettes reflected this, and I think we created this feeling very successfully. In retrospect, perhaps a little too successfully.”[58]

For the sequel, Monolith wanted to have the game take place across multiple, visually differentiated, locations.[59] Matthews stated that although the game does feature a lot of interiors, “we have taken great care to diversify the areas that you will progress through.”[19] In terms of enemy variety, the team endeavored to create not just aesthetically differentiated enemies, but “new AI types that have different tactics.”[56] Indeed, the creation of new locations and new enemies dovetailed into one another in an unexpected manner. As Mulkey explains, “as we started to change the volume of the space the combat altered, and it gave us new opportunities to approach the AI in different ways, educate them with different activities and abilities.”[44]

At the same time as introducing such variety, however, Monolith were conscious of not straying too far from the basics of the first game.[4] Matthews explains, “to bring too many new unique experiences to F.E.A.R. 2 could potentially diminish the F.E.A.R.-like quality we have tried so hard to preserve.”[5] An example of this was the game’s health system. Initially, the plan was for the game to have a fully regenerative health system with no medkits.[17] Early demos incorporated this system, but fan reaction was largely negative, with many arguing that the first game’s medkit-based health system was superior.[15] In response, the designers adopted a partial regenerative system that would restore a player’s health to 30%, but they also incorporated the medkits from the first game (albeit limiting the player to three and making them much scarcer than before). After the change, they found that testers “reported that the fights felt more dynamic and less repetitive than before.”[15]

In terms of gameplay, Monolith initially experimented with a co-op mode in the main campaign but they decided against it because they felt it “watered down” the horror.[44] Graphically, John O’Rorke (engine architect and principal software engineer), explained that an important element of the sequel was enhancing the first game’s much-lauded particle system and dynamic lighting. In particular, Monolith worked to increase the amount of destructible elements within each location.[60] The game also features numerous graphical elements not in the original, including HDR, motion blur, new lighting solutions, volumetric rendering, and ambient occlusion.[58][61]

Atmosphere [ edit ]

Much like the first game’s atmosphere was heavily inspired by certain films, so too with the sequel. Matthews lists films such as Timur Bekmambetov’s Nightwatch (2004) and Daywatch (2006), Alexandre Aja’s Haute tension (2003), and the Saw franchise as especially important inspirations for the game’s atmosphere.[44] In relation to Saw, he explained the designers were trying to capture, “that response that happens in your body when you realise you’re going to have to do something horrible, or something much worse is going to happen”.[62]

One of the scenes in the game in which Alma has a much more central role than she did in the original.

One of the central elements of the game’s atmosphere would be Alma, who had a much more involved role in the sequel than in the original.[43] By way of this increased presence, Monolith intended to enhance the game’s horror; “we’ve put a lot of effort and a lot of thought into the ways in which we can give Alma teeth.”[56] Hubbard also pointed out that Alma has “a stronger agenda, which gives her a more active, visceral role.”[63] Similarly, Matthews stated, “now she’s out, after 16, 17 years in that vault, with her psyche still dreaming and hating, she’s now completely toxic.”[62]

Speaking of the balance between combat and horror, Hubbard reminded people that “this is first and foremost an action game. There are horror elements, but it’s not meant to be an unrelenting experience in terror.”[63] With this in mind, Monolith were attempting to strike a similar balance as in the first game;

we have always perceived close-quarters combat as the centerpiece of the game, and the horror as a secondary element that helps to set up future combat scenarios. […] The relationship between the two is that the horror elements are a palette cleanser that resets the player’s emotional state, and allows the kinetic aspects of the next combat to land with more force.[43]

Promotion [ edit ]

Digital comic [ edit ]

Created by DC Comics, and released on GameTrailers on October 31, 2008, the Project Origin “digital comic” is an animated 73-second clip depicting the aftermath of the helicopter crash from the end of the first game. As Jin-Sun Kwon regains consciousness, she realises that both Point Man and Douglas Holiday are missing. Noting a trail of bloody footprints leading away from the crash, she is startled by Bremmer, the pilot, asking what happened. However, Bremmer begins to bleed from his ears, and seconds later, his flesh melts off his body. Outside the helicopter, Jin sees Alma smiling, her eyes glowing red.[64]

Armacham Field Guide [ edit ]

Included with a limited steel box edition of Project Origin available only by preordering the game from GameStop, Armacham Field Guide is a primer detailing much of the background mythology behind the F.E.A.R. games. The book recounts the events of the first game, as well as expanding on Alma’s and ATC’s history and the creation of Projects Origin and Perseus. It also includes information on the various characters and weaponry from each game. The book is littered with handwritten notations by Genevieve Aristide, composed shortly before the second game begins, in which she speculates and muses about what ATC is doing, her role in it, and what the future may hold.[65][66]

Australian release [ edit ]

In November 2008, Project Origin was refused classification by the Australian Classification Board (ACB) due to its “high-impact violence”. This made it illegal to sell the game, or even bring it into the country. In its official statement, the ACB said,

the violence is considered highly impactful in such scenes as where Michael uses his sub machine gun to explicitly bisect an enemy, the two parts of the body lying separately on the ground, with copious blood spray. There are also a number of explicit close range decapitations involving both human and mutant creatures. The decapitations are the result of close-up throat slashing from behind and close-up gunshots to the throat. All violence results in large blood spray: there are blood-stained interiors and blood sprays onto objects, including the camera lens. With weapons such as sniper rifles, bodies can be torn apart at close range, limbs are seen flying off and the wounded flesh is reduced to a bloody pulp. The use of nail-guns pins victims to a wall before they fall to the ground in a bloody mass. The scenes often have blood soaked walls and floors and the victims’ bodies do not always disappear.[67]

Warner appealed the decision and three weeks later, the ACB’s review panel revoked the ban and gave the game an MA15+ certificate without mandating any alterations or edits.[68]

Reception [ edit ]

Project Origin received “generally favorable reviews,” with the PC and PlayStation 3 versions holding aggregate scores of 79 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 49[69] and forty-eight reviews,[70] respectively. The Xbox 360 version holds a score of 77 out of 100, based on 68 reviews.[71]

IGN’s Jason Ocampo scored all three versions 8.3 out of 10, praising the score, sound effects, voice acting, and plot, but criticising the ability to create cover (“feels like a gimmick, since there’s no effective way of hugging that cover”) and multiplayer. Although he enjoyed the game overall (“it’s a good shooter, bordering on great”), he argued, “it’s not as groundbreaking as its predecessor.”[76] GameSpot’s Kevin VanOrd scored all three versions 7 out of 10. He was critical of the story, atmosphere, multiplayer, and the graphics, noting “F.E.A.R. 2 simply doesn’t match its FPS peers from a technical perspective,” and citing “simple textures”, “inconsistent shadows”, clipping, and poor lighting. However, he praised the sound effects, level design, combat mechanics, and implementation of slow motion. He concluded, that “while fun and well-crafted, [it] seems to have lost sight of the strengths that made its predecessor so unique.”[73][74][75]

PC Zone’s Steve Hogarth scored the PC version 80 out of 100. He was critical of the ability to create cover and the atmosphere, but he praised the new enemies, level design, combat mechanics, and implementation of slow motion. He concluded, “the magic of the original F.E.A.R. is buried in here somewhere […] but Project Origin falls short of delivering the kick provided by the original.”[81] CVG’s Mike Jackson scored the PC version 7.5 out of 100. He was highly critical of both the horror elements and the storyline, but he praised the “satisfying” combat mechanics, graphics, sound effects, animations, physics, implementation of slow motion, level design, and enemy variety. He concluded that although the game “dresses itself up like an edgy, scary, sinister horror of epic proportions, under the surface it’s a solid FPS.”[72]

Jon Blyth of PlayStation Official Magazine (UK) scored the PlayStation 3 version 8 out of 10. Calling it “a pleasure to play,” he praised the plot, script, voice acting, combat mechanics, and mech sections. However, he also found the game to be very traditional, writing, “innovation is not F.E.A.R. 2’s strong suit”, and finding the overall gameplay “jarringly old-skool.”[78] Anthony O’Connor of Australia’s PlayStation Official Magazine scored the PlayStation 3 version 7 out of 10. He was critical of the plot, and level design, and found the game too easy, concluding “it’s not a bad game, but it could have been so much more.”[77]

Paul Curthoys of the Official Xbox Magazine (NA) scored the Xbox 360 version 7.5 out of 10. He was critical of the atmosphere, horror, and storyline, arguing, “this series has lost a bit of its magic.” Although he praised the combat mechanics, level design, and mech sections, he concluded, “[it’s] nowhere near as awesome as we hoped it’d be.”[80] Ben Talbot of Official Xbox Magazine (UK) scored the Xbox 360 version 7 out of 10. He was critical of the horror, arguing “[it has] every cliché imaginable.” He praised the combat mechanics and mech sections, but concluded, “where was the ambition to innovate or surprise? It’s by no means terrible, but for such a major franchise, more was expected.”[79] Eurogamer’s Kieron Gillen scored the Xbox 360 version 5 out of 10, criticising the “woeful lack of inspiration”. He praised the combat mechanics but found the game to be “a checklist of genre-tropes” and “as archetypal a corridor-shooter as has ever been made.”[6]

In a blog post a few days after the game’s release, Steve Gaynor (lead level designer on Perseus Mandate) was highly critical of Project Origin, particularly how the level design undermines the AI and prevents it from seeming as intuitive as in the first game and its two expansions; “frequent are restrictive, linear encounter spaces without flanking corridors.” He argued, “this not only makes the player’s role in combat more frustrating, but makes the enemies appear less intelligent – with fewer navigational options, they tend to remain stationary more and surprise the player less.”[82]

In a 2021 retrospective on the game, The Escapist’s Elijah Beahm, called it “Monolith’s worst game.” He was critical of the gameplay changes, particularly the removal of the lean function, and argued that such changes “serve to highlight why [the original] F.E.A.R. worked so damn well.” He found the horror elements to be on the level of “a cheap haunted house gag.” Echoing Gaynor’s criticism of the level design, he pointed out, “levels are narrower, funneling you into predictable shootouts with half the variability of the first game.” He concluded, “it’s as if someone created a checklist of everything great about F.E.A.R. and actively tried to subvert or contradict every part.”[83]

Sales [ edit ]

In the week prior to its release, Project Origin was the most queued cross-platform title on GameFly.[84] Upon its release, it debuted at #2 on the US PC charts.[85] The following week, it dropped to #8.[86] It went on to be the fifth best-selling PC title of February 2009.[87] The Xbox 360 version finished at #11 in that month’s all-platform charts.[88]

It also debuted at #2 on the UK all-platform charts.[89][90] In the first week of release, the Xbox 360 version entered the top ten rental chart at #9.[91] The following week it climbed to #6.[92]

Downloadable content [ edit ]

In April 2009, Monolith released “Toy Soldiers”, a free multiplayer three-map-pack. The main selling-point of the map-pack was that the characters are transformed into tiny toy soldiers who then battle in a normal sized arena. The three maps were “Fulltilt!” (set inside a pinball machine), “Cockroach” (set in a hospital bathroom covered in blood), and “Recess” (set in a children’s sandpit).[93][94]

A second multiplayer map-pack was released in May, named “Armored Front”. Containing two new maps (“Decoy” and “Conductor”, both for Armored Front mode), the pack also included four new character heads for player customisation, and console-specific themes for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.[95]

A third DLC pack was released in September featuring a four-mission single-player campaign; F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn.[96] Associate producer Lucas Myers explains that Monolith approached Reborn much like the did Project Origin – by looking at fans’ criticisms; “we listened very closely to our fans’ praises and frustrations from F.E.A.R. 2. We’ve varied our environments even more, opened them up and added vertical combat elements.”[97]

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