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

FEAR:2, the long awaited sequel to the original Fear Trilogy (not really a trilogy, but there were three games: Fear, Fear: Extraction Point, and Fear: Perseus Mandate) is finally here and it doesn't disappoint. Walking the footprints of giants in the horror game genre isn't easy, especially when one of them was your previous incarnation, the original FEAR. Gladly, they got it right, and in fact, even better than the original in many ways.

First off the level design is much more imaginative than in the original F.E.A.R. There are a wider variety of environments (No more endless office corridors!) and they are all very nicely done.

Second, the shock value is as good or better than the original with new affects, startling moments, and fast paced action akin to Doom 3. Slow moments are mixed in, complete with visions of the dead, 1st person cut scenes that move the story along, and a few nice nods to the earlier game.

One of the things I liked best in the original F.E.A.R when it was released was the way the weapons worked. They just felt 'right' and meshed with the environments to create clouds of concrete dust from bullets hitting the walls and support beams, fires, etc. That's been taken to a whole new level in FEAR:2. The combat feels cinematic with you controlling the action. It's amazing. Sometimes I wanted to just sit back and watch what was going on, but couldn't because I would have gotten hacked to pieces by one of the swarming zombies coming my way...

This is a fairly short game, and replay value is average. Once you've played it for the story and been shocked out of your socks at a few places, the intensity level will be lower. However, the game play and visuals will keep you entertained nonetheless.

One of my biggest complaints with the game is that they did a poor job of tying FEAR:2's story together at the end. It will leave you with as many questions as answers, in the same way Fear: Extraction Point frustrated me.

I am a huge advocate for DRM free games. I've written many of those 1 star reviews that so many of you dislike. I will continue to write them, because I believe draconian DRM schemes like SECUrom are terrible for the consumer, and unnecessary as well. However, in the case of FEAR:2 and STEAM, I actually am coming down on the side of STEAM (to an extent):

1. Steam is DRM, but it isn't malicious like Securom and does not enforce limited installations on your computer. It does not take root level control of you computer, and does not attempt to disable other software, nor does it potentially screw up hardware profiles for CD/DVD drives. It is in short, about as benign as I can imagine DRM being, and while it does have its problems (see below) it is a compromise that I can in good conscience make.

2. I already have a STEAM account and have had one since HL1 days, and have a completely satisfactory experience with it, including installing multiple games on a series of different computers over time.

3. STEAM does not attempt to control my computer. It does a simple check with the server and then releases me to play my games. In fact, contrary to common belief, you can unplug your computer's internet and play Steam games all you like once they are activated.

However, STEAM has some real negatives as well:

1. Potentially violates the "Doctrine Of First Sale" which guarantees my right to re-sell something that I've purchased. STEAM allows a 1 time transfer of the game to another account, but once it is moved, that's the end. No more transfers. I understand why STEAM does this: to prevent massive rings of gamers swapping games back and forth using their servers to achieve it, bogging up their download severs, etc... While I agree that is a problem for them, I think that limiting transfers violates my rights, and destroys the second hand game market.

2. Requires 'One more program' to be run on my computer. I'm pretty selective about what I install on my PC, and I hate being forced to have yet another program running just to access some of my games.

3. What happens if Steam goes out of business? Will I still have access to my games? How? None of that is spelled out in any documentation from STEAM or VALVE.

So basically I've come into this one with my eyes wide open. It's not that I love STEAM and think it is totally without faults. I just think that its faults are not enough to limit me playing a game as good as FEAR:2. STEAM itself has proved itself reliable in the last 7 years, and so I'm willing to use it to play a game I really, really want to play. The key distinction is that Securom DAMAGES my computer and TAKES AWAY MY ADMINISTRATIVE RIGHT, as well as ENFORCES LIMITED INSTALLATIONS. STEAM does none of those things.

Overall this is a great game. If you can't live with STEAM, I understand, and I honestly probably wouldn't get involved with it either if I didn't already own a bunch of games on it from years past, before I learned about DRM schemes and began to care about such things. Go in with your eyes open, and if you think it's worth the potential risks, the game itself won't disappoint you.



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