FEAR 2

[coloumb]

Trying the demo now.. looks pretty good.

Reivew on GameTrailers is a nice balanced review of the game:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/45550.html

12gb install for the full version!??! [that'd be a long frikken digital download] There better be a lot more FEAR in this than there was in the first one...

 

[novasatori]

I think the game is amazing as do most people I know.

Of course, we don't really cling to FEAR too much, and I myself appreciate most Monolith games. The gore reminds me of Shogo, heh.

 

[Slick5150]

I'm enjoying it so far. Not sure what it is exactly but I really dig the weapons sounds.

 

[speedfreak]

i've played the demo version. it was fun playing it. looking forward to play the full version.

 

[Elusiv1]

I love the game so far but man this baby needs some patching badly! Every so often after a checkpoint or save the game crashes on me but that is to be expected with new releases. One thing I miss from the first FEAR are decapitations, these game developers have gotten soft on us!!lol I know I'm sick like that but if there are no heads rolling then the game should be rated it T for teen in my opinion, sheez!!!lol

 

[Bad Dude]

I like the game, so far I am stuck on the Robot that came out of the service elevator. It shoots like mad at me, killing me once. It also has some sort of shield. How do you kill it?
Thanks.

 

[mb]

I just played through the demo - man they know how to make a scary game! I think the graphics are pretty great, but the game did stutter a little at 19x12 with max details. I suppose I could turn it down some, or get another 4870

 

[BFG10K]

Well I finished it.

It?s a reasonably good game but it?s inferior to the original & expansions in just about every way, especially AI, level design, weapons, and particle effects. Also the indoor lighting & shadowing is generally lacking compared to the original, and most indoor objects have no shadows at all. Outdoor areas during the day do look nice though.

The weapons feel like plastic toys compared to the original?s solid guns. Also the heavy repeater was nowhere to be found, there were no dual-pistols, and the new shotguns were absolutely woeful compared to the original?s shotgun.

I think it helps to not think it?s a sequel and just pretend the game is a standalone horror shooter. If you constantly compare it to the first game (what I initially did), you?ll be disappointed.

I thought the penthouse & hospital levels were quite underwhelming, but it did pick up a bit after that. Also they didn?t ignore the two expansions; quite the opposite actually, as the Perseus project was mentioned several times. It?s quite possible for the expansions? storyline to co-exist with the sequel?s given they don?t contradict each other. Also the sequel explained many things you saw in the original game in more detail.

The biggest gripe is the absolutely stupid decision to letterbox everything into 16:9. That?s right, if you have a 16:10 display you?ll get black bars if you use a 16:10 resolution. It?s even worse on a 4:3 display where my 1920x1440 resolution becomes 1920x1080, and I lose one quarter of my display?s height.

It?s about 10-12 hours so it?s not as long as the original, which was about 15-20 hours. I thought the ending was great ? not at all what I expected ? and I don?t get the complaints against it.

I?d give it 8/10, possibly raising it if they address the letterboxing issue. I?d like to play the game again at 4:3 as think the forced 16:9 is the reason why most things felt off.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Originally posted by: BFG10K
Well I finished it.

It?s a reasonably good game but it?s inferior to the original & expansions in just about every way, especially AI, level design, weapons, and particle effects. Also the indoor lighting & shadowing is generally lacking compared to the original, and most indoor objects have no shadows at all. Outdoor areas during the day do look nice though.

The weapons feel like plastic toys compared to the original?s solid guns. Also the heavy repeater was nowhere to be found, there were no dual-pistols, and the new shotguns were absolutely woeful compared to the original?s shotgun.

I think it helps to not think it?s a sequel and just pretend the game is a standalone horror shooter. If you constantly compare it to the first game (what I initially did), you?ll be disappointed.

I thought the penthouse & hospital levels were quite underwhelming, but it did pick up a bit after that. Also they didn?t ignore the two expansions; quite the opposite actually, as the Perseus project was mentioned several times. It?s quite possible for the expansions? storyline to co-exist with the sequel?s given they don?t contradict each other. Also the sequel explained many things you saw in the original game in more detail.

The biggest gripe is the absolutely stupid decision to letterbox everything into 16:9. That?s right, if you have a 16:10 display you?ll get black bars if you use a 16:10 resolution. It?s even worse on a 4:3 display where my 1920x1440 resolution becomes 1920x1080, and I lose one quarter of my display?s height.

It?s about 10-12 hours so it?s not as long as the original, which was about 15-20 hours. I thought the ending was great ? not at all what I expected ? and I don?t get the complaints against it.

:thumbsup: for that. Looking forward to playing it (when it gets cheaper, heh)

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: Bad Dude
I like the game, so far I am stuck on the Robot that came out of the service elevator. It shoots like mad at me, killing me once. It also has some sort of shield. How do you kill it?
Thanks.

Shock grenades.

 

[Stg-Flame]

One question. I am still in the beginning of the game, but the sandbox crap is really annoying the hell out of me. In other words, does that annoying "Press E (insert key depression animation here) to (insert action here)" pop up every time you are near an interactive object? It seems to me that devs are placating to the younger crowd by turning a really good game into a mind boggling simplistic one, just because they refuse to let go of the sandbox bull**** and tell you what to do every step of the way.

 

[CrystalBay]

Originally posted by: Chaoticpenguin666
One question. I am still in the beginning of the game, but the sandbox crap is really annoying the hell out of me. In other words, does that annoying "Press E (insert key depression animation here) to (insert action here)" pop up every time you are near an interactive object? It seems to me that devs are placating to the younger crowd by turning a really good game into a mind boggling simplistic one, just because they refuse to let go of the sandbox bull**** and tell you what to do every step of the way.

Well for going through doors you can just use your melee key for busting them open ..(If that's what you mean)...

Yes there are some really annoying aspects to this multi-platform , the mouse is hugely under utilized...

 

[Stg-Flame]

Originally posted by: CrystalBay

Originally posted by: Chaoticpenguin666
One question. I am still in the beginning of the game, but the sandbox crap is really annoying the hell out of me. In other words, does that annoying "Press E (insert key depression animation here) to (insert action here)" pop up every time you are near an interactive object? It seems to me that devs are placating to the younger crowd by turning a really good game into a mind boggling simplistic one, just because they refuse to let go of the sandbox bull**** and tell you what to do every step of the way.

Well for going through doors you can just use your melee key for busting them open ..(If that's what you mean)...

Yes there are some really annoying aspects to this multi-platform , the mouse is hugely under utilized...

No, that is not what I mean. I have played all of the other F.E.A.R games and I know about knocking them open. What I am talking about are the annoying pop-ups that tell you what to do at every turn. Every door that I approach, a pop-up tells me what key to press to open the door. Every movable object I near tells me what key to slide it, and so fourth.

 

[zagood]

Originally posted by: BFG10K
Well I finished it.

It?s a reasonably good game but it?s inferior to the original & expansions in just about every way, especially AI, level design, weapons, and particle effects. Also the indoor lighting & shadowing is generally lacking compared to the original, and most indoor objects have no shadows at all. Outdoor areas during the day do look nice though.

The weapons feel like plastic toys compared to the original?s solid guns. Also the heavy repeater was nowhere to be found, there were no dual-pistols, and the new shotguns were absolutely woeful compared to the original?s shotgun.

I think it helps to not think it?s a sequel and just pretend the game is a standalone horror shooter. If you constantly compare it to the first game (what I initially did), you?ll be disappointed.

I thought the penthouse & hospital levels were quite underwhelming, but it did pick up a bit after that. Also they didn?t ignore the two expansions; quite the opposite actually, as the Perseus project was mentioned several times. It?s quite possible for the expansions? storyline to co-exist with the sequel?s given they don?t contradict each other. Also the sequel explained many things you saw in the original game in more detail.

The biggest gripe is the absolutely stupid decision to letterbox everything into 16:9. That?s right, if you have a 16:10 display you?ll get black bars if you use a 16:10 resolution. It?s even worse on a 4:3 display where my 1920x1440 resolution becomes 1920x1080, and I lose one quarter of my display?s height.

It?s about 10-12 hours so it?s not as long as the original, which was about 15-20 hours. I thought the ending was great ? not at all what I expected ? and I don?t get the complaints against it.

I?d give it 8/10, possibly raising it if they address the letterboxing issue. I?d like to play the game again at 4:3 as think the forced 16:9 is the reason why most things felt off.

I just finished it, and I mostly agree with your assessment...however...

1. AI is just as good strategically, but you only see it in rare instances. There was one section with 3 different paths that met together and I kept getting flanked...I think it was in the subway, and I just remember a sign pointing toward the bathroom. I also saw them taking more advantage of the environment (I guess they have that "PRESS E TO MOVE COVER" button).

2. As far as level design, the school is one of the best I've ever seen in an FPS. Multiple entry points in a couple of different scenarios, detail was awesome, and some great arenas.

3. I loved the assault rifle. It felt better than any of the analog weapons of the first. Also really liked the sniper rifle...but wasn't anything like the "OMG THAT GUY IS NOW A SKELETON" rifle in the 1st.

Letterboxing made me so pissed off at first...honestly though after a while it melted away. When I first started playing I went to widescreengamingforum.com looking for a fix, and they were praising it for no stretching or clipping. Pissed me off even more. Then I just played.

The thing that really killed me was the automatic checkpoints. WHY CAN'T I QUICKSAVE?!?!?!?! This is the first game I've played on PC in a long LONG time that I had to follow the autosave pattern. Oooooooooooooooooh it made me so mad.

Ending I could take or leave...I like the concept but I think they could have tied it in a little more with the narrative throughout the gameplay.

Overall it was a really enjoyable game, but I described it elsewhere like this...

"Condemned was considered the melee version of FEAR, this felt more like the FPS version of Condemned."

I liked it. Just wish I'd bought it on sale. But since I'm a fanboy, I would have bought a director's cut version. Speaking of, I'm loading up the original now. You know how hard it is to find a 1.08 patch!?!?!!?

-z

 

[Billyzeke]

Originally posted by: zagood


The thing that really killed me was the automatic checkpoints. WHY CAN'T I QUICKSAVE?!?!?!?! This is the first game I've played on PC in a long LONG time that I had to follow the autosave pattern. Oooooooooooooooooh it made me so mad.



-z

No quicksave? WTH! There is no excuse for not having a save anywhere feature in this type of game.

 

[SuPrEIVIE]

i agree no saving feature whatsoever is terrible, it forces you to play carefully when your deep in a check point or you will have to start all over. The worst part is the lack of saving power ruins the ability to create a saving library to jump into certain points of the game at will. Well they atleast provided the ability to re-do levels that become unlocked after completion, but thats not good enuf.

The letterboxing is another disappointment, they cant support other resolutions? Although i did get used to it playing the game for awhile, they got real lazy on the pc port.

 

[AbAbber2k]

Finished it this morning. Thought it was great. Ending caught me off guard. :thumbsup:

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
Finished it this morning. Thought it was great. Ending caught me off guard. :thumbsup:

Ending was written by a horny nerd.


It was enjoyable. The first level though was a little long, and by the end of it I was just saying to myself "god just get me the f-out of here". The out door sequences, all though short, were a nice treat. The out door scenes really make the graphic engine shine and it really would of put the game over the top if they kept the majority of it outside but the game premise of a horror game prohibits its full potential.

It's not nearly as scary as fear 1, though it's not as plane and repetitive either. They still have a habit of forcing you underground or put you in confined spaces. It's a better doom in essence. Better guns, the killing is fun, and the destructive atmosphere and bullet effects are still fun to watch. The problem I see in battle is that they're indeed replica soldiers and it takes the sport out of the killing. Almost like killing them means nothing as if I might as well be shooting at birds all the time. They almost seem like fillers to keep you active until you reach your objective. The other targets are ghosts...and now you turned into a ghost buster using bullets - and I still can't get passed that premise let alone enjoy it.

Nothing makes it stand out to make it a great game. It's just not immersive enough for me, the story is too forced and almost insultingly dumb at some points, nor is there any attachment to any of the characters. It just seems a little out of focus and if I was to edit the game, there would only be 20 minutes of it to play. Imagine a young -inexperienced but talented author writing a story on a questionable subject matter that no one really cares about or would bother to read in a monthly magazine. This game is like reading that same story.

 

[fijianalky86]

good demo besides minor frame drops at certain parts...that B*tch in the theatre made me pop outta my chair!...nothing too spectacular for the price tag though (if the demos a big representation of the game as a whole)

 

[BFG10K]

Originally posted by: zagood

2. As far as level design, the school is one of the best I've ever seen in an FPS. Multiple entry points in a couple of different scenarios, detail was awesome, and some great arenas.

The school was one of the better maps in Fear 2, but I think Condemned pulled off the school better.

Originally posted by: Regs

Ending was written by a horny nerd.

Quite possibly, but it was definitely unexpected and original. Looking back on the hints that were being dropped in hindsight, it's quite an obvious ending.

 

[jonks]

http://www.escapistmagazine.co...punctuation/565-Fear-2

Yahtzee review, amusing, not his best.

 

[toyota]

it may have been mentioned already but the lack of shadows and lighting was pretty ridiculous.

compared to the first FEAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbzFfYwhz68

FEAR 2 early console version had better shadows and lighting so maybe its just a rendering problem on the pc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...A4ztEg&feature=related

make sure you watch them in HD of course

 

[zagood]

After watching Yahtzee, it reminded me of the other part I hated so much, the damn "PRESS X AS FAST AS POSSIBLE" cutscenes. So fucking pathetic.

I started playing the original FEAR again, some major differences I noticed...

1. The character models are much better in the new one.
2. You move much faster in the original.
3. Shadows are better in the original, lighting is used better in the original but there are some much better instances of it in the new one.
4. The old one is just sharper and higher contrast, the new one uses the more muted "hey everything's gray" that's typical of FPS games in the last few years.
5. Movements feel more digital in the old one. Hard to describe.

 

[error8]

FEAR 2 is a failure when it comes to graphic quality. The first FEAR seems much better in this department and it was released like 4 years ago.

 

[toyota]

Originally posted by: error8
FEAR 2 is a failure when it comes to graphic quality. The first FEAR seems much better in this department and it was released like 4 years ago.

about the only thing really bad looking in the original FEAR were the hard lines during smoke and fog. besides that and the rare low textures here and there its still a good looking game today.