Project Origin begins thirty minutes prior to the conclusion of the original F.E.A.R., with the player controlling Michael Becket, a Delta Force sergeant. Sent to take the president of Armacham Technology Corporation (ATC) into protective custody, things go awry when Point Man destroys the Origin Facility, and Becket and his teammates are caught in the blast. Waking up in a strange hospital 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.
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
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
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 (brother of the character from the first game), 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 member's "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 dying on an operating table, his last words to Beckett referencing a woman he can hear "crying." He later encounters Fox, who also references the woman, 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 out of the hospital, which is revealed to be a massive underground installation beneath the ruined Auburn district of Fairport, and Snake directs him to Wade Elementary, informing him that the woman referenced by Jankowski and Fox was Alma, who has become "aware" of Beckett and is drawn to him due to his immense telepathic potential. He reunites with Griffin and Stokes, but moments later, Griffin is killed by the black tentacles. The remainder of the team heads to the school in an APC, and once there, Becket uncovers evidence of "Project Paragon", which is designed to spot children with promising psychic abilities.[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; whose real name is 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 draw Alma's attention to 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 amid 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
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 with 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 than 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
Rights issues and canonicity
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
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
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
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 unexpectedly dovetailed into one another. 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 was 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
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
Digital comic
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
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
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]
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
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
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]
Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In its first 15 years, it was a video game developer and self-published its titles. In 2001, Bethesda spun off its in-house development team into Bethesda Game Studios, leaving Bethesda Softworks to focus on publishing operations.
Monolith Productions, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Kirkland, Washington. The company has been a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Games since August 2004. It formerly published third-party games in the 1990s.
F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon is a 2005 first-person shooter psychological horror video game for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Vivendi Universal Games, the Windows version was released worldwide in October 2005. The Xbox and PlayStation versions were ported by Day 1 Studios and released in October 2006 and April 2007, respectively. Two standalone expansion packs were released for the Windows and Xbox 360 versions of the game, both developed by TimeGate Studios; F.E.A.R. Extraction Point (2006) and F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate (2007). Released on Windows in March 2007, F.E.A.R. Gold Edition includes all the content from the Director's Edition plus Extraction Point, whilst F.E.A.R. Platinum Collection, released for Windows in November 2007, includes the Director's Edition, Extraction Point, and Perseus Mandate. Neither expansion is now considered canon, as the Monolith-developed F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin ignores the events of both.
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily developed by British development house Rockstar North, and published by its American parent company, Rockstar Games. The name of the series is a term for motor vehicle theft in the United States.
Condemned: Criminal Origins is a 2005 first-person action and survival horror video game for Xbox 360 and Windows. Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sega, it was an Xbox 360 launch title and was released in North America in November 2005, in Europe in December, and in Australia in March 2006. The Windows version was released worldwide in April 2006. Monolith also released an online episodic flash game prequel, and there were plans for a film to expand the Condemned universe, with at least three additional games already mapped out by 2005. However, the film was never made, and the only addition to the franchise was Condemned 2: Bloodshot, which was released in 2008 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Warner Bros. Games is an American video game publisher based in Burbank, California, and part of the Global Streaming and Games unit of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The publisher was founded as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on January 14, 2004, under Warner Bros. Entertainment and transferred to its Home Entertainment division when that company was formed in October 2005. Warner Bros. Games manages the wholly owned game development studios TT Games, Rocksteady Studios, NetherRealm Studios, Monolith Productions, WB Games Boston, Avalanche Software, WB Games Montréal and Player First Games, among others.
2006 saw the release of many sequels and prequels in video games, prominently including Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Madden NFL 07, NBA Live 07, NBA 2K7, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007, Tony Hawk's Project 8, New Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, alongside many prominent new releases including Bully, Company of Heroes, Dead Rising, Gears of War, Just Cause, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Ōkami, Prey, Resistance: Fall of Man, Saints Row, and Thrillville. Two new home consoles were released during the year: Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3.
F.E.A.R. Extraction Point is the first expansion pack for the first-person shooter psychological horror video game F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon. Developed by TimeGate Studios and originally published by Vivendi Games under the Sierra Entertainment label, it was released for Windows in October 2006 and for Xbox 360 in November 2007. The Xbox version was only available packaged with another expansion, F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate, and released as F.E.A.R. Files. On the PC, as well as a standalone release, Extraction Point was also bundled with the original game for F.E.A.R. Gold Edition, released in March 2007, and with the original game and Perseus Mandate for F.E.A.R. Platinum Collection, released in November 2007. The Platinum Collection was also released on Steam in 2012 and GOG.com in 2015. In 2021, F.E.A.R. Files was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making the games playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Neither expansion is now considered canon, as the Monolith Productions-developed F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin ignores the events of both.
There are many video games that have been inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's works set in Middle-earth. Titles have been produced by studios such as Electronic Arts, Vivendi Games, Melbourne House, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Catwoman is an action-adventure video game based on the 2004 film of the same name based on the fictional character. It features the likeness of the film's lead actress Halle Berry, while the character's voice is provided by actress Jennifer Hale. This would end up being developer Argonaut Software's final game in 19 years until the company's relaunch in 2024.
Condemned 2: Bloodshot, is a 2008 first-person action and survival horror video game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sega, it was released for both systems in North America and Australia in March 2008, and in Europe the following month. It is a sequel to the 2005 game Condemned: Criminal Origins.
F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate is the second standalone expansion pack for the first-person shooter psychological horror video game F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon. Developed by TimeGate Studios and originally published by Vivendi Games under the Sierra Entertainment label, it was released for Windows and Xbox 360 in November 2007. The Xbox version was only available packaged with the first expansion, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point, and released as F.E.A.R. Files. On the PC, as well as a standalone release, Perseus Mandate was also bundled with the original game and Extraction Point for F.E.A.R. Platinum Collection, which was also released on Steam in 2012 and GOG.com in 2015. In 2021, F.E.A.R. Files was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making the games playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Neither expansion is now considered canon, as the Monolith Productions-developed F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin ignores the events of both.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a action-adventure game based on the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The game release coincided with the release of the film on May 1, 2009, for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. A version of the game was also released for mobile phones. The game was developed primarily by Raven Software through the use of Unreal Engine 3. Its ESRB rating has varied widely across platforms, with the non-Nintendo console and PC versions being entitled the Uncaged Edition and receiving a Mature 17+ rating to provide players an opportunity to experience the uncensored graphic violence of the natural use of Wolverine's abilities, the Nintendo DS version receiving an Everyone 10+ rating due to its violence being tamed by reduced resolution and graphics, and the Wii, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions receiving a Teen rating by featuring standard superhero violence consistent with what was seen in the PG-13 rated film.
F.E.A.R. 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter psychological horror video game for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. Developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, it was released on all platforms in June 2011. It is the third game in the F.E.A.R. series. In 2015, it was released on GOG.com, and in 2021, it was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making it playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. 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.
F.E.A.R. is a first-person shooter psychological horror video game series created by Craig Hubbard in 2005. Released on Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, there are three main games in the series; F.E.A.R. (2005), F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (2009), and F.E.A.R. 3 (2011). There are also two standalone expansion packs for the first game; F.E.A.R. Extraction Point (2006) and F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate (2007), but these games are no longer considered canon, as their plots were ignored in Project Origin and F.E.A.R. 3. 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. Monolith Productions developed the original game and Project Origin; Day 1 Studios developed F.E.A.R. 3; TimeGate Studios developed Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate; Inplay Interactive developed F.E.A.R. Online. Initially, the series' publishing rights were owned by Vivendi Games, who published the original game and the two expansions under the Sierra Entertainment label. In 2008, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment acquired the publishing rights and went on to publish Project Origin and F.E.A.R. 3. Aeria Games published F.E.A.R. Online under license from Warner.
Batman: Arkham is a superhero action-adventure video game series based on the DC Comics character Batman, developed by Rocksteady Studios, WB Games Montréal and Camouflaj, and published originally by Eidos Interactive and currently by Warner Bros. Games. The franchise consists of four main installments and a spin-off, along with four smaller titles for mobile devices, two virtual reality games, tie-in comic books, and an animated film. The continuity established by the games is often referred to as the Arkhamverse.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a 2014 action-adventure video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. An original story based on the legendarium created by J. R. R. Tolkien, the game takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies. The player controls Talion, a Gondorian Ranger who bonds with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor, as the two set out to avenge the deaths of their loved ones. Players can engage in melee combat, and use wraith abilities to fight and manipulate enemies. The game introduces the Nemesis System, which allows the artificial intelligence of non-playable characters to remember their prior interactions with Talion and react accordingly in subsequent encounters.
Layers of Fear is a psychological horror adventure game developed by Bloober Team and published by Aspyr. It was released on Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One worldwide in February 2016.
MultiVersus (MVS) is a free-to-play crossover fighting game developed by Player First Games and published by Warner Bros. Games for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A platform fighter, the game features content from Warner Bros. franchises, including Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, and Cartoon Network franchises. Officially announced in November 2021 following online rumors and leaks, early access and open beta versions of the game ran from July 2022 to June 2023. The game was fully released on May 28, 2024.
1 2 Hubbard, Craig (October 9, 2008). "Medkits!". projectorigincommunity.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 01: Premonition – Sanctuary. Lt. Keira Stokes: Our target is Genevieve Aristide, president of Armacham Technology Corporation. Intel indicates she's holed up at her penthouse. Our job is to secure the site and take her into custody. / 1st Sgt. Cedric Griffin: Protective custody. I don't want any breakage, even if she resists. / [...] / Stokes: CentCom thinks Armacham's board of directors may be trying to cover their tracks, which could include making sure Aristide keeps her mouth shut.
↑ "Project Harbinger". Armacham Field Guide(PDF). Warner Bros. Games. 2009. p.13. Retrieved February 15, 2022. Genevieve Aristide: I have to get Becket and the special forces team into Harbinger. Becket could be the key to containing Alma.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 01: Premonition – Sanctuary. mr_x@anonymail.net: I was able to divert the Harbinger candidates to pick you up as you requested.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 02: Isolation - Awakening. Dr. Samuel York: The first three Activation surgeries appear to have been a resounding success. The fourth patient, Redd Jankowski, is still in pre-op, but the others are recovering in separate wings to minimize pre-conscious telepathic interference with each other. Once they're fully awake and stable, we'll begin the Attunement process.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 02: Isolation - Awakening. The Telesthetic Attunement Chamber (TAC) is an integral part of the Harbinger conversion process. By means of diodes implanted during the Activation process, the TAC can modulate a subject's telesthetic signal to attune it to a specified target frequency.
↑ "Threats: Replica Soldiers". Armacham Field Guide(PDF). Warner Bros. Games. 2009. pp.48–49. Retrieved February 15, 2022. Project Harbinger is designed as a workaround to the problems associated with Origin and Perseus. Because creating new psychic commanders in the style of Origin is now considered infeasible, Harbinger seeks to identify suitable candidates for forced psychic development.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 05: Provocation - Nurse's Office. York: The purpose of the Paragon Program is to identify and cultivate shining examples of the human species that we can propel forward to become superior life forms by means of the Harbinger Project.
↑ "Key Subject: Michael Becket". Armacham Field Guide(PDF). Warner Bros. Games. 2009. p.40. Retrieved February 15, 2022. Michael Becket was requested specifically for this assignment due to his excellent Paragon results as a child. Like all children put through Paragon, Becket has no memories of the procedures.
↑ "Alma Wade". Armacham Field Guide(PDF). Warner Bros. Games. 2009. p.18. Retrieved February 15, 2022. Genevieve Aristide: Alma's emotions are stunted and that may be the key to unlocking a way out of this. We need bait. We need something Alma can fixate on. Harlan would have been perfect, but I think I know exactly what to do. Just need to get Becket and the Special Forces team to the TAC, tune them to Alma's frequency, and then see if there's something she likes.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 06: Deterioration - Keegan. Halford: You're not psychically potent enough to resist Alma, so we're going to plug you into a device that will crank up your brain waves. Sadly, the only device that has enough juice for the job is on Still Island, hidden inside the old nuclear reactor. My belief is that the amplifier will theoretically make you powerful enough to defeat Alma in a battle of wills.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 07: Union - Climax. Stokes: Becket's not strong enough without the amplifier. [Alma will] absorb him. / Aristide: And then we'll lock them away. / Stokes: What the fuck is wrong with you!? Why are you doing this? / Aristide: Without Alma, I don't have any leverage. Without leverage, I don't have a future.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - Reborn. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 02: Contact. Replica Command: All squads. Foxtrot 813 has gone rogue. Shoot on sight. Repeat, shoot Foxtrot 813 on sight.
↑ Monolith Productions (2009). F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - Reborn. Warmer Bros. Games. Level/area: Interval 05: Rebirth. Paxton Fettel: Come to me. Stand before me. Let me look upon you. I've dreamed of this moment. My brother.
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