November Assassination #6 (SG Win)

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FEAR 2 has the unfortunate burden of being the sequel to one of the best games of all time. So it's obviously something very hard to accomplish, and while Monoltih tried to stir the pot and change a few things, it falls short from the previous game. So in comparison, it's a lackluster sequel, and probably I wouldn't recommend it only using this frame of reference.

BUT, if you forget that this is the sequel to FEAR, it becomes a pretty decent shooter in it's own rights. Sure, it's linear, and not super innovative, but at the end of the day this is a fun, mindless 10-hour campaign that actually was scarier than the first game, but with worse tactical aspects to the shooting. Let's break it into more detail.

Graphically, the game is not that different from FEAR 1, which means graphics that still hold out in 2025. The first third of the game is visually pretty boring, kind of reminiscent of the first game with its office cubicles and hospital corridors, but when it goes to the school and the underground vault and test facilities, the game starts to look more like itself and less like its predecessor. I'm for none very fond of the level design, and the look and feel of the game. It's also scarier during certain sequences, and I was very creeped out at many, many points, more than in the former. Much of that heavy lifting is provided by the sound design, which remains pretty good in this installment.

Where this game suffers versus the first one is in the gameplay. FEAR 1 was known for it's incredible AI and the tactical aspect of the gunfights, with leaning being a major part of the game. Here, enemies are less coordinated among themselves, and lack a sense of self-preservation. They frequently jump in the line of fire, and except for the few times they flush you out with grenades or in certain situations where they overwhelm you by sheer numbers (like the Still Island tram section), the game was usually much easier than the sequel.

The mech sequences were an incredible add-on that I thought never got old, considering it wasn't overused, and the gun lineout was different from the first game, but still had many interesting weapons. This time you can have four weapons on hand, and I usually kept the SMG and Assault Rifle throughout the whole game, switching the other two between one for mechs (usually missile launcher or laser) and one for tougher enemies (generally the nail gun, renamed here as the hammerhead, and the sniper rifle). I kind of don't love the HUD, but it didn't bother me too much.

So, if you're expecting more FEAR, don't buy this. But if you just want a regular shooter with some jumpscares and a plot that doesn't really matter, this is a great way of spending 10 or so hours