F.E.A.R. 2 - Luke warm reviews are all wrong. Read why this game is actually red hot. BLOOD UPDATE INCLUDED !!!
I'm convinced that many reviews were written while the reviewer was in the midst of playing the game. These people play hundreds of games and write hundreds of reviews. Don't tell me they won't take short cuts. The reviewers that gave this game top scores probably played it to it's conclusion and in return, they were rewarded with the same fulfillment that I was upon finally reaching the credits. You simply cannot judge this game by playing the first couple levels.
F.E.A.R 2 does what is supposed to be done in a First Person Shooter. I.D Software, the inventors of Doom and of the FPS genre, wrote the book for this type of game. If a game maker designs a FPS, they follow the rules. You can't make a chocolate cake if the recipe is wrong. The ingredients for a successful FPS are these:
1. There are pick ups.......health, weapons, ammo, pass keys...etc.
F.E.A.R 2 implements these "pick ups" in beautiful fashion. The health is in two forms....quick injections and health packs. Neither are so plentiful that you are always in great health. You have to stretch your health and look for these medical assists. Weapons and ammo are dropped by fallen foes or are located in out-of-the-way corners and so on. Upon discovering any of these things, the gameplay design in F.E.A.R. 2 makes it feel very rewarding, not to mention life saving. Each pick up is lightly highlighted for identification and they look perfect for what they are.
2. No "role-playing" elements need to be in the game. No game altering decisions are to be made by the player. The game makers "script" the game for the most satisfying outcome. Most of the game path should be and should remain linear, all while giving a totally wide open environment immersion to the player. You may have to find your path...but there is always a path to find. F.E.A.R. 2 is spot on in both the way the game progresses for the player and in the way your thought process naturally leads you to the next gameplay element.
3. Guns....shooting.....explosions.....blood.....ragdoll physics.....more guns....more shooting....more explosions.....
You get the idea. FPS need a variety of weapons that sound, shoot, feel and perform in an exciting and authentic fashion. You need to have the ability to carry a few weapons also....not just one gun that runs out of ammo around every corner. The player needs to be armed to dish out some damage. F.E.A.R. 2 completes this criteria for the FPS recipe.
4. A story. An innovative, immersive and mostly fictional story that holds the players attention. A terrific game story can take a good game and make it a world-class game. In the case of F.E.A.R. 2, not only is the story extremely well written.....it captivates the player with a topic that is controversial and largely unknown. Let's add scary. If you would rather fight the Germans, this is probably not the game for you. F.E.A.R. 2 is a story of a destructive paranormal girl named Alma. Her powers reach out far beyond the grave.
Sounds good to me.
IF YOU ARE PLAYING A GAME that calls itself a FPS, but does not follow this recipe, I would call that game something like an "Action-Adventure". Which is fine, but all of these reviewers that are calling for "innovation" from all of the new First Person Shooters games are not remembering why they exploded onto the video games landscape with such immediate success.
BLOOD UPDATE-best use of blood effects in any game, Gears of War included. Without getting to detailed, let me just say that you will actually "chuckle" at some of the fun, over-the-top use of blood damage. There are moments that will surprise you, and times that it will shock you.
F.E.A.R. 2 is a joy to play through.....ALL THE WAY THROUGH. It does every thing right, gets better with every level, and at the end....you can have your chocolate cake and eat it too.