Brutal Gamer

F.E.A.R 2: Reborn (PC) Review

By Diortem - September 23, 2009 - 01:45 UTC

Something is watching…. and it sees great potential in you. Listen, and you will hear the voice that will guide you to your destiny…. FEAR 2: Reborn is the newest piece of the FEAR story, and the first expansion pack that was actually made by Monolith instead of just licensed by them. How did they do? Let’s have a peak.

Simply put, this game looks great. Weather you are looking at a building that was being built before… well… certain events in FEAR 1 and 2, or things destroyed by that event, or even glimpses into the ghostly world, the game simply looks amazing. Never too crowded, never too empty, always highly detailed, and maybe one spot early in the game that had noticeable slowdown on my (admittedly mid-range) gaming rig, I can say almost NOTHING bad about the graphics of this game.

The only complaint with the graphics is the User Interface displayed within your replicant’s helmet. It was frankly an ugly orange thing that will make you long for the sleek blue glowing UI of the main game.

Quality-wise, this game has really nice sound. The guns all sound perfect, the character chatter is every bit as on point, and the music is absolutely perfect for building the mood of tension or outright horror. The only problem is the quantity. Now, it’s understandable that there is not alot here due to the extremely short length of this DLC, but still… when you think about it, you realize how little you really got in this area.

Just like so many PC games, this game relies on the classic WASD control scheme and handles it exceedingly well. But with nothing to stand out here from any other FPS PC title, INSANELY GOOD CONTROLS is still just the standard here in PC-land.

Fast and intense, this plays very well, alternating the gameplay between tension of what is to come to some of the best gunfights in the series so far. It’s a pity the game took only 2 hours for me to finish (and Im known to take my time in games, so 1 hour is likely more then doable), because this showed pure genius right through the whole thing, and frankly when you finish, you only want FEAR 3 to be in the works all the more.

The other half of why you want FEAR 3 to be pushed forward all the more is the story. You are a Replicant dropped in to handle removing the remaining ATC  security in the building after all the shit has hit the fan… literally… in an EPA and right into the heart of the firefight. But it isn’t long till you start hearing voices… and get pulled kicking and screaming to face your destiny by a voice from the past….

What is here is exceedingly well written, but it frankly feels more like an introduction then a full plot. Even the ending leaves you looking at the screen and at first saying “holy shit” (at least if you played FEAR 1), but it isn’t long before you are left wondering what will happen next. The stage is simply set here for some seriously insane epicness. What it will be and when we will see it currently remains in the hands of Monolith and Warner Bros.

Final Verdict

FEAR 2: Reborn is an absolutely amazing DLC, and in fact puts all expansions to FEAR so far to shame. However, it’s length is a real downside. You are not getting nearly the size peice of game you expect. If you are a real fan of FEAR 2, dropping $10 on this will be no problem to you, as you are getting more of what you loved and in compressed form. But if you just kinda liked this game, feel free to pass… at least until Steam has another sale.

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