Project Origin

[GrimeyAK]

I just got done watching an 18 minute demo video of Project Origin, and I must admit it looks like it'll be great.

video

Project Origin looks like it uses an upgraded version of the engine used in FEAR, but with noticeably better lighting effects in some areas, like flames. It also seemed as though there was better texturing and model detail than before and now they've added some interactivity to the world (though I'm not sure to what extent). In the video you can see your character kick over or push objects in the environment to create obstacles or cover. They've also brought back the full-bodied character so you can see his legs and feet and what they're doing as you vault over things. They've even added some animations like pushing buttons and whatnot. At one point in the video, the player brings up the holosight on the SMG for better aiming. I didn't see ironsights/holosights for all the weapons in the demo, so the "zoom" may be like the original FEAR on some of the weapons. One thing to notice about this demo is that the player is using a gamepad, which may mean the game was running off a console or a PC with a gamepad.

The story so far is that the game starts about 30 minutes or so before the end of the original FEAR and you are a Delta Force member. From what I've seen in the demo, I'm pretty intrigued as to what the story will be. And it still looks plenty creepy.

Edit: I've found a way that you can download the 1280x720 HD version of the video. Using Firefox you can right click on the "Right-Click to Save" link. A pop-up will come saying that you need to be an IGN Insider to download, but Firefox will still open up the right-click menu. Just click "Save Link As" and you'll be good to go. The HD download is huge, but if you're a fan it's worth it.

Edited October 7, 2007 by GrimeyAK

[migryder]

it does look great! I felt an urge to replay Extraction Point last night for some reason...so I started out..now I know why...

mig

[Malleus]

I don't like the HUD design (GRAW 360 anyone?), but the rest looks OK. Pretty much the same as FEAR though - I hope they come up with some interesting new locations, and scenarios.

[rookie]

Don't know what they have done the past years...implementing non-visible improvements ? Because the level-design still is very boring walking small dark hallways all the time. Sure the gameplay promises to be tense and I feel the difference between those cheap add-ons that are provided by the FEAR publisher who owns the rights and this sequel from the original developers of FEAR.

Of course it sucks to see the sequel to a previous PC-title on a console-video first. The usual overloaded console-interface..hopefully there'll be some PC-material soon.

A nice addition though that you can finally aim down the sight, now they have to give the game CoOp with the release and clearing the hospital aiming down the sight walking in formation and ###### each others pants will surely be fun.

Since I'm a fan of FEAR I hope for a demo and a nice story, because I really want to know why you as a Delta Force-member can move hyper-fast all of the sudden, too.

[GrimeyAK]

The devs have said that the environments are what will be found in a city, so there is a good chance of outdoor environments as well. I really want to see how that will play out. I also wanted to see if they implement situations where you've got AI teammates fighting alongside you at times. The original FEAR didn't have them. Extraction Point does have a few instances of AI teammates fighting with you, but I don't really count it as part of the what Monolith had created. This is because EP was made by Timegate Studios after Monolith left VU Games. I don't even think Monolith will consider having EP's story as canon, unless they had some hand in writing it before they left.

[rookie]

The game has officially been renamed to "F.E.A.R. 2 - Project Origin" after Activision and Vivendi came together and decided not to publish anymore "F.E.A.R."-games on their own the sold they "F.E.A.R."-name and the Warner Studios bought the title back for their Project Origin under development by Monolith.

A release is planned for the 13th of February 2009 on all platforms - PC, PS3, 360.

The video-material shown so far really prooves there is a bit more variety in the level-design this time. Now I hope "Dead Space" turns out to be the game it looks like, so that I have another Horror-game until "F.E.A.R. 2" is being released.

Edited September 9, 2008 by rookie

[migryder]

but Feb seems sooo far off....mas fear por favor! I'm wearing all three of my F.E.A.R. titles out here! boo hoo not much in the way of mods to try out for SP either...

mig

[Malleus]

Apparently, regenerating health is out, and medkits are back. I think this is a very good decision on their part.

http://www.projectorigincommunity.com/Medkit

[PwntUpRage]

FEAR 2 single player demo is now out.

http://www.fileplanet.com/196225/190000/fileinfo/FEAR-2-Demo

Yes, its good.

[WytchDokta]

From the screenshots, it looks very much like the original - the graphics don't look much upgraded. The screenshots are also very grainy.

[Malleus]

I tried the demo and I'm very disappointed. It just stinks of being a console game first and PC second.

My biggest problems are the absence of leaning, no quicksave (maybe it's just the demo though), ugly HUD that takes too much of the screen, and that grain effect is just ... not right, and you can't turn it off.

But the most annoying thing is that the game only runs in widescreen. I have an 5:4 LCD and there are two big black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, no matter what resolution I set. I mean seriously, what were they thinking?

Edited January 24, 2009 by Malleus

[migryder]

funny - the whole time I was playing through, and I just exited the demo, I was thinking this is not FEAR if I can't lean but they can! Then I thought well its a console based game for sure....you do get to throw desks over for cover, open car doors, etc...watch those vehs though! I too missed the QS, but found that the thing just places you back in game just before where you reload so maybe its real time saving sort of? I did enjoy it though, its just different for me and I replay FEAR and the expansions pretty often...the interface is too complicated for my taste. The armor suite is cool but I can't tell what the hey is going on so I just run toward anything that seems to be shooting at me with guns a blazing..throw back to AVP2 that is..I hated that armor too..I love the rocket launcher, it really does devastate and the BMG sniper rifle is cool cause a hit is a hit..no coming back from that for the baddies...I just hate fixed zoom at 10x..oh and rest easy haters of the FEAR indoor forever aspect, you can move up a street or two, but then streets like hallways are kinda linear eh? My biggest complaint..the movement felt kinda odd, but then maybe thats the console leaking through? One part was pretty creepy and thats a must for me these days...I'll buy cause it's Alma, and she is ever present..

mig

[Sup]

... PC was primary dev platform guys, any downsizing is gonna be felt on the 360 side, not the PC side.

They removed lean because they didn't want their game to have lean, not some silly technical restraint.

[PwntUpRage]

I tried the demo and I'm very disappointed. It just stinks of being a console game first and PC second.

My biggest problems are the absence of leaning, no quicksave (maybe it's just the demo though), ugly HUD that takes too much of the screen, and that grain effect is just ... not right, and you can't turn it off.

But the most annoying thing is that the game only runs in widescreen. I have an 5:4 LCD and there are two big black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, no matter what resolution I set. I mean seriously, what were they thinking?

The lack of lean, and some other issues were definately a concern.

But I also have a 5:4 LCD monitor and it didnt run in widescreen....strange.

Pretty much zero destructable environments as well.

But I loved the "scare" factor in the game. Considering I played through the original and the expansion, I thought I wouldnt be fazed by anything....but it gets pretty creepy.

Sound is very nicely done.

[Malleus]

But I also have a 5:4 LCD monitor and it didnt run in widescreen....strange.

Wow. Pics or it didn't happen.

[migryder]

"They removed lean because they didn't want their game to have lean..." and why make such an extreme tactical change from previous releases? If ya remove lean for me, remove it from the AI too...or else call it an arcadish consolish piece of run and gun...or DOOM3. Seems silly to have you turning things over for cover only to remove the ability to fully use it!

mig

[Sup]

"They removed lean because they didn't want their game to have lean..." and why make such an extreme tactical change from previous releases? If ya remove lean for me, remove it from the AI too...or else call it an arcadish consolish piece of run and gun...or DOOM3. Seems silly to have you turning things over for cover only to remove the ability to fully use it!

mig

I don't know anyone on the creative team, I wouldn't know.

Fear WAS always designed to be a very fast pased run and gun (a market of games PC gaming invented and perfected, not consoles) so maybe the developers didn't want players getting bogged down with lean and peek when they could be, you know, using the ridiculous slowmo and melee that the game is designed around?

[PwntUpRage]

But I also have a 5:4 LCD monitor and it didnt run in widescreen....strange.

Wow. Pics or it didn't happen.

I choose " it didnt happen!"

Don't know how I missed it, but your correct, it was in widescreen.

Sorry

On other forums, lots of console players complaining they got the short end of the shaft.

Might be a case of "multiplatformitus"

Can't make everyone happy with such a wide range of platforms.

I can't see them re-introduceing the lean before release though...unless it was something they cut at the last minute.

If it was, fire that decision maker and stick the FPS standard known as the lean back in.

[=warcloud=]

The pc demo is a blast, other than the rather annoying freezing/pausing glitch i'm liking what they have done so far with this game, i personaly think it's an improvement over the previous, first person weapon view and gun models/details look a lot better.

[migryder]

has anyone else finished this thing? the ending came sooner than I thought it would..there were 7 Intervals but all are long enough I guess...as seen in the demo by those who played that you'll be doing stuff you did not get to do in the other releases...I still dislike no lean, but found myself using "reflexes" more than ever before...so maybe thats a reason Monolith pulled that function...of course having ripped through FEAR 1 with that slmo mod may have leant to my use of that more often too..gawd was that ever fun to do - seemed silly to even fire a shot with that mod active..back to Alma's "I'm still kicking n screaming" sequel though...that slomo stuff never lasts long enough for me..always got caught needing just a bit more...I got prettty much all the reflex upgrades as my HUD was a near full "half-moon" by end game which I needed...I did not like the whole hand to hand you must do this "boss fight" thing and will leave that for you to experience, but its ok too as it just happens a couple of times..I enjoyed the powered armor thing much more than I expected to having played the demo...thermal view is pretty cool there..first time a booger bot did not strike utter FEAR in me...matter of fact all those encounters are quite fun indeed...same for the inviso acrobat boogers..tons of em but more fun than not! Original FEAR I hated that sound they make when you are in an area where they are - shades of trigen dread! In this sequel hearing that means more fun to come - now here and in general I liked the h2h..the maps are awesome IMO...still not open but pretty cool n sometimes very creepy anyway...shades of Delta Labs 4...some cool easter eggs..read all the cinema marquees, posters, text, etc...the intel stuff got to be a bit too much but makes your journey more interesting too...it can serve as a spoiler in places too.kinda like knowing what will happen next in a horror show..love the sniper rifle and carried one from the moment I got it, but actually did not use it except where obviously useful, unlike the AI AW50 from Far Cry I could not get the hip shot down well...if I can load levels now I may go back and practice that...still having 48 rounds can be comforting...the energy weapon is way different but cool even if it is a liittle too much like a weapon from another game...did not find much use for it either..the nail gun is different but still nice, though ammo is more sparse than in the original game and expansions..liked the smg way better and it became my weap of choice..the assault rifle is much much nicer too...the pistol has good stopping power but sufferd at the hands of special weaps..four slots fill quickly..the shotguns are ok..the sticky bomb is out an in cause it and the prox mine have been wedded into a single unit.....I like using those in tandem myself..matter of fact I had a hard time finding good cause to use the prox mines for setting up serious traps...oh well, who would not notice those things anyway...the enemies will bull rush ya at times and can become like peeved bees in places...like a flatbed tram car you must take a ride on..the holding area for "specimens" is def creepy and you will find yourself asking why do that??? Watch out for King Tut! He has buddies!

mig