Video Game Review: ‘F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn’ a Missed Opportunity With Weak Expansion

CHICAGO – When “F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin” was released earlier this year, it took me awhile to get into the rhythm of the game and to realize what worked about the title.

Video Game Rating: 2.5/5.0

“Project Origin” was an underrated, atmospheric shooter, a game that switched from straight-up action to pure terror in the blink of an eye, but it wasn’t a hit for me right out of the gate, as true atmosphere takes time to build. The repetition of the first few hours of the game quickly gave way to an addictive, excellent experience. Perhaps that’s why the recently-released DLC expansion, “F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn” simply doesn’t work for me. By the time I grew accustomed to the world again, it was over.

F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Interactive

With “Reborn,” fans of the franchise pay ten bucks for four new single-player levels and new multiplayer modes. The mission levels feature the character of Replica Soldier Foxtrot 813 and promises to tell the story of the chaos of Alma’s aftermath from an entirely new point of view.

F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn Photo credit: Warner Bros. Interactive

As the expansion begins, you’re dropped into the ruined city of Auburn and tasked with finding the rest of your squad, but supernatural events start to beckon you to betray your orders and kill your fellow soldiers. A story set in the same timeline as “Project Origin,” the concept of “Reborn” had the potential for a great bonus to a very good game.

So why is “Reborn” a disappointment? It runs under two hours, plays very repetitively, and, ultimately, doesn’t capture the unique surge of adrenalin that most players had during the first title. “Reborn” plays more like an afterthought than a complete, well-designed alternate story or continuation of the main title. It also really sucks that the game only uses one save slot, so if you are playing through “Project Origin” again on a higher difficulty level than the first time or have yet to finish it, you’ll lose that progress if you want to play “Reborn”.

The multiplayer portion is known as “Slow-Mo Deathmatch,” a new function that allows players to obtain a slow-mo powerup during multiplayer deathmatch, gaining a short-term advantage in online play but also making them a serious target for other players.

Before you go and buy “F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn,” check out this video of the action you should expect:

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com