Thread: F.E.A.R. 2 Demo

Thanks for reminding me. I'm off to play it now.

Just played it after you posted thread, so thanks.

Was quite entertaining but not really scary. Essentially just a shooter with cheesy hallucinations. The hallucinations don't pose any threat whatsoever so why should I be scared. I'm running around with seemingly infinite health, carrying a fucking rocket launcher, rifles, sniper, a laser gun and later enter a ginormous Mech? How am I supposed to be scared if I'm fucking Rambo and nothing can get to me?

The environments weren't scary, way too bright and lots of open spaces. It was always immediately obvious where you have to go so there was no sense of confusion or helplessness which would have helped to build at least some suspense..

The shockers were way too many so it became predictable and pointless... apart from shockers just being cheap substitutes for good design. OH NOES THE LEVEL DESIGNER PLACED ALMA BEHIND YOU, yeah I got it. Why should I be scared of Alma if she's just a gimmick with no power whatsoever? Something that I can't defeat can never defeat me... cos that would be unfair to the player... Game Design 101. So I know she can't do shit and there's no reason to be scared.

Also there were lots and lots of enemies and humans, so I didn't feel lonely at all, again something that would have added to the scariness. Oh yeah, and a baby crying, never seen that one in a horror game before.

Played Penumbra Black Plague today as well so I guess I just expected a bit more artistry than throwing around random horror props while running from A to B killing anything that comes my way. In that game you can't really kill anything and don't know where to go, so you have to explore the unknown and it's actually scary - whereas in this game you know after 2 minutes that you just have to follow the map design and nothing can kill you if you aim well.

Also, interface and controls were terrible. Couldn't get mouse sensitivity low enough, what the hell? Also, why is sprint a toggle-button? Makes no sense. Graphics were acceptable but the environment didn't feel realistic because you can barely interact with any of the objects.

6.8/10, try harder. This concludes my review.

Lol I guess you don't get scarred easily? I don't get scared easily in real life...

I remember Penumbra...that was an awesome game.

I also didn't like the controls too much...you couldn't lean left or right like in the other FEAR games...

Also, graphics seem a lot better than the other FEAR games.

Originally Posted by slayer

Lol I guess you don't get scarred easily? I don't get scared easily in real life...

I think I do get scared rather easily but really only in the psychological suspense kind of way. Gore, shock and the supernatural I find to be rather cheap and pointless. Really I don't think a good horror game needs much of that, it only needs to make you fear it.

The purpose is only really achieved if you're scared of something even when there's nothing to be scared of. Bombarding the player with imagry like this demo did just makes me fear it less and less instead of more. It's more like getting to know Alma because she's just constantly popping up like she has something important to tell me or whatever. Why can't it be more subtle and irregular? Also, when there's lots of humans around, even as enemies, I just don't get scared. I find that no more than 2 enemies at a time work best to create fear. When it's a whole bunch of them, none of them can be regarded as particularly scary... Horror is also about isolation and loneliness which is why I thought Penumbra was scary. It has only a handful of enemies and maybe 3 or 4 human corpses.

I haven't seen all that many horror movies but the first Scream I found to make effective use of suspense, as well as The Shining.

I also didn't like the controls too much...you couldn't lean left or right like in the other FEAR games...

Yea, I agree, I think Q/E leaning is awesome, though I really didn't need it in the demo since combat was pretty straightforward.

As for the interface, I just get annoyed if I have to wait 2 seconds for some effect to finish before I can use a menu. Then I have to wait again for the menu to close when I'm finished. WHAT'S THE FRICKIN POINT. Also, why do they only have ONE button for Yes/No popups? Why do I have to click twice to say no, that's fucking dumb. Who said "OK, we need to get rid of this second button in all dialog boxes"??? WHY TAKE A STEP BACK???? TWO BUTTON DIALOG BOXES HAVE WORKED PERFECTLY SINCE EARLY WINDOWS, WHAT THE FUCK.

Also, graphics seem a lot better than the other FEAR games.

Yea, I liked the different effects a lot, the particle things, the post-processing etc. Also the hallucinations looked good by all means, but more like a cool display of graphics rather than something to be scared of. I noticed that some textures and polycounts seemed a little bad. But acceptable over all.

Funny trailer

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/44752.html

I'm also sure that since this was just a demo, and like the first level, then it probably wouldn't be as "scary" as the other games where they make you feel alone and what not...

I'm sure that later in the game, things will get much better.

And lol at the trailer...

I played it at 2:00 a.m., lights off, half-asleep. I got only to the part where you get the sniper, but then I got too tired. It was creepy, but no parts made me jump out of my seat or anything.

I'm currently downloading it on my ps3, I hope its as good as you say because I didn't enjoy the first fear, it felt like doom 3 mixed with half-life or some kind of rip off.

You may not like this one if you didn't like the first...but it does look better and what not...

I think you were right, I didn't like the demo, I'll elaborate why I don't like f.e.a.r.

First off, wht the hell is going on? I see flashes of enemies everywhere that appear for like a split second and dissapear...what fun is a game when you can't see what the hell is attacking you?

Second, there was like no explanation for anything, I walk around the demo and all of a sudden stuff just happens for no reason like visions or something...to me the game isn't scary...just extremely confusing and frustrating.

I just wish I knew what the hell anything means in that game, I have a few questions:

1. What are those guys shooting at me for? who are they? why does blue stuff come out of them when shot? and why is it so hard for them to die?

2. whats with the little girl everywhere?


I don't mean to bash the game, I'm trying NOT to, I will try to play the demo again seeing as I didn't beat it because I kept dying from unexplained enemies I can't see or shoot.

Originally Posted by guerilla

I think you were right, I didn't like the demo, I'll elaborate why I don't like f.e.a.r.

First off, wht the hell is going on? I see flashes of enemies everywhere that appear for like a split second and dissapear...what fun is a game when you can't see what the hell is attacking you?

Second, there was like no explanation for anything, I walk around the demo and all of a sudden stuff just happens for no reason like visions or something...to me the game isn't scary...just extremely confusing and frustrating.

I just wish I knew what the hell anything means in that game, I have a few questions:

1. What are those guys shooting at me for? who are they? why does blue stuff come out of them when shot? and why is it so hard for them to die?

2. whats with the little girl everywhere?


I don't mean to bash the game, I'm trying NOT to, I will try to play the demo again seeing as I didn't beat it because I kept dying from unexplained enemies I can't see or shoot.

Both of those questions you had were story related to the first one.

Originally Posted by guerilla

1. What are those guys shooting at me for? who are they? why does blue stuff come out of them when shot? and why is it so hard for them to die?

Those are Replica soldiers that were being controlled by Paxton Fettel. I can't remember if he died in Extraction Point or not...
Blue stuff? I'll have to re-play it to know what your talking about...but it might just be shrapnel or whatever from their armor.
The replica soldiers were always a little tough...

2. whats with the little girl everywhere?

That's Alma. She plays a big role in all the FEAR games. You learn more about her past and what she has to do with you in Fear and Fear EP.

In Fear Persuas Mandate, you play as another person, same with Fear 2 I believe...

Ohh I see, I never bothered beating the first game because I just didn't find it fun, sort of like call of duty 4, it wasnt fun either...

I'm really picky with games

It was ok....i got the demo via steam. But could you imagine if you are walking down the street then all of a sudden you get flashes like that?

Id pee my pants if that was in real life but, games just don't scare me anymore for some odd reason, I think im desensitized

Originally Posted by guerilla

Id pee my pants if that was in real life but, games just don't scare me anymore for some odd reason, I think im desensitized

Well, after my room transformed into the downpour map for cod4, i know this is possible. Hallucinations are a funny thing sometimes. Not if this kinda hallucination happened of course, who would wanna hear voices, and see flashes of dead people?

Not me!

lol

I wish I could UN desensitize myself, I was just playing doom 3 and some other 'scary' games and I was like, borinnnnnnngg

What the hecks wrong with me? lol

Maybe you need a really ****ed up game?

What "scary" games have you played?

All of them, pretty much:

Resident Evil
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 3
Resident Evil 4
Silent Hill (that scared me about 8 years ago, not anymore)
Doom 3
Condemned (not so scary)
Left 4 Dead, its not scary...but its fun!


I don't even consider fear to be a scary game, to me its just an action game.

I really wish I was easier to scare, when it comes to games and movies...they just don't reach me anymore...like I can't get into the game...I can't explain the feeling but.

Its like a lack of emotion and feeling when I play these games, I feel no emotional response to what is on the screen, its all the same to me almost...maybe i need to get out of the house a bit more?

Originally Posted by guerilla

All of them, pretty much:

Resident Evil
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 3
Resident Evil 4
Silent Hill (that scared me about 8 years ago, not anymore)
Doom 3
Condemned (not so scary)
Left 4 Dead, its not scary...but its fun!


I don't even consider fear to be a scary game, to me its just an action game.

I really wish I was easier to scare, when it comes to games and movies...they just don't reach me anymore...like I can't get into the game...I can't explain the feeling but.

Its like a lack of emotion and feeling when I play these games, I feel no emotional response to what is on the screen, its all the same to me almost...maybe i need to get out of the house a bit more?

I don't think you need to get out of the house more...

What is your environment like? Do you play alone? Try turning off all the lights, and play at night too. Make sure your sound is turned up, but not blaring so it makes you deaf

After that, take your time. Look around a little after a fire fight. You may find something odd, or you can just stare at the weird ragdolls of the replica soldiers in FEAR.

Did you beat the first FEAR? If not, how far did you get? Because I know the beginning isn't supposed to be very scary, but as you progress, it gets scarier.

You just need to become more immersed. When you are gaming, if someone says your name and don't realize they did for a good 5 minutes... then you'll start to feel the full effects of "scary" games.

Also, if you're playing a darkness-based game, obviously you wanna have the correct gamma settings where you actually can't see much. If you just jam up gamma to the point where you can see into the darkness, it's kind of pointless.

As I said, I thought Penumbra was very scary. It might not be everyone's cup of tea (almost no fighting) but it's definitely something different. Hiding, having no way to defend yourself and having to solve puzzles to find out where to go, is way scarier than just getting shocked by gross monsters you then have to shoot. Still I would have wished for more time-limited puzzles because there's no sense of panic if you have unlimited time.

This trailer shows atmosphere, feeling and physics interaction.



You can download demos for Penumbra Overture and Black Plague from
http://www.penumbrablackplague.com/site/ageGate.php
and http://www.penumbra-overture.com/ageGate.php
respectively.

I have only played the second game (Black Plague) because it has a good mixture of enemies and puzzles. In the first game, you have to fight some enemies, in the third there are almost only puzzles. So in Penumbra 2, you have to kill 1 guy in the whole game and run away or hide a few times.

Well I usually play alone, with a light behind the screen so my eyes dont bug out, after playing just a few minutes my eyes blur up and I can never immerse myself into a game cause my eyes just blur up and i end up pausing alot and rubbing my eyes....

This only seems to happen with console games through my tv...maybe I sit too far? i really duno what it could be, pc games i can immerse into better.

I duno, i dont like feel anything from games anymore...i think ive been uber desensitized and I cant feel emotion anymore from games....i hate it

Like when I play left 4 dead i just sit calmly killing zombies by the hundreds and it doesn't like even make me blink...nor does any other supposed 'scary' game..i think theres something wrong with me

Penumbra was absolutly amazing. I've played both demos...

I really wish I could play the full game.

Edit: I wouldn't say Left 4 Dead is supposed to be scary...but it does surprise me how easily people get scarred in it. It's supposed to be a fun game. I love hearing people scream when a tank is running at them though and they start to freak out...