FEAR 2 can essentially be considered FEAR with vastly improved graphics. The gameplay is very similar, although a couple of fun and frantic mech sessions have been added, and the general setup is the same as the first title, namely a cross between Akira and The Ring. You battle wave after wave of black-ops operatives, replica soldiers, biofreaks and supernatural entities, while the disquieting Alma makes regular appearances. The action has been more than satisfying to me. Playing at standard difficulty removes the need to use the slow motion feature and rely on quick reflexes and strategic use of cover instead. I used SloMo only in those few situations where I was not having enough fun - more specifically a few gauntlet sections throughout the game, where you are locked in confined spaces against swarms of enemies.
Apart from the hyper-action sequences, the enemy AI is quite advanced, and it provides for satisfactory confrontations. Forget brain-dead enemies flocking like… more »

FEAR 2 can essentially be considered FEAR with vastly improved graphics. The gameplay is very similar, although a couple of fun and frantic mech sessions have been added, and the general setup is the same as the first title, namely a cross between Akira and The Ring. You battle wave after wave of black-ops operatives, replica soldiers, biofreaks and supernatural entities, while the disquieting Alma makes regular appearances. The action has been more than satisfying to me. Playing at standard difficulty removes the need to use the slow motion feature and rely on quick reflexes and strategic use of cover instead. I used SloMo only in those few situations where I was not having enough fun - more specifically a few gauntlet sections throughout the game, where you are locked in confined spaces against swarms of enemies.
Apart from the hyper-action sequences, the enemy AI is quite advanced, and it provides for satisfactory confrontations. Forget brain-dead enemies flocking like lemmings to a choke point you control, only to be shot down. Try it in this game, and the best you can expect is a live grenade within five seconds. They'll use cover, flank you and generally move from place to place. A welcome addition is the possibility to "cook" grenades before throwing them, as no enemy in the game is dumb enough to stay next to a live bomb, waiting for it to detonate.
I especially loved the graphics and the visual design of the various levels. It looks like a lot of attention to detail was put into this design: when you are in a ruined city or inside a secret underground research facility, it almost looks like the real thing, even though so much of the environment is unaccessible. It's a question of both graphics processing power and artistic effort by the designers.
The main drawbacks in the game are in my opinion the excessive similarity to the first title in the series and the use of the Steam service to limit fair use. While I wouldn't recommend buying it at full price, it's still a very fine shooter for those that have a decent gaming rig.

i dont understand all the 4 and 5 stars out of 5. When it comes down to it, this is quite a hefty disapointment compared to the first game. The gun combat and 'action movie' feel of the first is just completely gone. The guns feel pitiful and weak compared to the first, and the environment damage is also considerably toned down. There was nothing quite like the destruction, mayhem and violence of the first FEAR, where you could literally tear up a room of enemies with grenades and bullet fire in slow motion. This just isnt in the game anymore.
The actual atmospherics on the other hand have been vamped up a bit, and i found myself on edge and genuinely freaked out by a lot of the creepy scenes the game threw at me. Also the story seems pretty none existant, or at least to a point where i didn't give a damn anymore about any of the characters. I still remember faces of characters from the first game, how they spoke and acted and they were generally memorable. FEAR 2 ive gotten so… more »

i dont understand all the 4 and 5 stars out of 5. When it comes down to it, this is quite a hefty disapointment compared to the first game. The gun combat and 'action movie' feel of the first is just completely gone. The guns feel pitiful and weak compared to the first, and the environment damage is also considerably toned down. There was nothing quite like the destruction, mayhem and violence of the first FEAR, where you could literally tear up a room of enemies with grenades and bullet fire in slow motion. This just isnt in the game anymore.
The actual atmospherics on the other hand have been vamped up a bit, and i found myself on edge and genuinely freaked out by a lot of the creepy scenes the game threw at me. Also the story seems pretty none existant, or at least to a point where i didn't give a damn anymore about any of the characters. I still remember faces of characters from the first game, how they spoke and acted and they were generally memorable. FEAR 2 ive gotten so far and, im afraid to say ive uninstalled it before completion. I completed FEAR 1 on all difficulties at least twice because it was that awesome.
Though i have to say the first game mixed the action and horror together absolutely perfectly, it seems this time around they have ditched the action in favour of a more horror-orientated game, and the results are, as i stated, disapointing. 3/5