E3 2008: Project Origin

E3 Disclaimer: Kombo’s E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what’s shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.

What the Game’s About

The title may be different, but F.E.A.R. fans will be right at home with this sequel. (Plus, S.E.A.R. doesn’t make for the best title.) This time around, you’ll be stepping into the combat boots of Michael Becket, a Delta Force operative, instead of the first game’s hero. The game takes place right after the first F.E.A.R wrapped up, so it’s best to just forget about the two expansions released by Vivendi Universal. And while you’re at it, why not give F.E.A.R.’s drab office environments a tender kiss goodbye as well? In Project Origin, you’ll be traversing a ruined cityscape that’s far more open than F.E.A.R.’s unimaginative paperwork factory.

What’s Hot

Where to begin? Truth be told, this game really surprised me. As a couple of the good fellows at Monolith guided me through the demo, I squealed with unbridled glee more times than I could count. (“So like, two?” Real clever.) F.E.A.R.’s slow-mo powers return in full force, and are just as essential to your survival as before. While being dog-piled by enemies in any other FPS may spell insta-death, in Project Origin, it’s simply an excuse to showboat. Step one: hit the slow-mo button, step two: whip out your sniper rifle, steps three-???: send a few slugs into the poor saps who thought they’d bagged the big one. And yes, the slow-mo gore fountain is, of course, wonderfully cathartic.

But don’t think you’ll have an easy time arranging the aforementioned ballet of violence; Project Origin’s enemies are just as ruthless as they are intelligent. Give them an inch, and they’ll take your head. Luckily, that’s where the game’s brand new outdoor environments come into play. Cars, desks, and whatever else you might find amongst the dirt and detritus of the once not-destroyed city can quickly be turned into cover with the press of a button. Even better, your character makes proper adjustments to that which he declares cover-worthy –- urgently kicking desks over and nearly ripping car doors off their rusted hinges.

If that were all, however, then there’d be little reason to transport F.E.A.R.’s stylish action outside of a cramped office building’s sterile walls. No, the city’s true potential is only fully realized once rockets start a flyin’. In Project Origin, most every vertical surface is destructible, which adds a whole new dimension to its gameplay. Enemies can cower all they want, but that brittle, dilapidated wall is only standing strong until I say otherwise. And don’t even get me started on the mechs. I’d actually need a new preview section called “What’s On Fire – and Exploding” to do them justice.

What’s Not

What’s not? Not a whole lot. In the build I played, the graphics were a tad rough in places, but since the game is still a ways off, that’s not too surprising. The same goes for the framerate, which stuttered when the action heated up. Again, however, don’t chomp your fingernails in fear for the game; the developers still have plenty of time.

At this point, the biggest question mark definitely hovers above the game’s story. Monolith hasn’t exactly been candid with it, and coming out of E3, we still don’t know much more. Recently, one Monolith staffer went on record as saying that Monolith wasn’t entirely satisfied with F.E.A.R.’s story, and at E3, their reason became clear. Put simply, they didn’t think F.E.A.R.’s horror element meshed well enough with its gameplay. Alma would pop up, the player would say “Eek!” and then it’d be business as usual again. F.E.A.R. fans noted the blatant disconnect, and Monolith aims to fix it. Sadly, the level I played was too full of madcap action to be concerned with scaring me pantsless, so I can’t say whether or not Monolith has fixed F.E.A.R.’s most glaring issue.

Outlook

Project Origin is, without a doubt, my personal “Sleeper Hit of E3” (C’mon, back of the box quote!), and I had a ton of fun with it. If its horror element plays nice with its gameplay, gamers will be in for a real treat when the game launches this holiday season.