F.E.A.R. Is Back in the Hands of Monolith

Monolith is sending word that it has reacquired the rights to use the F.E.A.R. name and that is has decided to rename Project Origin F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin to better show the link between the original game and the sequel which is currently in production.

The original F.E.A.R. was also made by Monolith but, at the time, they were working for Sierra. The game, which is a mix of tactical action and horror sequences that feature Alma, has done well both critically and commercially so a sequel was decided upon. The problem was that Monolith and Sierra parted ways with the developer holding on to the rights to all the characters and the technology in the game while Sierra retained the use of the name F.E.A.R., meaning that the intellectual property of the game was essentially split in two.

Now Sierra is pretty much a thing of the past, with parent company Activision Blizzard canceling most of the games that it was working on, including a supposed sequel to F.E.A.R. that was never showed to the public. Faced with its new situation, Sierra has decided to sell the rights to the name back to Monolith, which is now truly producing a sequel, both in spirit and in name.

So, First Encounter Assault Recon is back in the hands of its original developer and, in February 2009, we are set to see the new game in action. The developers say that they are aiming for a darker sequel, in which there are more ways of tackling each challenge and where the fights are tougher than in the original game. Judging by early gameplay videos, it seems that the player will also be able to use a powered suit of armor which appeared as being great fun. The creepy little Alma is also set to play a more central role in the story of the new game.