F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn demo now available

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Studios have released a demo for F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn, the next F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin DLC pack, via Playstation Network and Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The demo gives you some quality hands-on time with the single-player campaign, featuring four all new levels. F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn immerses gamers in the aftermath of Alma’s destruction with a mysterious new point-of-view: that of Replica Soldier Foxtrot 813.

F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn will be available for purchase on September 3 via PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE. Updates for the PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360 will also be released on the dame day and will include Slow-Mo Deathmatch mode capabilities.

Meet Loose Cannon Studios

Loose Cannon Studios has opened its doors in Seattle, Washington this week. The company founded by Dev Madan and Matthew Scott, formerly of Sucker Punch Productions, and Ricci Rukavina, who held creative and production positions at Universal Interactive Studios, Vivendi Games and The Walt Disney Company. The founders at Loose Cannon Studios have a collective 40 years of experience in the game industry.

Dev Madan worked as a freelance illustrator and comic book artist for Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Dev also helped launch Humongous Entertainment and worked at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helped lead the development on Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.

Technical Director and Co-Founder of Loose Cannon Studios, Matthew Scott has spent over 10 years in the game industry. He has held a number of interesting jobs over the years including Crave Entertainment and Monolith and worked on a number of critically-acclaimed titles, such as No One Lives Forever and the Sly Cooper series, more recently lending his expertise to the upcoming PlayStation 3 title, Infamous.

President and Co-Founder Ricci Rukavina started his entertainment career at Amblin Entertainment - Steven Spielberg’s film production company behind E.T.: the Extra Terrestrial - where he immersed himself in the world of digital filmmaking. Ricci worked on a string of blockbuster film properties spanning Jurassic Park, Alive and Twister. The experience led him through the doors of Universal Interactive Studios and Vivendi Games, where he served as Creative Director, working on the Spyro the Dragon series and led development of several titles including The Thing and Scarface. His experience and success took Ricci to The Walt Disney Company, where he served as Vice President of Creative/Product Development for several years.

Loose Cannon Studios is currently developing an original IP for next-generation consoles that will be announced in the coming weeks. The company is also developing another wholly original IP built upon Loose Cannon Studio’s singular vision to create a new breed of inventive entertainment products. We wish them luck. Learn what there is to know at www.loosecannonstudios.com.

F.E.A.R. 2 Ships

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, ships to retail stores in North America today for Xbox 360, PS3 and Games for Windows. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is billed as a true sequel to the original F.E.A.R., ignoring the spin-offs and expansions that followed, instead picking up after the events of the first game.

Naturally the game is rated “M” for “Mature” by the ESRB. We’ll have a full review of the game very soon.

Project Origin Becomes F.E.A.R. 2

Some good news came out of Burbank this week: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has changed the name of action horror game Project Origin to F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. I am certainly happy that Monolith’s follow-up to the original game now has the proper moniker. The game with the spiffy new name will be published by Warner Bros. Interactive on February 10, 2009 in North America and February 13, 2009 in Europe. Here’s what WBIE had to say about the name change:

“The name addition builds upon the strong game recognition, which we will extend as we move forward reinventing the F.E.A.R. brand,” said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin will continue the legacy of the original F.E.A.R. game with story and combat while adding new twists, gameplay and graphics to expand the players’ experience.”

Project Origin was to be published under the Sierra label owned by VU Games, which was all but abandoned by Activision Blizzard after the merger. WVIE bought back the rights to the game from the company, who was glad to sell it off and move on. I guess it’s a win-win for everyone.

Check out our coverage of the game before it became F.E.A.R. 2 in our Project Origin Preview.

Project Origin Screens

It’s still F.E.A.R. and it’s still cool. See the new screens from E3.

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