Perseus Mandate is a mixed bag. The earlier portions of the game consist mostly of monotonous, repetitive gameplay, with only the occasional bright spot, and enemies and levels (office buildings, parking garages, and sewers, oh my) that seem to be lifted directly out of the original game. But this is somewhat balanced out by a much more enjoyable second half. The story is weak; if you're not well versed in the F.E.A.R. mythology, you'll likely be totally lost/completely uninterested. But the various scripted events are enjoyable, and the characters and voice acting are solid.
Even the graphics are inconsistent; earlier levels, while not exactly poor looking, certainly appear dated, but like the gameplay itself, they (inexplicably) improve about halfway through. What this all adds up to is a decent but not particularly impressive package.
Is it scary? One unexpected moment made me jump out of my skivvies, and there's at least one death scene that gentler gamers may find highly unpleasant, but in general, Perseus Mandate stays firmly in the realm of mildly creepy, and not so much flat-out frightening. While they may not be particularly scary, the brief scripted sequences of paranormal activity are nevertheless entertaining, and it wasn't long before I began to look forward to my sensor lighting up and indicating some paranormal event was about to take place, just to see what the game would come up with next.
Upping the creepiness factor is an occasional encounter with the main villains, Paxton Fel, and Alma. The cannibalistic Fel shows up with increasing frequency to taunt you via cryptic words and unpleasant visions, while problem child Alma makes only a few appearances, but they're memorable ones, with her doing what she does best – namely walking into a room filled with people and leaving it with the walls covered in their blood and body parts.
The first half of the game quickly becomes monotonous. You have the same fight with the same enemies in the same environment, over and over. You're forced to endure three or four hours of highly repetitive gameplay, broken up only very infrequently by encounters with the Nightcrawlers (a new and fairly interesting mercenary force) or some paranormal event, and one standout sequence in which you're chased from room to room by a rampaging mech. But other than a handful of such moments, it's all very uninspired.
About halfway through the game, things do get more interesting, beginning with a chapter that's kicked off by the explosion that takes place at the end of the original game. Not only does the explosion trap you underground, but it also unleashes numerous creepy crawlies for you to deal with, including one or two that we haven't seen before. This is easily the tensest part of the game – it's not just that you're fighting inhuman monsters, but there's something about enemies that get up and personal to tear and slash at you, rather than simply shooting at you from a distance like most decent folk would do, that's particularly nerve-wracking.
Even worse, the creatures are often able to hide in darkness or even right under your feet, striking when you least expect it, which leads to a lot of glancing over your shoulder at the slightest noise, and a serious drain on your flashlight batteries. In much of this level, ammo is almost non-existent, and the game takes on a Silent Hill-like survivor game aspect. I ended up using just about every bullet and grenade in my inventory to stay alive, and eventually had no choice but to run from the creatures like a little girl, until I stumbled across a shotgun and was able to turn the tables. At least in terms of creepiness and atmosphere, the chapter spent underground is clearly the highlight of the game.
