the supposed f.e.a.r. successor is really only successful in replicating the spectacle of its main influence's combat. aside from the flair of gunfights, supernatural themes, and enemies that yell into crunchy mics, trepang2 is a wholly different experience. the maps are larger, the game throws hordes of enemies at the player, and it's really not that scary compared to f.e.a.r. trepang2 is instead about doing what it says in the steam description: making you the "ultimate badass." as cringe as the word can be, it's the defining word of the power fantasy that this game set out to create. enemies fly like feathers, and your guns pulverize flesh into a paste. almost effortlessly, the game makes you feel powerful. gunfights are the main meat and potatoes here. guns are deafening, and the excessive particles almost make f.e.a.r. run for its money if it wasn't so blinding half the time and also how f.e.a.r.'s environment was more reactive due to how small the arenas were. i'll be honest, i only really played this because the demo was cool, but i only played that because i thought it would be more like f.e.a.r.. instead, this is an attack on your senses. f.e.a.r. was more methodical, slower paced. trepang2 is a lightning bolt shot out of a cannon. the visuals will overwhelm you with the particles and incredibly dark lighting. the hordes of enemies will send you into a panic. then to top it all off, you have to manage bullet time, ammo, invisibility, and stamina. the combat is a test to see how far you can push yourself, an enduring battle with overstimulation. i like this direction, even more so with how it creates a sense of resource management with your abilities while also constantly being aware of your positioning. It's tense. It's exuberant. It's a fun time. the ai is competent while also being dumb at the same time. you can outsmart them, but they can certainly outplay you with a good flank if you dont keep them in check. thats one thing trepang2 differs from f.e.a.r., the enemy ai doesnt feel as menacing or cooperative. The clone soldiers in that game were truly scary foes mainly due to f.e.a.r.'s immaculate level design. in trepang2, the enemies sometimes just run around looking for you instead of using their environment to their advantage. for as much as i compare trepang2 to f.e.a.r., they really are two different games just with some similar mechanics and themes. trepang2 is a good game but one so derivative of what came before and what the developers find cool that it sometimes felt hard for it to show its voice. from the obvious f.e.a.r. inspirations to scp-like agencies to a fucking backrooms level (yes, there is for some reason a BACKROOMS level in this game), trepang2 continuously wears its inspirations on its sleeve like it was its favorite sweater instead of showing the cool ass shirt beneath it. but you could see that shirt only in moments of its acrobatic destruction of blinding viscera and screaming opfor radios. its globe-trotting campaign was also a good unique aspect of the game. i really liked how it had a hub, but even better was how each mission was set in a new part of the world with sometimes different objectives. the side missions were alright for the most part, mostly being wave defense objectives, but the one horror-focused mission was probably when the game did horror at its best since it never overstayed its welcome and felt more original. one thing it did right was its higher focus on action, because even if f.e.a.r. was its main influence it didnt have to be just as horror-centric. the horror in this game isn't great for the most part, but it was competent at its best while riffing off of some dumb internet horror trend at its worst.

trepang2 is fucking obscene, and i love it for that. but i wanted it to be more comfortable in being that instead of relying on past works from other people. it has a foundation made of great inspirations and almost succeeded in fully separating itself from them through its mystery and thrilling combat. then again, even though it's not something completely original, it's a very good time for turning human bodies into a red mist from just one shot of a spas-12 shotgun. it's been too long since ive used a shotgun this good. recommended if you want to fuck shit up.