F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a first-person shooter with gameplay broadly similar to the original F.E.A.R.[4][5][6] The player's arsenal includes a handgun, assault rifle, submachine gun, shotgun, automatic shotgun, sniper rifle, nail gun, rocket launcher, laser carbine, flamethrower, and pulse rifle.[7][8] Each weapon differs in terms of accuracy, range, rate of fire, armor penetration, damage, and weight.[9] Only four different firearms can be carried at any one time.[10] The player also has access to four different types of projectile - frag grenades, incendiary grenades, shock grenades (electricity-based), and proximity mines.[11] The player can carry five of each type, and can carry all four at once (allowing for up to 20 projectiles), but only one type may be equipped at any one time.[9][10] Players can also "cook" grenades before throwing them; setting them off but holding onto them for a moment before tossing them. An on-screen meter tells the player how much time is left before they detonate.[9]
A prominent gameplay element in Project Origin is "reflex time"; an ability which slows down the game world while still allowing the player to aim and react at normal speeds. This effect is used to simulate the player character's superhuman reflexes, and is represented by stylized visual effects, such as bullets in flight that cause air distortion or interact with the game's particle system.[12] The duration which reflex time lasts is limited, determined by a meter which slowly fills up automatically when the ability is not being used.[12] The player can permanently increase the size of the meter by picking up "reflex injections".[13] Other pickups available during the game include medkits, medical injections, and protective armor (reduces the amount of damage the player takes during combat). Medical injections are automatically used as soon as they are picked up, but med kits can be stored (up to three), and used manually by the player.[14]
A new feature in the game is the ability to interact with the environment, such as upending a table or toppling a shelf to provide cover.[15] Occasionally, the player will also be able to move objects blocking their path.[16] Unlike the first game, Project Origin uses a limited regenerative health system. When the player's health drops below 30%, if the player can avoid taking damage for a certain amount of time, the health meter will start to refill automatically, but only up to 30%.[17] Iron sight aiming is also new to the game (in the first game, the camera just zoomed in slightly rather than transitioning into a true iron sight perspective).[18] The player also has access to a PDA, which contains information on current objectives, gameplay tutorials, information on the player's weaponry, and any intel the player has collected, automatically categorised into subjects.[19]
