Above is Alymew's entry, which came in at first place, making it the grand prize winner. She will receive a copy of the game as well as F.E.A.R. 2 and Monolith goodies.

The entries (below) round out the top five vote getters with the last three tying for fifth place. Winners will get F.E.A.R. 2 and Monolith swag. Though, we're not quite sure how we'll do the three winners who tied.






If your mask won, send us an email at kotakucontest AT gmail DOT com. If you're is one of the masks that tied for fifth place, be sure to make that clear in your email. CONGRATS.

We're giving away a copy of multi-plat horror shooter FEAR 2: Project Origin. Here's the contest:

Masks are scary, so make a mask. You can make it out mask out of anything - but the key is that you must make it and not buy it. Take a picture of yourself and send it to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom.

Kotakuland will select a winner from the group of finalists. The winner gets a copy of F.E.A.R. 2, platform of his or her choice! Everyone else gets INTERNET FAME.

Contest was slated to end tonight, but we'll give the procrastinators until Sunday night at midnight Kotaku time.

Make sure you are holding a Kotaku sign in the picture. Too many people are simply sending old Halloween pictures.

F.E.A.R. 2 [Official Site]

Kotakuite Neo Deus writes: "I have a recurring nightmare in which a shirtless Tim Curry is stalking me at a masquerade ball, dressed as the scariest thing he knows of (consequently, also Tim Curry), and suspiciously proffering an apple to me. This is my attempt to share this nightmare with you. Conveniently, this fits in with your New Year's resolution of posting more Tim Curry pictures. What are the odds?!"

UTTERLY FRIGHTENING. Oh, and even though Neo Deus is not holding a Kotaku sign, writing "Kotaku" on one's chest is A-OKAY.
Another scary entry from Kotakuite Vice552, who writes: "This is my entry to the F.E.A.R. 2 scary mask contest. Its made completely out of super sculpey. I included 2 pictures, the one labeled "scarymask.jpg" is my entry, and the one labeled "scarymaskdetails.jpg" is a compilation of pics of the steps I took making the mask, plus a detail shot woohoo! I took inspiration from the Army of 2 armored masks, (face shape and cheek bones), and then that scene from the original matrix where Neo's skin starts to cover his mouth all crazy like!"

Bravo Vice552, bravo.

Reader Chesu sends along a less scary entry, but very cool entry. Chesu writes: "When I saw the first post for this contest, only one thought entered my mind; Majora's Mask! It took a lot (a LOT!) of taping, paper mache'ing, and especially painting, but it was worth it. While it's not particularly scary, I don't expect many of the other entries to be... I'm hoping to see (and lose to!) some simple yet awesome masks, like the Imp mask from Okami, or a paper Spy mask from Team Fortress 2." So ideas from Chesu if you've don't got em!

Chesu also sends along a making of pic. We're giving away a copy of multi-plat horror shooter FEAR 2: Project Origin. Here's the contest:

Masks are scary, so make a mask. You can make it out mask out of anything - but the key is that you must make it and not buy it. Take a picture of yourself and send it to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom.

Kotakuland will select a winner from the group of finalists. The winner gets a copy of F.E.A.R. 2, platform of his or her choice! Everyone else gets INTERNET FAME.

Make sure you are holding a Kotaku sign in the picture. Too many people are simply sending old Halloween pictures.

F.E.A.R. 2 [Official Site]

Masks are scary, so make a mask. You can make it out mask out of anything - but the key is that you must make it and not buy it. Take a picture of yourself and send it to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom. Deadline is this Friday.

Kotakuland will select a winner from the group of finalists. The winner gets a copy of F.E.A.R. 2, platform of his or her choice! Everyone else gets INTERNET FAME.

Make sure you are holding a Kotaku sign in the picture. Too many people are simply sending old Halloween pictures.

To sweeten the deal, we'll also be giving away a big stash of F.E.A.R. 2 and Monolith loot to the grand prize winner and the four runners up. Yes, this contest has four runners up!

F.E.A.R. 2 [Official Site]

The winner then had to go through the underground floors of a haunted mansion in London and come face-to-face with Alma to win his prize: A new Xbox 360 and 42-inch television.

Worth it?

F.E.A.R. 2 directly follows F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon, with the story actually picking up some 30 minutes before the massive explosion that occurred at the end of the first game, following a squad of Delta Team members who get wrapped up in the experiments of the mysterious Armacham Technology Corporation and the strange psychic manipulations of the incredibly scary little girl, Alma.

Does F.E.A.R. 2 stay true to it's terrifying roots, or is the only thing we have to fear F.E.A.R. the first?

Eurogamer
A robot suit and quick-time events. If you grabbed me in a bar and asked me what was memorably new in FEAR 2 (I'm not using the bloody full stops), that's all I'd be able to come up with. While it's a rock-solid corridor shooter, the lasting impression is one of a woeful lack of inspiration. There's plenty of stuff to talk about but nothing that demands to be discussed over a drink with friends.

GameSpot
After a short exposition, F.E.A.R. 2 picks up where the original left off—with a bang...Too much description would risk spoiling the game's few surprises, which are better experienced than narrated, though as it happens, there are few enigmas to unravel. F.E.A.R. 2's story paints itself into a corner, offering very little new to players already familiar with the Project Origin referred to in the title, and nothing compelling enough to wrap newcomers into its fold. With Alma now a known quantity, paranormal secrecy has been replaced by a series of near-cliche bump-in-the-night scares and murky visions that do the unthinkable where a horror-themed game is concerned: They become predictable.

Official Xbox Magazine
F.E.A.R. 2 also takes a break from the never-ending series of office and factory hallways that made the first game drag. This time, you'll blast through the nuked-out remains of a city and then barrel through the creepiest part of the game, an elementary school. Kids are untouched - as they should be - but it's downright unnerving to see gore splashed all over the primary colors of a classroom. The fresh scenery is welcome, but the game still leaves you plodding down one too many hallways. At least it takes a break from the FPS-ing now and again to give you a few exhilarating rides.

TeamXbox
Maybe I've become desensitized, or maybe it's something about the nature of F.E.A.R. 2's gameplay that doesn't make me feel like a quivering bundle of nerves as I play it. It's hard to be scared of a little girl, even if she does have supernatural powers and wants to eat my soul, when I've got an armory on my back that would threaten the entire armies of some third world nation. At least in the Resident Evil games I feel like I'm at a disadvantage with the drought of ammo that I have to face. In F.E.A.R. 2, my rocket launcher keeps me warm at night and the monsters under the bed seem a lot less threatening.

VideoGamer
After you've settled into F.E.A.R. 2's groove (it does feel somewhat different to the majority of shooters out there), you'll find you won't want to leave. There's a certain blood-stained beauty in storming into a room, clocking four armed guys, activating slow mo, lobbing in a grenade, taking out three of them with stunning shots to the head from a close range shotgun, and then watching as the last is obliterated by the explosion. It's combat that never gets old and is more or less unrivalled. In full flow F.E.A.R. 2 looks and sounds brilliant too, bettering the original in every way, but it is a step below the very best looking games available.

Ever get the feeling we're not all playing the same game?

"If i dont win (which i'm sure i wont) at least i'll still get a cheap laugh or two," writes Chris. "And thats what it's really all about... isn't it?"

We're giving away a copy of multi-plat horror shooter FEAR 2: Project Origin. Here's the contest:

Masks are scary, so make a mask. You can make it out mask out of anything - but the key is that you must make it and not buy it. Take a picture of yourself and send it to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom.

Kotakuland will select a winner from the group of finalists. The winner gets a copy of F.E.A.R. 2, platform of his or her choice! Everyone else gets INTERNET FAME.

Oh! And before I forget: Make sure you are holding a Kotaku sign in the picture. Too many people are simply sending Halloween pictures.

F.E.A.R. 2 [Official Site]

The trained black cats, commissioned by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will be decked out in F.E.A.R. 2 cat clothing and walking around London to advertise the game.

The catvertising campaign, sure to illicit at least one PETA protest, comes at a time when U.K. superstitions are at an all time high, according to recent research.

One in five brits are more likely to follow superstitions these days thanks to the looming economic crisis and their fear of risking bad luck.

"Every day people are bombarded with so many advertising messages that it can be easy to miss them," said Charlene Allen, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment spokeswoman. "With our research telling us that Brits are actively looking out for signs of bad luck this Friday, it makes perfect sense to try and capture their attention that way."

If you're into the game, or just want a free set of F.E.A.R. 2 pajamas for your cat you can actually request some from Warner Bros. by calling 020 7841 6668. Unfortunately, that's limited to the U.K.... for now.

UPDATE: Yes, we killed them, and the cat shirts are completely sold out.

[Pics]

Masks are scary, so make a mask. You can make it out mask out of anything — but the key is that you must make it and not buy it. Take a picture of yourself and send it to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom.

Kotakuland will select a winner from the group of finalists. The winner gets a copy of F.E.A.R. 2, platform of his or her choice! Everyone else gets INTERNET FAME.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin [Official Site]

Not as creepy as I think it should have been, but it still manages to work a couple of good startles in there.

Judging by this short look at F.E.A.R. 2, it looks like it's more of the latter. Don't forget, boys and girls, you need to be 18 or older to watch the video.

I have to say, I do admire Nurse Lauren's commitment to delivering her lines even though she knows not one dude is listening to a goddamn word she's saying. I've watched it five times and I still have no idea what this is about. Except I'd like that platinum level service. With a happy ending.

"Fear Away" [Monolith d/b/a Armacham]

Talking to CVG, Matthews said the Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate expansion packs, made by TimeGate Studios, may have brought some new people to the brand — "and killed off a few."

Says Matthews:

"[TimeGate] took the story in a direction that we didn't intend. We look at Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate as an alternate universe, a 'what could have been', and because of that it doesn't necessarily diminish the story that we were trying to tell. F.E.A.R. was about Alma, F.E.A.R. 2 is about Alma, and we wanted to continue the story the way we originally intended."

Less-than-fawning reviews of those expansions, plus some mehs for the console ports of original F.E.A.R., might have the brand in a slump, Matthews suggests in chucking Day 1 Studios under the bus. Day 1 built the 360 and PS3 versions of F.E.A.R., which didn't do as well as the PC version. Matthews vows that 360 and PS3 versions of F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin will be closer to their PC counterpart (also due in 2009) than was the case with the original.

Ports and Expansions "Killed Off a Few" F.E.A.R. Fans [CVG]

Witness F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin multiplayer quality assurance guy Lucas Meyers battle his way valiantly through this terrible parody of "Walking In A Winter Wonderland", "Walking In A Deathmatch Wonderland". While it is truly painful to listen to, it at least contains some footage of F.E.A.R. 2 multiplayer.

And Christmas was going so well. Thanks a lot, Monolith!

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Community Site [Official Site]

The small metal case was found inside a storage locker a short drive from my home, following directions that arrived via a mysterious letter in the mail. For the past week I've been staring at this thing, idly running through the numbers now and then to see if I might stumble across the unlock code, to no avail. Now a post on the Project Origin community forums from a user named Caseman has revealed the combination. Anyone have money on 332?

Hit the jump for a video of the case opening, and more questions.

Oh, and the flash drive contained another message from the shadowy figure, this time with clips of top-secret Armacham Technology Corporation experiments on unlocking the latent psychic powers in ordinary humans, which I probably shouldn't post.

What. The. Hell. Filled with creepiness, no? Not only did they have my mailing address, the storage facility was but a 2 minute drive from my house, so following my traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the accompanying nap, I drove out into the cold, dark night to an empty storage facility in a part of town that certainly wouldn't win any awards, just to see what the hell was going on here.

As any regular watcher of supernatural television fiction - The X-Files, Fringe, etc. - empty storage facilities are extremely spooky. Just rows and rows of locked doors under flickering florescent lighting. The ride to the second floor in a giant freight elevator would have been harrowing, but recent games have taught me that elevators, once devices used for high drama, are now simply used for seamlessly loading new areas.

Entering the new area I quickly found the correct door, unlocked the padlock (which is still in my possession because hey - free padlock), and discovered a tiny, locked silver case sitting in the center of the cold concrete floor.

Go go dramatic effect!

I brought the case home, and realized that the letter had also been packed with a DVD. On it, the following video message:

Attention Mr Spookyman: It's very hard to tell no one about any of this while still posting an image of the case. Besides, no one goes to that much trouble masking their voice and appearing all shadowy when they don't want attention.

Anyway, all we know so far is:
1. This has something to do with F.E.A.R. 2, previously known as Project Origin.
2. There is something going on in New York, which is a great deal north of where I live.
3. Shadowy figure is all shadowy.
4. Someone associated with this project knows how to use Google Maps.
5. The case has a three-digit combination, which I theoretically could crack way before December 5th, though it would ruin the dramatic tension.

For now, we wait. I have the case sitting next to me, and every once in awhile I turn the tumblers randomly, just to see if it opens. I suppose I could start from 000 and work my way up to 999, but they know where I live, so it might be wiser to simply leave well enough alone.

Tune in next week for the hopefully dramatic conclusion to the Case of the Case Case. Cue dramatic cliffhanger music!

Know what's so maddening, both as an Australian and a fan of common sense? It's not the fact the country lacks an R18+ rating. That issues been argued to death. No, it's the inconsistency. Silent Hill, and now this, get the chop because (presumably in this case, since we don't know exactly why) they're violent horror games. And yet Gears of War 2 gets the OK when you are at times literally swimming in blood.

[OFLC, thanks Travis!]

Thankfully, amid the sloughing off of Sierra brands at Activision Blizzard, Project Origin has secured its originally intended title and will be known from this day forward as F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. The official site writes that developer Monolith Productions and publisher WB Games have purchase the rights to the F.E.A.R. name, most assuredly helping its chances at retail. (We still liked "Dead Echo" better!)

Project Origin Renamed - F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin [Project Origin]