Assassin Hana Tsu-Vachel returns in this pulse-pounding sequel
along with three other characters who are all battling to unlock the secrets to the lethal
genetic epidemic EINDS while fighting for not only their paychecks, but their lives. The
characters must use their fire-power, solve puzzles, and above all, control their fear
factor to survive the toughest mission yet. The year is 2028, and our crew must move
through a variety of environments, ranging from dark laboratories, ritzy parties, and
Chinese tombs, to the land of the immortals, Penglai Shan, and find a cure for both this
disease and the evil behind it. This game has evolved from its predecessor and is an
interesting and often intense experience for any gamer.For those of you who are new to
the series, Fear Effect is a Resident Evil style game that incorporates a variety of
puzzles as well as action sequences to create a plot-driven adventure in the life of a
sexy assassin, Hana. During predetermined moments in the game, control is switched to one
of the other three characters to allow you to meet multiple game objectives. Hana is most
often the main focus, with her girlfriend Rain (a cerebral, yet equally lethal, babe with
a dark past) coming in a close second for time in the spotlight. The two male characters,
Glas (a justice seeking ex-counter intelligence agent) and Deke (an evil Aussie hitman for
hire) are minor characters who round out the cast and create variety in gameplay. As for
the title, there are no health meters in this game for our characters. Instead, there is a
fear meter which measures your characters anxiety about the situations he or she is
facing. When your characters are injured or they face terrifying situations, their fear
level increases (their heart monitor increases palpitation and turns from green to blood
red) and when they are most agitated, they can be taken out with just one hit. They pack a
variety of gear and weapons as well as picking up items from the game environments to help
them along the way. This game has evolved nicely from the original, capitalizing on its
strengths and adding some new elements. There are still some negative aspects, but the
game is a strong one overall.
One
of my biggest problems with this game, left over from the first, is the camera, or rather,
the fixed perspective on-screen. I realize that many people appreciate the visual detail
that this perspective allows and feel more comfortable in a fixed environment, but the
negatives outweigh the positives for me. First, the fixed perspective doesnt allow
you to look at the entirety of the given gamespace without movement. I guess I got spoiled
by Tomb Raider, where you can get a 360-degree view of a room without taking a step. I
also think that an enforced focus causes depth perception problems when maneuvering within
an environment as well as when attempting to target enemies. It makes things increasingly
difficult in larger environments when, as the perspective shifts, the pathways look very
different from the original view, which makes it hard to tell where youre going or
where youve been. And finally, many times youre given a far away view when the
ability to see close up would be extremely helpful (especially during fights).
For
the most part, this game handles the view well, but there were two specific instances
where the view created serious issues. I ended up replaying the first level because I had
missed picking up a vital item during gameplay. I spent an hour replaying only to find
that a room which had continually shown three doors actually had a fourth door that
required your character to walk straight toward the screen for a while until the
perspective changed to reveal the forth wall. Now granted, this is my faux pas, but when
you are continually given an enforced view, your mind tends to start accepting what it is
shown. The second time was in a garden maze. In a game where you only have one view, a
maze is insane. Luckily, the maze only had about three options, but why include something
that is so problematic with that camera that it cant be made challenging? These
examples are specific, but more generally, it really is difficult when you come to a new
room and youre being attacked by floating demons to know if your environment can
give you any benefits (hiding places, doors, special objects, etc.) A different setup
would allow for more interactive environments and would make it tons easier to move
through the game.
Another
element I have issues with is the placement of puzzles versus action during gameplay. In
the second major level, Rain is given puzzle after puzzle with no action interspersing
them. Granted, Rain is the computer expert, but I got pretty burnt out after the third
one. Some of the puzzles have readily available answers in the surrounding environment,
which was a major downer to the first game, but others are more challenging and require
some thought. This is not a place in the game you can play in the wee hours of the morning
with that glazed Ive-been-playing-for-hours look. You need to be fresh and frosty,
and it still gets a bit trying. Luckily, later in the game the puzzles are spaced out more
evenly, and Hana and Glas are given puzzles which were a little more action oriented. I
think this is one of the places where the writers could still add more depth to the game.
Dont get me wrong, this is an improvement from the first installment and this game
gives you a lot of variety by making you do everything from re-wiring fuses to playing
capture-the-flag D&D style, but there were some puzzles that were either lame or
lacked any game-related logic to their presence. I think if and when we see Hana again,
the puzzles should be pretty phenomenal.
The last
downer to the game was the use of the Mature rating. The first level really tried to use
the blood-and-guts quotient as well as giving us some sexual titillation. However, there
was a line that the creators just werent willing to cross. For example, Rain is
captured by a slavering zombie technician who hooks her to a "Barbarella style"
torture machine, but there isnt any nudity in this scene, even with this risque
setup. The advertisements also made much of the relationship between Rain and Hana, but
the only things we are given are suggestive language and situations, and some slinky party
dresses. The gravity defying breasts dont count, as many games with more
conservative ratings have those. On the whole, the hype was only supported by the first
level. After that, it was a pretty normal level of gore, etc. This may not be a critique,
but I felt a little cheated by the hype when all I got was one level of mild Total Recall
and the Swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated. Im not depraved, Id just like
the advertising to match the product and for a game whose plot is set up for adult themes
and situations to really make the most of those elements. (This doesnt mean the game
is OK for the kiddies by any stretch of the imagination, but it still could push the
Mature envelope more.)
So what is
it that is so impressive about this game? The story is pretty fabulous, and the situations
that are given present tons of variety for gameplay and visuals. We start out in the
gritty tech world of twenty-first century Hong Kong, move through high society parties,
then find ourselves in ancient ruins and Chinese tombs and finally, we land in the
"afterlife" realm of the immortals. We get to fight killer robots, sunglassed
mafia types, ancient statuary, rock demons, and match wits with Chinese warlords and the
best minds in tech. This game attempts to blend the cerebral with the physical, and I
appreciate that immensely. The graphics, sound effects, and background music are all
solid. The creators also got rid of some of the insanely difficult (read impossible)
situations from the first game that almost required cheat codes to get through. It takes a
skillful player, but doesnt require outside aid. The game is also pretty involved. I
spent about 14 hours on this game, and if you space out your playing time, this four disk
set can give you quite a bit of bang for your buck.
While not
yet perfect, this game is entertaining and a solid bet for any gamer who likes the action
adventure genre. Although I was occasionally frustrated, I was never bored, and was often
surprised by the paths this game took and its breadth and scope. If you liked the first
title, and RE style fixed focus doesnt bother you, this game is a must buy. And for
everyone else who loves this genre, this is a safe bet for your buck.