Fear Effect review

Game: Fear Effect
Platform: PlayStation
Genre: Action
Developer: Kronos Digital Entertainment

Reader review by carcinogen_crush

November 19, 2007

Barring how incredibly easy each of its three difficulties are Fear Effect stands in the center of an awestruck crowd. Code Kronos’ masterwork shamelessly shows off a smirk.

By combining the spirit of PC point-n-click adventures of yore with shades of stealth oriented combat and a highly stylized crime drama meets demonology plotline, Kronos has engineered a voyage that attains individuality while being familiar enough to make the play experience feel like reuniting with a missing (and well loved) relative.

The decision to forgo a traditionalized menu system means that your characters’ inventory is always available on the fly. For the times that you’re caught in a passive crouch by a well-armed Chinaman, you need only tap the square or circle to swap out your melee weapon for a more combatable .45.

Whichever of the three alternating roles you’re assuming, the mechanics work all the same, for better or worse. The stable template means that you’re never confused about the type of actions the character has available, but also that your standard variety sneaking and action sequences eventually become a matter of indifference.

Nonetheless, it was a nice gesture to give each Hana, Royce and Jakob a unique asset. My favorite of the trio - Aussie Jakob “Deke” DeCourt - for example, has his coolness cemented by lugging a set of personalized hand cannons and cracking skulls with a brass knuckle. The other two have theirs about them, but pale slightly in comparison to the dark complexioned bruiser; Royce will slap goons with a blackjack and Hana …

Hana is gorgeous. Everyone knows that beauty can help you out of a tight situation every once in a while.

It’s no doubt that many will find the repetitious action segments a bore and the Tomb Raider-esque controls a chore, but the finer elements make your extra dedication more than worth your effort. Nowhere along the line was it ever apparent to me, but you come away from Fear Effect feeling as if you’ve known the three ambiguous mercenaries for the longest time. Having little more than five hours to become acquainted, the character design team obviously understood the theology of connecting with a person’s subtle attributes and minute quirks.

Whether it comes from the wry wit and determination of Royce Glas, the seductive yet fragile nature of Hana Vachel or the unrelenting darkness that surrounds Jakob DeCourt, you’ll have a favorite by the end of the short trek.

The most disappointing thing about Fear Effect is that it has to end. That, and the fact that Jakob saw Hana’s full frontal – and you didn’t.

Rating: 8/10

More Reviews by carcinogen_crush
	Project Sylpheed (Xbox 360) Project Sylpheed's case lists several things that essentially make the game what it is, but it’s far too modest. Not only is the story here far better th...
	Transformers: The Game (Xbox 360) Rearranged and mutated, much of the epic feel of the film has thus been lost in translation and Transformers is left to stand solely on its playability a...
	Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube) I thought I'd begin by mentioning that I really ripped into two player competitive matches with my best friend's Autistic brother. Through this, I came to see t...

Feedback

If you enjoyed this Fear Effect review, you're encouraged to discuss it with the author and with other members of the site's community. If you don't already have an HonestGamers account, you can sign up for one right here. Thank you for reading!

You must be signed into an HonestGamers user account to leave feedback on this review.

© 1998-2013 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. Fear Effect is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to Fear Effect, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors.