Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix

"Probably the most adult game on the PlayStation"

Fear Effect: Retro Helix is the prequel to Fear Effect. This game actually leads right in to the game that was created before it!

The Story...
The game stars Hana and Rain, two women who are both... lovers. Although this isn't played out in the game too much, there are a couple scenes where they do some kissing. Anyway, the game starts off where around 50% of the world has a disease known as EINDS. Hana and Rain start their mission to get part of what CAN be a cure for EINDS, although they don't quite realize it yet, only caring about the money. Later on, they will meet up with Glas and Deke and come to realize what they are truly involved in. It's really very hard to get too in-depth with the story without spoiling everything!

Resident Evil Style Gameplay
The gameplay pretty much features no differences from the first game. You walk around, solving puzzles and shooting bad guys ala-Resident Evil. The graphics are nothing less than breathtaking, wonderfully animated backgrounds and anime-esque characters (which have been greatly improved upon for this prequel.)
Throughout the course of the game, you will take control of Hana, Rain, Glas, AND Deke as they run around trying to solve puzzles and take down their enemies.
The atmosphere is great, always creating a great mood of suspense.The atmosphere in this game really adds a lot to the story.

No, Atmosphere Isn't Everything
Fear Effect: RH has it's share of problems. First of all, while it definitely wasn't considered a problem by me, some people may be turned off by Fear Effect: RH's increased difficulty. You will no doubt die many times in some of the games many extremely difficult areas (luckily, the loading times that so plagued the last game are no longer present.)
Secondly, there's the length. While the game definitely lasts longer than the first game, it's still is pretty short, falling into the 3-4 hour range. This might be more easily forgiven except for the fact that, like the first game, it is INCREDIBLY linear (meaning you probably will never pick it up again.)

She's Wearing Clothes, Right?
Of course, what lured many people to the game at first was the very adult themes. What can I say? It's a good marketing tool... I mean, c'mon. Did you see those ads!? This game sure earns its Mature rating...
While we never actually get to see anything, there are many semi-nude scenes, two women practically making out, and enough swearing and gore to last you a lifetime. While they mostly just tease us, we still do see quite a bit of undressing.

Look, Ma! A Board Game!
One great thing about this game, is it's variety. You'll be able to control giant robots as you are chased by a helicopter, play nice, family board games with different spirits, etc... It really never gets stale. There's always so much do.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Graphics: 10/10 - Simply beautiful...
Control: 7/10 - Still somewhat clunky although a new option to pick your control method is a welcome addition
Sound: 7/10 - The music is pretty good for the most part
Replay Value: 3/10 - Incredibly linear
Plot: 8/10 - Um... Could you explain it again?
Fun: 8/10 - Innovative and always totally enjoyable!
Difficulty: Moderate to Moderately Hard
OVERALL: 9/10 - A must have!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/11/01, Updated 08/11/01