OverBlood

"Like a combination of every horror game for Playstation while adding something new."

Where to start? Maybe it's best if we began with the storyline. You begin in a cryostorage room with no memory and a bad case of hypothermia. After finding a robot pal (who makes annoying whiny noises) and securing some warm clothes, you begin to search around what appears to be a large scientific complex. It also appears to be deserted (except for some...things...that aren't quite right). As you progress you will learn who you are, why you were frozen in a cryotube, and what is causing all the weird crap that you're seeing. This game came out around the same time that Resident Evil did, and the similarities are obvious. You run around, collecting items and ammo, dealing out hot, leaden death to lurking monsters, unfold the circumstances of your situation, and fight a final boss that doesn't like to die. However, time has passed since then, and the game seems far more original (to me, anyway) then it probably did two years ago. For one thing, monsters don't come very often (only about 5% of the monsters in either Resident Evil game). The fights are far more intense, as you can actually run up and punch (yes, you can actually defend yourself without a firearm) your foe, creating a far more intuitive fighting style rather than firing a rocket launcher and blowing your opponents into hot dog filling (mmmm, hot dogs). You also can control another character (there are two others you can control, but they show up at different points in the game) that follows you around and can do things that you couldn't do by yourself (for instance, your robot buddy, Pipo, can turn switches that have robotic interfaces that you couldn't hope to do in your lifetime). The puzzles that you solve in the game also seem far more logical than anything in the Resident Evil series. Which do you think is more believable...a guy in a futuristic science station finds an anti-gravity device that helps him jump over obstacles in his path, or that intelligent scientists hide strange clues and keys around a huge, spooky mansion just so the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team can come in and blow the place up?

I thought so.

GRAPHICS: 9
The graphics are very good, with everything looking how it's supposed to. The mutants are especially nasty looking.

SOUND: 9
The music is moody, and sound effects are loud and appropriate. Voice acting is far better than Resident Evil 1 (although there are some real howler lines: "You mean no more to me than...a...lump of mold in a petri dish!" Wow, what a comeback. I'm hurt. Really.) The only really bad sound effects orginate from an otherwise helpful and ultimately lifesaving robot (who unfortunately suffers from Cedric the Owl Syndrome, a leftover from the bestselling King's Quest V. Cedric had a problem where whenever you wanted to do something, he'd puss out and stay behind until you came back. Pipo the robot does the same thing twice.).

CONTROL: 7
Probably the worst part of the game. It's sometimes really hard to move your character exactly where you want them. The run button is the same as the 'Push' button, so if you're near an object sometimes you will go into a shoving position rather than a run. Really sucks during the fight sequence to have this happen. Also, the jump button is placed awkwardly in relation to the run button (you have to do some running jumps in this game). Despite these flaws, the controls do have an easy learning curve, and you shouldn't have much of a problem navigating after you leave the first area.

GAMEPLAY: 8
Taken down a notch below a 9 due to the lousy controls above. Otherwise, this game gets pretty engrossing. Enemies are rare, but you have a feeling that they're around every corner. Combat is refreshing to see in this type of a game. Puzzles are logical and also refreshing after Silent Hill's and Resident Evil's puzzles (Red jewels open a breastplate to get...a chesspiece or a stone block? Oh, please. MOTHS can dream up better puzzles). The addition of the jump button (and a crouch button) adds some more dimensions and difficulty to the game, as there are puzzles where you have to jump or duck quickly or risk instant death. Inventory is limitless, and you don't have to find typewriters or ink ribbons to save your game...you have a voice recorder that saves your spot exactly where you left off. Only problem is, too short. Around 3:30 hours on my first time through and I was done. I'm sure most of you reading this could do better.

All in all, a tight package, and seemingly an underrated game for its time. Take a look. It may not be Resident Evil, but it will probably please fans nonetheless.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99