Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix

"One of the last games for the PSX that you must play!"

Fear Effect: Retro Helix is a prequel to the smash hit Fear Effect. It gives insight to the history of the 3 main characters of the previous game, and introduces a new character, Rain.

--]Gameplay: 7
Gameplay for the most part is fun. Press the circle or square buttons to cycle through inventory to select weapons or items. Aiming is automatic. The action key for opening doors and solving puzzles is triangle. It's all good, except when the action is turned up. Auto-Aiming only takes effect when you're facing a certain enemy, and you can't lock on. When you run out of ammo you're forced to cycle through EVERYTHING in your inventory to find the next best weapon, which can take a lot of time, and may end up killing you. I sincerely hope that in Fear Effect: Inferno you can access your inventory while the game is paused, so fighting won't be quite as hard. There are other perks to fighting though. You can roll up, down, left, and right, which comes in handy when fighting bosses. You can duck which helps against enemies that use guns. There are also certain ways to get past some enemies as well. For large Robots in one of the last levels, you can use the EMP weapon to paralyze them, giving you time to run away. Overall, it's a great experience, but it could have been better with a few minor changes.

--]Sound & Music: 9
The game has your typical sounds; gunshots, footsteps, moans and groans. Music is above average, giving certain places an atmosphere that is enjoyable. At a party you go to, there is a piano and a few other instruments playing in the backgrounds. In tombs there is classic-Chinese sounding music that plays. They even have the macarena song & dance at the party, which is something to ponder, considering that this game takes place in the future. The part of this category that really shines in the game, however, is the superb voice acting. Everybody sounds completely real, and you can feel the emotions when they talk at certain times, especially Hana.

--]Graphics: 10
For being on the PSX, this game's graphics are GREAT. It's almost as if you're watching an anime or action movie. Things look real, although in a cartoon sense. And yes, the game is cel-shaded. People are always saying that the Jet Set games were the first to use Cel-Shading, but wasn't Fear Effect the first game to...?

--]Story: 10
This is the game's true high point. This game is all about how the original cast of Fear Effect, plus Rain, came to meet, be friends, and work together. I won't spoil you or anything, but believe me when I tell you that this IS one of the great plots in gaming. The relationship between Rain and Hana is also something very special, and is probably one of the greatest relationships in gaming, or at least on the PSX. And NO, it's not because they're both girls. :-P You really get the feeling that they care deeply for each other, and want to protect one another.

Gameplay: 7
Sound & Music: 9
Graphics: 10
Story: 10
OVERALL SCORE: 10 (Not an Average)

Should you buy this game? YES, YES, AND YES! Fun gameplay, great sound effects & music, wonderful graphics, and a storyline to die for makes it a must-buy.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/02/03, Updated 02/02/03