Fear Effect

"Fear Effect is one of the best PSX games ever"

This is definitely the game I was most looking forward too. I first read the preview in a magazine and it highly interested me. Perhaps, it was the storyline or plot I read. Maybe it was the action those early screenshots showed. Or it could be because of those innovative graphics AND it was said to be a combination of Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid, two very great games?!? I don't really know but this game was delayed lots of times and it finally came out into my local store where I buy video games. I had cash, so I bought the game and it is my early vote for best game of the year so far.

This game has a very excellently done plot: A daughter of a powerful chinese man goes missing and three mercenaries have to find her and the plot goes even furthur and this 17 year old girl has a secret that could destroy the world. This game takes places in a variety of places like a River Settlement where villagers go mad and even the depths of Hell itself!

The first thing you will notice about this game is the innovative graphics. It combines animé characters in a 3D environment and it is done beautifully. Never before have I seen such beautiful graphics. I did notice one problem: You know in a lot of games that the graphics go better when a cinema is playing? This isn't the case here as the graphics stay the same throughout the game, no changes. Also, while we're here, the whole game is like a widescreen movie and it usually turns to widescreen when a cinema is playing and so it's kinda hard to tell sometimes when a cinema is playing or your're playing! I got confused when your Glas and your're supossed to run from these guys, I didn't know I was supossed to run, I thought Glas was going to jump in the helicopter with Hana! Oh well, not really a big deal but it can make it difficult and the game is already difficult as it is!

Now we go to the gameplay department which is easily the best part of the whole game. This game has action that you've never experienced before. You got all those guns and all those guys to kill, all those bullets to dodge, and everything! The bosses really higher this department as the bosses are really fun to play and are very challenging! Especially the first boss you face, that bald guy with the machine gun. I must've tried like a zillion times before I could kill that sucker! This game has loads of action and there's a enemy at every corner. Also, I must say that the puzzles are very challenging and actually higher the score in this department. The puzzles can be way easy and can be pretty challenging. You'll end up figuring them out, someday. They are definitely challenging and are not so darn easy like in a lot of games.

The game is also original because of the graphics and a game like this has never really been done before. This game is 3X more original than any Resident Evil game.

The sound can only be described in one word: EXCELLENT! The voice acting is done very well. Those all so well done sound effects are easily one of the best on the PSX with some good explosion sound effects! The music could also easily win best music on the PSX, we are welcomed with some excellently dark and well blending music on the intro. The whole music throughout the cinemas are fun to listen too and so definitely DON'T turn off your sound when you're playing this game!

The fun factor is next. What do you think I'll say? If you said that the game is no fun, you need some help because this game is WAY FUN! With all those enemies and action and the lengthy quest, you will have a helluva fun time playing this game! Anybody will enjoy playing this game!

The replay value is also there with people like me playing the game over and over again to see what we haven't seen yet. Easily replayable for any gamer of any kind!

Overall, an excellent buy for ANY gamer and every gamer should at least rent this game. That's how good this game is and I don't understand why this game got some negative reviews but they're just one of those people who only played it for a couple minutes and decided not to like it. So the bottom line is get this game RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND! I'll GUARENTEE you won't be dissapointed.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/08/00, Updated 05/08/00