Epidemic

by Sony

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00002SVW6
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,716 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Remember Kileak: The DNA Imperative? One of the first games available for the Playstation when the machine launched in late 1995, Kileak was a rather unimpressive conversion of a Japanese first-person shooter (complete with a storyline that made about as much sense as the Mission: Impossible movie). But it must have sold pretty well - either that or someone at Sony has a soft spot for imported cheese - because US gamers have now been graced with Epidemic, the unofficial sequel to Kileak.

As with its prequel, Epidemic is a first-person shooter that buckles players inside a giant robot and forces them to wander through miles of generic underground corridors, shooting enemy mechanoids, picking up items, and solving mini-puzzles of the "find an object here and use it there" variety. There are a lot of these so-called puzzles - more than in any other first-person shooter, as far as I can tell - and solving them usually requires exploring every inch of every level to find the needed clues or items. (Fortunately, the player's 'bot is equipped with a well-executed automapping system to keep track of its travels.)

However, Epidemic does significantly improve upon Kileak in the audiovisual categories: The graphics are fine, and some of the music tracks even have a toe-tappin' groove to them. But the graphics still rank far below the splendor of Alien Trilogy, Disruptor, or even Final Doom (which is a port of a three-year-old computer game, for cryin' out loud). The end result: a game whose "new and improved" look is only average.

Gameplay is tragically flawed, as you can only save after completing a level. With levels that can take upwards of an hour to complete, Epidemic turns into tedium and torture if the end-of-level boss repeatedly waxes you - yes, you have to do it all over again. Granted this makes the game harder to complete, but after a few frustrating hours of near victories, it's doubtful that you'll care care enough to finish the game.

Epidemic's real hook is that its lengthy story runs throughout the game; you're always stumbling into new plot developments or full motion video clips as you play through each level. Perhaps this feature will provide some gamers with incentive enough to keep playing an otherwise dull game. But even to those players it will be clear that the Sony team forgot to make the story as interesting as the game is long.Maybe a brilliant tale was lost in the translation from Japanese to English. Maybe the story was weak to begin with. Maybe the often over-the-top voice acting ruined it for me. Whatever the reason, I never found myself caring about the game's characters, which snuffed some of the replay value.

I've always given Sony two snaps up for importing their Japanese Playstation titles (particularly games like Aquanaut's Holiday and Jumping Flash!), but Epidemic needs a more engrossing storyline to make up for the painfully average gameplay. And because the story is so thin, the game ranks near the bottom of the crowded first-person shooter genre. --Zach Meston
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars pretty darn good, July 6, 2002

By 

micheal starks (Nashville Tnn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epidemic (Video Game)

ok this game is kinda challangeing what i like ut you do gotta use cheats and stratiges though but there are some blanks

1. graphics... good barly

2. difficulty settings... better than iron solder 3

3.gameplay... pretty cool once you get started wich take a couple tryes

well this game is a must have and must not
well i cant go futher

its youre chioce

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What Can I say?, October 9, 2001

By 

ROCK Roberts (Calgary, AB, CND) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epidemic (Video Game)

Ok.. never played the one before it.. but I heard it sucked.. and I bought this for $2... what can I say... I was low on funds and needed a new game ASAP! so I pick it up figure it'l be good for a few laughs tide me over till I get some cash... was that a waste of money... I mean there seems to be a plot... but it's hella hard to get to... I gave up on it pretty quick.. I got furthest when I followed no patteren and just ran around pointlessly.... in short.. It sucks left nut..