Fear Effect

by Eidos Interactive

Product Features

• 1 Player
• Analog Control Compatible
• Vibration Function Compatible
• 4 Disc Set
• Rated M for Mature

Product Details

• ASIN: B00001ZUGT
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 5 x 5 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,137 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Despite its unforgiving difficulty, Fear Effect is an innovative cinematic adventure that serious gamers won't want to miss. Set in a dark, futuristic world, Fear Effect has players switching back and forth between its three anime-style protagonists. With a story that's filled with plot twists and heaps of what the Entertainment Software Rating Board finds offensive, this is far from kiddie fare.

Easily one of the most visually striking PlayStation titles, Fear Effect shines with Japanese-animation-inspired 3-D character graphics and full-motion-video environments that allow for nearly seamless transitions between story sequences and gameplay. With the exception of restoring saves and changing CDs, there's virtually no game interruption.

Unfortunately, it's very easy to die in Fear Effect, which not only wrecks the game's pacing, but can be really quite maddening. Many portions of the game are more frustrating than challenging, requiring players to die and reload their last saved game over and over until they get things just right.

And while Fear Effect's less-than-perfect controls admittedly do take some getting used to, its real-time inventory system is just plain awkward during combat sequences. It's doubtful that professional mercenaries like the ones you're playing would be fumbling about while changing or reloading weapons in the heat of battle.

Despite its flaws, Fear Effect does manage to keep you hooked, and is one of those games you just have to see through to its end. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Striking cinematic visuals
• Virtually no game interruptions
• Intriguing storyline and refreshingly mature content
• Fear Meter aspect adds new challenge

Cons:

• Can be more frustrating than challenging at times
• Awkward real-time inventory system
• Relatively short game length with little to no replay value
• May be unsuitable for younger players

Product Description

Fear Effect for Sony Playstation.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cool, but frustrating, May 10, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Fear Effect (Video Game)

This is a neat game, but it can be quite frustrating.

Pros:
1. Nice cinematic feel.
2. Great anime-inspired graphics.
3. Interesting storyline.
4. No real "breaks" in gameplay due to loading. Shifts from scene to scene are very smooth.

Cons:
1. Too short. After 1 hour of recorded save time, I've already reached the end of the first disc. After 15 hours of gameplay, I still haven't reached the end of the first disc of Final Fantasy VIII!
2. Far too easy to die. Once the fear meter turns red (usually pretty quickly), 1 shot can kill you. You usually have to die several times to figure out what you need to do for a particular puzzle.
3. No concept of "continuing", as in other games. Every time you die, you must reload a previously saved game - something which takes far too long, especially when you die 5 times in a row.
4. Action is too fast. Sometimes you are dead before you can even see what's going on - there's almost no chance to figure out what you are supposed to do - you have to die several times just to see enough to figure out what you are supposed to do.
5. Fear meter concept doesn't work. When you are up against a boss who can kill you with 1 shot, but you need to hit the boss with 5 or 6 shots, the fear meter makes things extremely difficult.
6. Appears designed for EXPERT gamers only. Difficulty on the so-called "easy" level is pretty hard.
7. Inventory system very klunky. If you need to change weapons during a fight, it's a pretty safe bet you are going to die. The fact that the game continues while searching inventory makes things really hard - you can be shot to death while looking for the next weapon to use.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great game. Too dark for the younger kids., March 5, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Fear Effect (Video Game)

Fear Effect is a really nice adventure game with some fun puzzles thrown in. Controls are like those in the Resident Evil series, but the gameplay borrows quite a bit more from the old Dragon's Lair arcade game (anyone remember that one?). That is, to get through some sections, you'll need to carry out a certain series of carefully timed moves. And, of course, the only way to figure out those moves is through trial-and-error. Be ready to die... a lot... in this game as you progress through the plot.

The graphics fit the mood of each location and the gritty, dark theme of the game as a whole. The camera angles in some scenes can sometimes make it difficult to judge where you are relative to objects in the room - this becomes more annoying during combat when you're trying to pick up ammo, avoid being shot, and plug the bad guys while being unsure of exactly where your line of fire is. Also, the enormous amount of animation means that your time spent on each CD is limited to a couple of hours of gameplay. I was a bit surprised to see the game ask me to insert disk 2 after only 3 hours of play. In many cases, the accumulation of game time is due to having to replay some sections a few times to solve the puzzles or kill the bad guy. The game is therefore somewhat short, but well worth it. The combat system is intuitive once you get the hang of it. Combat gets easier after Disk 1 when you have more powerful weapons, but ammo management becomes a crucial factor later in the game.

Fear Effect is a solid, enjoyable game with unique twists. The characters are interesting, there's a minimal amount of pointless wandering (clues for the puzzles are usually not too far away - not to say that the puzzles are easy though...), and the switching of points of view is used to good advantage. The untranslated bits of Cantonese are also amusing. Not suitable for young children due to the violent and suspenseful nature of the game, but definitely go get it for yourself!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best action/adventure game I've played, February 28, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Fear Effect (Video Game)

Having waited quite a while for this game to come out, it would have been easy to be disappointed. That is why I am so excited that it was worth the wait. The gameplay is fantastic, with the controls being difficult to get used to, but once you do, the game is fantastic. The graphics are unreal, and the story is great! One great innovation is the health meter. They have changed it a bit so that you have a fear factor. The more afraid your character is, the less it will take for you to die. But on the flipside, the better you react to adverse situations, the more confident you become, and the less likely it is that your fear factor will increase. If you are looking for a game that has action, a great story, and some of the best graphics around, buy Fear Effect.