In the race to improve the species, mankind may have unleashed the plague that will doom its very existence. The epidemic is known as EINDS (Environmentally Induced Nucleotides Degeneration Syndrome). This disease stops cellular reproduction and replication. It not only kills in a nasty way, but unless stopped, will cancel human evolution.

Hong Kong, 2028 A.D. The beautiful, and lethal, Hana Tsu-Vachel is contracted to steal a DNA sequence during a Christmas party. But there is a hitch – there is always a hitch. To gain access, Hana – accompanied by the equally lovely Rain Qin – must weave through a maze of dangerous traps, killer robotics, puzzles and other hazards in an aqueduct to gain what is needed for the eventual theft.

Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix, from Eidos Interactive and Kronos Digital Entertainment and developed for the PlayStation, is the kind of console game that highlights all that is great about the format, and all that is dynamic about the gaming world in general. Featuring lush animation, a storyline and action that plays out like a feature motion picture, this product is a wonderful and addictive ride.

Hana, along with Royce Glas and Jakob Decourt, have returned from the first Fear Effect title, but in this incarnation, players will learn a little more about their backgrounds, and the dark secrets that compels them into the terrifying world of the mercenary in an age where technology and mutations threaten the very existence of those who would claim the shadows as their friends.
 
Rain is a newcomer to the program, and though every bit as beautiful as Hana, she possesses the technological know-how to help Hana succeed – though that seems to get a little sidetracked at times.

Perhaps the game itself is best summed up from a passage in the manual:

“What starts out as a routine infiltration and retrieval assignment, spawns a chain of bizarre events that forces our unlikely heroes to put aside their differences and unite their skills to save the world from impending doom. For what they’ve obtained is more than a mere cure to the most prolific killer disease known to man – the three items combined, in fact, is the only weapon they have against the onslaught of oblivion …”

The game will take players from Hong Kong to the Walled City of Xi’an, to the Tomb of the First Emperor of China and finally to Penglai Shan, the island of the immortals. It all culminates in a life-and-death scenario where the game player must give up the life of someone to save the rest and the world.

So that’s the storyline, but what about the game play?

This program is dark, foreboding, and wonderful.  Players will have the opportunity to play as different characters. You will begin as Hana, then – when avenues are cut off and she is trapped – you become Rain, in an effort to save Hana and continue the mission. There are puzzles to solve, discoveries to make and traps to elude. In the initial quest as Rain, you must avoid alternating steam pipes to cross a span to another door. A straight line, at a run (even if you’ve tried to time the blasts of steam) doesn’t work.

Fortunately, there are quite a number of opportunities to save the game, so you can continue from a point just before the nasty business without having to start all over again. And it is highly advisable to take every opportunity to save. The control elements are simplistic and easy to gain command of; if there is any trickiness to this, it comes in not reading the character’s movement, but rather relying on your own sense of left and right.

Of course this game has arcade-style moments. When you kill something, you can walk over to where the body was and pick up floating ammo, and other items.

A drawback definitely lies in inventory access. You can pull up the inventory with a quick key click, but every item is listed there in a rotating list. This is burdensome in the game. You can switch easily from an empty Uzi to double .45s in a hurry. And the enemy doesn’t wait for you to do that. While you are fumbling with the inventory and trying to get to the right weapon (you sure aren’t going to kill anyone with a cell phone – unless you are driving at the time), the opposition keeps firing away. The old heart-meter on the top of the screen will go red and then flat-line before you are ready to fight back.

Graphically this program is outstanding. The cutscenes are wonderfully animated, giving the impression of a Hollywood production. In fact, there are times when this product seems more like an interactive movie than a game. The game does feature a three-dimensional feel that just adds to the sense of a top-notch thriller. Add to that feeling are foes that lurk ready behind doors, or drop from the ceiling without warning. It is better to go through this game armed and ready for anything. The game also features Motion FX 3D technology, and seamless interplay between the game and cutscene elements.

The audio element of this game is equally impressive. Not only are the vocal characterizations terrific, but the musical score and ambient effects give the game that feel that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Spread out over four disks, Fear Effect 2 is a single-player experience. It is also intended for Mature players due to animated blood and gore, animated violence and suggestive themes. The language is what one would expect from a PG-13 film, and the relationship between Hana and Rain is closer than just partners on a mission.

Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix is spell-binding, addictive, visually delightful and a lot of fun to play. It can also be frustrating when you forget to save at almost every opportunity and end up repeating sequences to get back to where you were before.

Install: N/A.

Gameplay: 9.5.
This program moves seamless through each chapter; blending the switch in characters played with cutscenes that keep the storyline going strong, while interjecting just a touch of new mystery to the game. The only slowdowns are to replay scenarios if you have failed, or to switch disks.

Graphics: 9.
From the wiggle in the walk, to the three-dimensional graphical sets and the rich anime, Fear Effect 2 is visually dynamic. The characters move realistically, and the environments are detailed. If there is any drawback here, it is that some of the settings are a little too dark, making some side paths tough to see.

Sound: 9.
The music in this program really sets the mood, the environmental sound elements are three-dimensional, and the vocal acting is very well done.

Difficulty: 8.
While this game does present a challenge, they are of the kind where slowing down a bit, being cautious and reasoning through a puzzle will give players a good chance of succeeding. You are the type of player that likes to blunder into a room, or charge into the teeth of a puzzle/trap, or even disdain the save opportunities, then you may be in for a lot of time repeating scenarios.

Concept: 8.5.
This program presents a solid storyline that is well delivered, new enigmatic characters, new environments, and new motion technology all wrapped up in a nice package.

Multiplayer: N/A.

Overall: 9.5
Fear Effect 2 is a terrific blend of melee combat, arcade gaming and the action/adventure genre. Perhaps one of the biggest compliments this game received in my household was when my 12-year-old daughter entered the room, saw the television on, sat and watched for a few minutes, then asked: “What movie are we watching?” This is a real treat to play.