"Fear Effect" is getting a fancy new remastered edition, confirmed Square Enix Collective. The action-adventure game debuted on the original PlayStation over 17 years ago and received near universal praise. Critics showed appreciation for the intricate and well-told story, the cinematic presentation of "Fear Effect," but a few lambasted the unforgiving gameplay.
"Fear Effect Reinvented" is being handled by French studio Sushee, who is also working on the next installment of the franchise entitled "Fear Effect Sedna." It is scheduled to be released in 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
'Fear Effect' - a retrospective
Developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment and published by Eidos Interactive, "Fear Effect" marks an important point in gaming history, as it introduced the use of unshaded textures to create visuals that resemble cel-shading. Although the game itself could easily be beaten in under eight hours, the PlayStation release came in four different discs. This was due to how the background of the scenes were animated, opting to use a looping motion video instead of a 2D backdrop.
This might have significantly enhanced the size of "Fear Effect, " but it is one of the main reasons it is such a highly regarded franchise today. The decision to including the motion video contributed to creating an atmospheric and cinematic experience which influenced the direction taken by modern games.
Due to the fixed camera, the survival horror gameplay was not always the easiest to digest. It was often possible to not be able to see your own character, as the enemy would hide them. Players could wield one or two guns, as they wander around a Hong Kong invested with gangsters and monsters. As per standard practice for this type of genre, Kronos Digital Entertainment included puzzles in between the various action sequences.
What should we expect in the remastered version?
Sushee's entirely new installment of the franchise is an isometric survival game far removed from the style of gameplay seen in the original title. The French studio confirmed that the remaster would return to the form of the first "Fear Effect," so the fixed camera angles will be back. Considering how far gaming has come in the last 17 years, and the fact that Kronos' game still looks rather impressive today, we cannot wait to see what a faithful reinvention will look like.
