Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix
Encyclopedia
Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix is an action-adventure game
for the PlayStation in 2001. It was developed
by Kronos Digital Entertainment
and published
by Eidos Interactive
. Fear Effect 2 is a prequel
chronicling the events that lead up to the original Fear Effect
. The game garnered attention leading up to its release for a sexually-charged advertising campaign focusing primarily on the suggested lesbian
relationship between the two female protagonists, showing them posing together suggestively in revealing clothing.
in the year 2048. The player delves into the colorful histories of the original cast of three mercenaries - and newcomer Rain Qin - as well as the extraordinary circumstances that brought them together. In the wake of a degenerative global pandemic
called EINDS (Environmentally Induced Nucleotides Degeneration Syndrome – pronounced "ends"), theft, murder, and terrorism have become big business.
Hana Tsu Vachel and Rain Qin are freelance operatives
, Royce Glas is a washed-up former soldier, and Jacob "Deke" Decourt is a cutthroat assassin. Much of the game's intrigue lies in how these unlikely allies even manage to come together for one cause. From the start, each of them have their own motives, but they soon all become entangled in a sinister plot extending far beyond politics, espionage, or personal survival. The adventure takes players through a futuristic Hong Kong, the formidable walled city of Xi'an
, the lost tomb of the first emperor
of China
, and, finally, into the mountain island of the immortals, Penglai Shan.
on top of pseudo-3D
environments that use looping full-motion video to give the appearance of constantly animated background elements. Players take control of each of the four main characters at different times throughout the game, which enables multilateral perspective on the storyline.
Retro Helix mostly relys on a third-person perspective. The controls are mapped without regard to the character's current position or direction faced. Unlike the original Fear Effect, however, Retro Helix offers players the option of a more traditional control scheme. At the player's disposal is a small arsenal of weapons, including a variety of firearms – including pistol
s, shotgun
s, and assault rifle
s, specialty equipment such as a hand-held EMP
s and a taser
, and one unique melee weapon
for each character.
Fear Effect 2 is primarily focused on solving puzzles to progress rather than combating enemies. In spite of the heavy ordnance available, enemies are few and far between, with static – as opposed to dynamic – placement. The gameplay is intended to evoke tension and suspense, rather than relying on the nonstop action formula of standard shooter
s. This format has the consequence of making the gameplay arguably less difficult, although it is offset by the relative ease at which characters can die from enemy attacks and a number of instant-death scenarios. The fear gauge present in the original game returns for Retro Helix, a variation on the health meter
common to most action games.
Retro Helix gained some notoriety for a suggestive ad campaign hinting at a lesbian
relationship between Hana and Rain. Director Stan Liu would go on to state in various interviews that Hana and Rain were not necessarily lesbians, but simply two women who in this particular instance had developed a physical relationship. In fact, the only scene in the game itself that matches the overt sexuality of the steamy ads is one where the two women disrobe on an elevator and embrace specifically to distract the male guards watching them on a security camera - most of the game is actually spent with the duo apart and talking via walkie-talkie. Liu suggests that human relationships are not so black and white as to be reduced to categories, but often fall into a grey area. In his words:
, on the other hand, was critical of the Resident Evil style controls and the puzzle design. With an average ratio of 82% on the ratings aggregate site Game Rankings
, it stands as the 55th highest rated game on the PlayStation, and second highest of all PlayStation games released in 2001
. Sales were strong enough that work began on a third installment, titled Fear Effect Inferno
, which was to be a PlayStation 2
title. However, financial difficulties at Eidos forced the publisher to cut back on projects, and Inferno was one of the casualties.
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
for the PlayStation in 2001. It was developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Kronos Digital Entertainment
Kronos Digital Entertainment
Kronos Digital Entertainment was a U.S.–based video game developer founded by Stan Liu in 1992. They first garnered attention for their contract work for Sierra On-Line, most notably the groundbreaking intro sequence they created for King's Quest 6...
and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive Ltd. is a British video game publisher and is a label of Square Enix Europe. As an independent company Eidos plc was headquartered in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton....
. Fear Effect 2 is a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
chronicling the events that lead up to the original Fear Effect
Fear Effect
Fear Effect is an action-adventure game released for the PlayStation in 1999. It was developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment and published by Eidos Interactive. The story concerns three outlaws named Hana, Deke, and Glas who are trying to retrieve the missing daughter of a wealthy Chinese...
. The game garnered attention leading up to its release for a sexually-charged advertising campaign focusing primarily on the suggested lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
relationship between the two female protagonists, showing them posing together suggestively in revealing clothing.
Story
Retro Helix begins in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in the year 2048. The player delves into the colorful histories of the original cast of three mercenaries - and newcomer Rain Qin - as well as the extraordinary circumstances that brought them together. In the wake of a degenerative global pandemic
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
called EINDS (Environmentally Induced Nucleotides Degeneration Syndrome – pronounced "ends"), theft, murder, and terrorism have become big business.
Hana Tsu Vachel and Rain Qin are freelance operatives
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
, Royce Glas is a washed-up former soldier, and Jacob "Deke" Decourt is a cutthroat assassin. Much of the game's intrigue lies in how these unlikely allies even manage to come together for one cause. From the start, each of them have their own motives, but they soon all become entangled in a sinister plot extending far beyond politics, espionage, or personal survival. The adventure takes players through a futuristic Hong Kong, the formidable walled city of Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, the lost tomb of the first emperor
Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang , personal name Ying Zheng , was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 246 BC to 221 BC during the Warring States Period. He became the first emperor of a unified China in 221 BC...
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and, finally, into the mountain island of the immortals, Penglai Shan.
Characters
- Hana Tsu Vachel – A freelancer of FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
descent who was once a member of a vast criminal organization called the Triad. In fact, the Triad still claim her as their property, and it is in part to earn enough money to buy back her "contract" that she works such high-risk and high-paying assignments. Brash snd edgy with a penchant for sarcasm, Hana is as skillful with her tongue as she is with artillery, able to finagle or flirt her way out of many difficult situations but equally capable of solving problems with weapons if need be. In spite of a demonstrated level of sophistication, she isn't above using sex as a weapon.
- Royce Glas – a former commander in the U.S. MilitaryMilitary of the United StatesThe United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, and expert with high tech weapons and counter-intelligenceCounter-intelligenceCounterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
. He was a member of a branch so secret that it was even beneath the radar of the CIA. But after a certain incident he essentially gave up on life, resorting to sustained drinking bingesBinge drinkingBinge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
and games of Russian rouletteRussian rouletteRussian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
. After a chance meeting with Hana he rediscovers his purpose and sets on a path towards redemption.
- Jacob DeCourt – a cold-blooded assassin from AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
who will kill anyone under any circumstances so long as the pay-off is worth his while. But as yet another victim of EINDS, what he needs more than money is a cure. It is this that motivates him to work for mysterious power brokers – that is, of course, until they too outlive their usefulness.
- Rain Qin –Hana's friend and lover, a girl with a past shrouded in secrecy who Hana discovered during a mission a few years before the story begins. A technology wizard, Rain is a useful complement to Hana's freelance operations. She is plagued by dreams of people she has never met or doesn't remember, and places she may or may not have ever visited. These dreams leave her with lingering existentialExistentialismExistentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
questions that form the very pretext upon which the game's story unfolds.
Gameplay
Like the original Fear Effect, the sequel features cel-shaded character models3D modeling
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of object via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model...
on top of pseudo-3D
2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
environments that use looping full-motion video to give the appearance of constantly animated background elements. Players take control of each of the four main characters at different times throughout the game, which enables multilateral perspective on the storyline.
Retro Helix mostly relys on a third-person perspective. The controls are mapped without regard to the character's current position or direction faced. Unlike the original Fear Effect, however, Retro Helix offers players the option of a more traditional control scheme. At the player's disposal is a small arsenal of weapons, including a variety of firearms – including pistol
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s, shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s, and assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
s, specialty equipment such as a hand-held EMP
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
s and a taser
Taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
, and one unique melee weapon
Mêlée weapon
A melee weapon is any weapon that does not involve a projectile — that is, both the user and target of the weapon are in contact with it simultaneously in normal use...
for each character.
Fear Effect 2 is primarily focused on solving puzzles to progress rather than combating enemies. In spite of the heavy ordnance available, enemies are few and far between, with static – as opposed to dynamic – placement. The gameplay is intended to evoke tension and suspense, rather than relying on the nonstop action formula of standard shooter
Shooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
s. This format has the consequence of making the gameplay arguably less difficult, although it is offset by the relative ease at which characters can die from enemy attacks and a number of instant-death scenarios. The fear gauge present in the original game returns for Retro Helix, a variation on the health meter
Health (game mechanic)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
common to most action games.
Controversial themes
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
relationship between Hana and Rain. Director Stan Liu would go on to state in various interviews that Hana and Rain were not necessarily lesbians, but simply two women who in this particular instance had developed a physical relationship. In fact, the only scene in the game itself that matches the overt sexuality of the steamy ads is one where the two women disrobe on an elevator and embrace specifically to distract the male guards watching them on a security camera - most of the game is actually spent with the duo apart and talking via walkie-talkie. Liu suggests that human relationships are not so black and white as to be reduced to categories, but often fall into a grey area. In his words:
Reception
Fear Effect 2 was praised for its visual style, mature story, and character development. GameSpot said that it represented the best aspects of the survival horror genre, while also introducing new features that make it more appealing to a broad audience. Gaming Age called it a "blast from start to finish". IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, on the other hand, was critical of the Resident Evil style controls and the puzzle design. With an average ratio of 82% on the ratings aggregate site Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
, it stands as the 55th highest rated game on the PlayStation, and second highest of all PlayStation games released in 2001
2001 in video gaming
-Events:* Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame...
. Sales were strong enough that work began on a third installment, titled Fear Effect Inferno
Fear Effect Inferno
Fear Effect Inferno is the unreleased third game in the Fear Effect series. Inferno was originally announced for the PlayStation 2 in 2001, and the first trailer was released during the 2002 E3. The trailer depicted some of the only known footage of the game. The game's status changed rapidly...
, which was to be a PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
title. However, financial difficulties at Eidos forced the publisher to cut back on projects, and Inferno was one of the casualties.