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Fear Effect - PS1

Posted: December 27th, 2015, 11:57 pm
by Shapur
I really, really want to like this game. The cel shaded graphics and animated background look great and the game has great atmosphere. However, the control sucks really, really, really bad. I'm fine with Resident Evils tank controls, but this is a whole 'nother level of antiquated. Normally a game could get away with this but here I'm actually expected to roll around, dodge and with some actual precision. I'm on the first mission and I've already died like 100 times. Turn corner, realize I need a gun and not the knife, desperately try and dodge(but fail, caught on scenery) while cycling through items looking for my gun. Ugh. Then it loads again every single time. It's very unforgiving with the collision detection. Died three times trying to walk around the fire after that helicopter attacks. Died twice because I can't shoot that exploding steam barrel thing from a distance. I have to be right against it, but not too close or it kills me :roll:

I hope this is something I can get used to but I'm like 40 minutes into this and still sucking ass at it.

Re: Fear Effect - PS1

Posted: December 28th, 2015, 12:32 am
by Rev
I played this game a couple of years ago and had a similar initial reaction. I loved the look of the game and I thought it was really funny. Then I had to deal with the controls and had a hell of a time making any progress. After about an hour I got used to the controls and was moving around with little problem. The first stage really had me going for a while. Main thing I had to remember was to ration my weapons (especially on the Zombie stage, I think it was the 2nd level) as they start to become sparse later on. Still, I eventually got the hang of the controls and ended up really enjoying myself. However, I remember having the same frustrations early on.

Re: Fear Effect - PS1

Posted: January 19th, 2016, 10:48 pm
by Shapur
Finally finished the game. For me it wound up being more of a C+ type game. I enjoyed the story and the art design, but there were just too many annoying things holding it back for me.

I did get used to the controls more or less. It helped when I switched to my sixaxis*. But the game is too damn touchy with the collision detection. One pixel touches you and an enemy attack always hits you. I died like 5 times walking off a cliff because getting anywhere near something dangerous kills you. Conversely the stuff you have to pick up? Walk over, reverse, move around three different ways until it prompts you to pick up/ interact with it.

Too many cheap deaths. A lot of the bosses and sub-boss strategies can be a bit opaque, and you can take barely any hits while figuring it out.

Cycling through items in real time was a mistake. It's just annoying. Too easy to overshoot, and just leads to more cheap deaths while trying to get to a critical item and dodging attacks.

But the problem to rule them all is that loafing screen. Cheap and frequent deaths combined with that loading screen just kill any momentum and interest I had going. I, and I'm not exaggerating, probably spent 30% of the entire time I played this game looking at that loading screen. If they could have just found a way to let you respawn quickly, or give me a couple lives or just let me take a bit of damage I'd have really liked the game. Now I'm wondering if getting the sequel is even worth it

*Looks like my DualShock 3s aren't working so well. Screw Sony and MS for their shitty, expensive, unreliable controllers I've got 2 crappy DS3's and 3 non-pairing 360 controllers. :evil: