Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Fear Effect Sedna
Developer: Sushee
Publisher: Square Enix
Price: $17.99
Genre: RPG
Also Available On: PS4, Steam, XB1
From the outset, Sushee Games was clear with its plans for Fear Effect Sedna. After having secured from Square Enix the license to develop a new release for the AAA series last seen on the Sony PlayStation 17 years ago, the French independent studio went on Kickstarter in April to secure the requisite funding and support from would-be players of the sequel. And, to its pleasant surprise, the reception was much, much warmer than expected, proof, if nothing else, of the brand’s lasting equity. It reached its £100,000 goal in 30 days, and kept the public not just informed of the project throughout development; it involved backers in the production process by asking for content inputs and getting work-in-progress versions tested en route. And at the turn of the year, it announced the completion of its project, with assistance from publisher Forever Entertainment, under the Square Enix Collective banner.
The result, fortunately, is one that both those who remember Fear Effect fondly and those new to the series can sink their teeth into with gusto. Set four years after events in the original release, Fear Effect Sedna stars the same protagonists and manages to capture the look and feel of its roots. It has Hana Tsu Vachel, Rain Qin, and Jacob “Deke” DeCourt travel to France on a mission for the Hong Kong Triad. Meanwhile, erstwhile partner Royce Glas heads to the North Pole from the United States to follow a trail enlightened by way of an Inuit artifact. And when all their paths cross anew, they find themselves having to deal with the supernatural and assessing the pros and cons whenever the aptly named “fear effect” (during which heightened damage is given and received) is triggered.
Paying homage to the source material, Fear Effect Sedna features familiar cel-shaded models, fleshed-out characters in shades of gray, cyberpunk atmospheres, expansive treatments, and single-player mechanics. At the same time, it makes a significant alteration, presenting the gameplay from an isometric view in order to highlight strategy aspects of the game; the vantage point allows players to make proper threat assessments and give members of the team attendant instructions.
Needless to say, Sushee Games implemented the change in an effort to make Fear Effect Sedna’s action elements more compelling. The result is a mixed bag, however; most crucially, it has enemies essentially blitzing the squad, thus negating all the emphasis on stealth. That said, it has no shortage of set pieces that spark the intended adrenaline rushes; there are gunfights aplenty, and for those who aren’t into precise aiming, the controls prove to be more than serviceable.
Thankfully, Fear Effect Sedna fares far better with its puzzle sequences that are, for the most part, challenging and inventive; using ingredients from various genres, they wind up being standalone mini-games, thematically unrelated to each other but whose accomplishments are essential to the progression of the story. They ensured gamer engagement for Fear Effect and Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix, and do the same through the 10 or so hours gamers will spend negotiating Fear Effect Sedna from start to finish.
In the end, though, Fear Effect Sedna’s biggest draw is its engrossing presentation of the narrative. Backstopped by immersive music and cutting and contemporary — if occasionally stilted — dialogue, it manages to make players care about what happens to Hana, Rain, and Company. The way their relationships unfold, done to provoke controversy in Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix, has become more nuanced and, therefore, worthy of investment. And, in his regard, the plentiful cut scenes, presented in an art style showing reverence to ancestry, help no end.
All told, Fear Effect Sedna is a hearty recommend for the Switch, especially at $17.99, some 10% lower than the cost of its PlayStation 4, XBox One, and PC counterparts. Considering that it wasn’t initially intended for release on Nintendo’s hybrid console, the price point is a decidedly pleasant surprise. It encompasses all the pluses (and minuses) of crowd-sourcing ideas along with financing, and makes those steeped in the FE culture revel in the promise of what’s slated to come next. And having underscored its capacity to listen to constituents and learn from the past, Sushee Games should provide an even bigger blast with the upcoming Fear Effect Reinvented.
THE GOOD
- Respectful, even reverential, of the source material
- Pleasing art style and engrossing score
- Fleshed-out characters
- Enjoyable and challenging puzzles
THE BAD
- Questionable AI, making strategy elements ultimately irrelevant
- Too many medkits and the certainty of the lead characters’ revival dampen suspense
- Relatively short
RATING: 7.5/10
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