Kronos' graphically inventive, dark, Hong Kong action-inspired adventure game Fear Effect shipped early this year amidst talk of the PlayStation 2's imminent arrival and the success-to-failure ratio of games on the 32-bit, wearing-out-its-welcome PlayStation. And the game fared quite well, not only offering a relatively novel take on the way PlayStation games tend to look and feel, but also a rich storyline and good gameplay. Now Kronos is generating the sequel, which actually serves as the first game's prequel, called Fear Effect: Retro Helix. GameSpot spoke with the game's creator, Kronos' president and CEO, Stan Liu for the full story on the game that focuses on the events that took place before the original Fear Effect.

"In Retro Helix, we're telling a story about how our original team, Hana, Glas, and Deke, got together through some strange and unusual circumstances. In this chapter, [you'll] get to learn a lot more about the past and see life-defining moments that forged the personalities of our cast. We are also introducing a new character called Rain. Rain is a close friend of Hana. She will bring out a side of Hana that is not evident in the first game. Ultimately, Retro Helix is a story about the destiny of humankind. There are many controversial concepts and subject matters within the game. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the public and critics alike."

Offering a storyline that couldn't really be more timely, Retro Helix is concerned with human DNA. With the Human Genome Project complete, and all but that mysterious, underestimated little 1 percent of the human genetic structure on the books, the game dives into a real-life plot, adding sci-fi and philosophy when applicable. It's that 1 percent that the game's plot is concerned with. In real life and in the simplest of terms, the genes that make up that 1 percent represent the only true variation in genetic traits from one person to another, and Kronos' take on the whole thing is something of a human origin story that is revealed early on in the game's intro sequence and too good to give up here. But as a teaser, a retrovirus of sorts has been planted within the human DNA, and your characters must pull together the whole mystery, tragedy, and what have you - and stay alive doing it.

And the story, which is sexy enough for any hardened cyber-, science-, or techno-fiction reader, applies itself to the gameplay and doesn't just provide dressing for shooting and puzzle elements. "We drive the story along through the gameplay," said Liu. "The story is the ultimate reward for the player, and in order to achieve this reward, the player must experience it through gameplay." Hana, the dark-haired woman from the original game (sort of an Aeon Flux type, if types are necessary), returns to Retro Helix, and her role is heightened through somewhat of a sister character, as mentioned, called Rain. We asked Liu to explain the relationship between Hana and Rain, and its role in the Retro Helix story. "In terms of pure gameplay, Hana is the muscle, and Rain is the brain. However, as the story unfolds, we learn a lot more about what's going on between them, and we also uncover a hidden dark secret of Rain's."

So you're anchored to the story, which you'll hear more of in the coming months. The gameplay is key, however, and Retro Helix will be a longer, more complex game with new controls, environments, characters, weapons, and puzzles. New entirely, in fact. You'll have ten locations to work your way through: the underground aqueducts, the sculpture garden, the atrium party, the research labs, the walled city of Xi'an, the upper and lower tomb of the First Emperor, the twin juniper garden on the island of Immortals, the military base in Afghanistan, the Genesis foundry, and Yuen Ting Ji - the Immortal tower.

GameSpot asked Liu to describe a "typical" level. "That's a tough question! Each area within the game is so drastically different. In the first area alone, there are many goals and objectives that the player will have to complete. For example, Hana and Rain are to infiltrate a corporate party and steal a DNA sequence. In order to do that, they will have to go through sewers to gain access into the corporation. All kinds of strange stuff happens down there. Once inside the corporate compound, Rain has to sneak into the basement and hack their security systems. They will then have to change into their party dresses and work the party to get access to the upper level. Once they get up there, they'll have to avoid security and find the DNA. Then they have to create a diversion to get out alive! Of course, everything goes wrong, and they will have to improvise and roll with the punches along the way. There are ten locations in the game, and each area has its own unique task that our cast has to deal with."