Deep Fear Horror and Suspense

"Hereafter we will have desperate days with nowhere to escape...." Such is the tag line for Sega's new ubergame, Deep Fear.

Recently released in Japan, Deep Fear is Sega's answer to the popular Resident Evil series. You take the role of John Mayor, a former Navy Seal who's currently a member of the Emergency Rescue Services team. You're stationed on a deep-sea research rig, located miles beneath the surface of the ocean, when things start to go awry. Crew members are turning into monsters eerily similar to the bosses found in Resident Evil 2, and it's up to you to get to the bottom of things.

Graphically you'll find that Deep Fear is remarkably (some would say disturbingly) similar to Capcom's flagship series with its prerendered backgrounds and fully polygonal characters and monsters. Spanning two discs, the storyline is enhanced with a large amount of CG footage spread throughout the game. Gameplay also strikes a familiar cord with a setup, once again, very closely inspired by RE2. The twist, however, is that you're trapped underwater with nowhere to go. Add to this the fact that you're running out of air and must locate oxygen canisters to replenish the air supply, and you've got a refreshing take on a familiar concept.

The music for Deep Fear was composed by famed Japanese composer Kenji Kawai, best known for his soundtracks to Ranma 1/2, Patlabor 2, and for Ghost in the Shell.

For Sega Saturn fans who've been longing for something to call their own, it has been rumored that Deep Fear may actually make it over to the US, which wouldn't be difficult considering the game's voice acting is completely in English. The only things that would need translating are the item descriptions in the inventory. While no announcements have been made, this would be a no-brainer for Sega of America - an exclusive new Sega game with Resident Evil-style gameplay. Check back for a full import review of Deep Fear, coming soon.