The original Fear Effect was a mature gamer's dream. Not only was the game filled with all the touches that define a truly mature experience but it was also an amazing game in its own right. It had a deep story full of twists and turns, enhanced by a mature tone rarely found in most games, as well as a great cast of characters that despite their nature were very likable, all the while delivering top notch survival horror gameplay that kept you on the edge of your seat. The game was certainly not perfect as it suffered from high spikes in the difficulty curve as well as some really contrived puzzles. Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix has improved on every single aspect of the formula to the point that it's leaps ahead of the first game in terms of overall quality, which is no small feat considering how great the first one was. In other words, Fear Effect was an amazing game; Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Fear Effect 2 is actually a prequel to the first game, depicting the events that lead to how the characters from the first game met. The main theme behind the game is the worldwide threat of a virus called EINDS that nearly half the world is contaminated with. Slowly but surely the virus is eating away at the world's population and no cure has yet been found. This is where the three mercenaries come into play as they all may have access to the cure. Hana Tsu-Vachel starts the adventure working out with her partner, Rain Qin, on a retrieval mission delivered by her current boss, Jin (who players will remember from the first game). Eventually they will cross paths with both Royce Glas and Jacob "Deke" DeCourt, who are also following the trail of the virus' cure for different reasons (Deke is actually infected by the virus). What follows is a series of twists and turns as well as several confrontations between the main characters, who aren't interested in making friends. Just like the original, the game starts out in a somewhat realistic futuristic setting before bogging down to a bizarre mess. I don't want to mention anything else about the story because you don't want it to be spoiled, but rest assure, the plot in Retro Helix is even better than that of the first game as it's much more involving and complex, while successfully staying true to the refreshing mature tone.
Before I go on, one thing that has to be addressed is the relationship between Hana and Rain. The marketing department at Eidos pretty much tried to sell the game as one that involves "hot girl on girl suggestiveness", ignoring what the game is really about in the process. Yes, Hana and Rain are indeed lovers and there sure is a lot of suggestive moments across the game. However this is not the focus of the plot nor is it a desperate attempt to gain the player's attention. It actually takes a while before the game even gives you a clear hint of their situation and the relationship is never taken into "stupid territory". Given Hana's portrayal in the first game it's only natural for there to be some innuendo and for the girls to use their looks to their advantage, but what makes the relationship stand out is how genuine it feels. As one of the developers, Stan Liu, once said, Hana and Rain are just two normal women who under the current circumstances decided to become lovers. It's not about fulfilling teen fantasies, it's about embracing one of the most beautiful aspects of the human nature. Make no mistake, the relationship carries the "Fear Effect" touch but is handled in the most mature way possible.
Speaking of the mature aspect, just like the original, Retro Helix carries all those mature touches that make it a refreshing experience as well as a delight for adult gamers. Gory death scenes, suggestive themes, controversial themes, intrigues, and more are the name of the game. And just like the first game, Retro Helix includes all this to enhance the experience, not to carry it by itself. Nearly a decade after their original release, the Fear Effect games remain a template for how mature games should be handled.
Before I move on to the gameplay I want to make a final mention about the story, in particular the characters. As mentioned, Hana and Rain are lovers, but they are also mercenaries, just like Royce and Deke. As questionable as their motivations may be, they are incredibly likable. The game presents plenty of situations to allow the characters to show their softer side. These are individuals with troubled pasts that must carry a heavy burden that presents a great personal conflict. No matter how morally ambiguous or cold hearted they may seem at times, these are four likable guys who will win your heart with their great personalities.
Gameplaywise, Retro Helix fixes what little was wrong with the first game and adds several subtle touches that make the game much more enjoyable. For one, the difficulty has been greatly evened out. The first game included several sequences that were punishingly difficult in comparison to the rest. Fortunately in Retro Helix the difficulty remains consistent through the whole game. There are many difficult confrontations that may require several tries, but they are fitting given the current situation. Also, with the exception of one late chapter, the game does a better job at spacing out the save points, meaning that you'll hardly ever be forced to replay large chunks of the game.
As a side note that may save you a great deal of frustration, do not pay attention to Gamespot's guide when it comes to the strategy to follow in the final boss fight. I made the mistake of glancing at their guide before going into the battle and was mistakingly told to follow a certain strategy to beat the boss... except that strategy is not the best way to get the job done! I spent nearly an hour dying and dying only to find out that beating the boss could be a very easy task if I followed a particular strategy. I don't know what were the Gamespot editors thinking when they wrote their guide, but it's sorely mistaken. Rant over.
Combat hasn't received much improvements aside from the inclusion of more weapons, but that's okay since the combat worked out just fine in the original. The main issue with the addition of several new weapons is that you still navigate the inventory in real time, meaning that switching weapons on the fly is almost always a recipe for instant death, given that you may have to go through more than a dozen items and weapons before you reach your desired weapon. Thankfully, ammo for each weapon is abundant and there's usually an appropriate weapon for every situation so switching on the fly isn't too necessary.
Once again, puzzles make up for a great deal of the gameplay (in fact the amount of puzzles relative to the length has been highly increased) and thankfully they have been greatly improved. The puzzles in the first game were good but sometimes the logic behind them was too obscure to figure out without a guide (and even then that logic wasn't clear). That's simply not the case in Fear Effect 2. None of the puzzles are frustrating to solve or involve instant death situations (though some may require that you act quick). There's a great deal of variety in them and figuring out the solution is always an involved and enjoyable process.
Stealth remains an important part of the game, though this time around that only applies to the first few chapters. Given the direction the game takes, it's an understandable move. At any rate, the stealth sequences are handled excellently as they raise the tension of confronting a dangerous crowded area, and negotiating a tough situation via stealth is usually much more rewarding.
While the original Fear Effect was kinda short, clocking between four to five hours (not counting the time it took to retry certain sections), Retro Helix is signficantly longer, consisting of twice the number of chapters and clocking between ten to twelve hours. I didn't mind the short length of the first since I've always been an advocate of the "short but sweet" menatlity, but still, I love the characters in this game so much, I will definitely cheer at spending more quality time with them (emphasis on "quality time", which is exactly what this game delivers).
The visual presentation is even better this time around. The cel-shaded style is used once again to great success and the character models in particular have been vastly improved so that their facial expressions and animations feel more realistic and fluid. The environments once again consist of FMV footage being constantly looped in the background which remains a very neat technique. Thanks to the greater length, there's much more variety this time around and the art direction behind every chapter is phenomenal.
Equal praise goes to the sound effects as well as the music used in each chapter. The music in particular helps a lot in setting a tense feel as well as increase the level of immersion in the late chapters. But what really stands out this time around is the voice acting. The voice work in the first game was already great, but this time around the actors did an even better job. It probably helped that they were more accustomed to their role and had a better understanding of their characters but nevertheless you have to praise them. Hana and Rain's dialogue makes you feel their mutual love, Deke's voice conveys the harsh attitude he loves to display, while Glas... well, he's just awesome. And it's not just the main protagonists that get excellent voice acting, every single character, even the ones not very relevant to the story, benefit from superb voice acting.
Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix is quite simply one of the best games I've ever played. Fear Effect laid the foundations for an epic game and Retro Helix perfected the formula. The fact that it's a nearly ten year old game has done nothing to hamper its quality. Just like a fine wine, the game gets better with age. Mature gamers take note, this is one of the all time greats and a must have for your collection.