Fear Effect: cel-shaded survival horror insanity

cj iwakura · July 2009

So yeah, this game is pretty awesome.

Fear Effect

A classic PS1 survival horror game. It did cel shading before cel shading was cool.

This was originally a Let's Play, but I abandoned it, so feel free to talk about the games instead.

It also had a pretty good sequel, though it's not quite as utterly BS loco as the original.

(Old LP stuff that's no longer relevant: )

Part 5

Part 4
Part 3
Part 2
Part 1
Prologue (Screenshot)

Prologue (recorded)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9MsOzjuvFU

Zephyr_Fate · July 2009

FEAR EFFECT FEAR EFFECT FEAR EFFECT

FEAR EFFECT

RainbowDespair · July 2009

I second the Fear Effect vote. Saves me from having to replay the thing myself.

Zerokku · July 2009

Fear Effect or Persona.

Zombiemambo · July 2009

Fear Effect has lesbians

I shouldn't have to tell you where my vote goes.

RainbowDespair · July 2009

Zombiemambo wrote: »

Fear Effect has lesbians

I shouldn't have to tell you where my vote goes.

Isn't that only the sequel?

cj iwakura · July 2009

Yes, that's the sequel.

And it's much ado over nothing

First game is way better, but the second is still good.

Bill Cosby · July 2009

Fear effect definitely

Zephyr_Fate · July 2009

The lesbianism in FE2 isn't really as much as people say it is.

Zombiemambo · July 2009

Dream crushers

cj iwakura · July 2009

It looks like it will be Fear Effect by a mile, which makes me happy. The game is still as creepy as I remember. Perhaps a beginning will be coming along sooner.

Doobh · July 2009

Fear Effect? I am intrigued.

cj iwakura · July 2009

The decision is rendered, and so: a taste of things to come.

Prologue: A Desire Fulfilled

Death. The thing we fear most.

But my only fear was what would happen if I remained alive.

So I ran. I knew my father would try to stop me, and I knew others would come for me.

Others whose only desire was money.

But my longing was stronger.

I wanted salvation.

Of all the sensations, pain was the purest, without ambiguity.

You feel it, or you don't.

I had never experienced pain, but now I knew that I could visit it on others.

A pain so strong, so intense that it would purify the world.

I had learned the truth.

So I ran.

The noise of the funeral didn't mask my assassin's approach.

I hoped for a quick death.

Hoped it would be possible. So I stopped running. I had never experienced pain.

I so wanted to feel it now.

I wasn't disappointed.

Welcome to the world of Fear Effect.

Welcome to hell.

It's the distant future. China. A daughter of a powerful Chinese business man has disappeared, vanished into the realm of the dangerous Shan Xi Protectorate under mysterious circumstances.

A mercenary by the name of Hana-Tsu Vachel receives a letter that will change her life forever.

A voice from your past, Hana. It's Jin. I have important information... Valuable information about the daughter of my employer. Your talents would be richly rewarded, and I am only interested in a small, but fair, percentage of the reward.

Meet me at the top of the Lam Building in Hong Kong three nights from now. 23:00 hours. Come by air. I will wait at the Rotoship Pod. I know you will bring lots of guns, and probably your associates, but Hana: be discreet.

The Players

Hana Tsu-Vachel.

Age: 24
Born: Hong Kong Province, ROC

Profile: Raised and trained in the Province Military Theater, Hana is an expert Covert Operative who specializes in infiltration. A world-class marksman and driver, Hana is part French and part Chinese. Her orphan upbringing conditioned Hana to be distant to those that she does not know and to be careful of whom she will trust. She is a woman with many secrets, some of which she will kill to protect.

Royce Glas

Age: 34
Born: Pacifica, California, USA

Profile: Glas is ex-military. He is a highly decorated vet of a number of conflicts that are currently denied by the US government.

Currently a gun for hire, Glas operates on the edge of the law and will kill in defense of himself or of his mission. Although he is driven by his own sense of honor, he also takes on dangerous assignments because he needs the money.

Respected by his peers, Glas is fearless, stoic, and cunning. He is not your classic burnout; but he's close. He can easily adapt to situational changes. Those who underestimate him usually find themselves resting peacefully under the top soil.

Jakob "Deke" Decourt

Age: 37
Born: Christchurch, New Australia

Profile: Deke walks the fine line between aggressive and psychotic. A large, brooding man, Deke shoots off his mouth as quickly as he shoots his pistols. Deke enjoys his work immensely, though he remains haunted by the demons of the numerous men he has killed.

A long-time friend of Glas, Deke is a weapons expert. Working with Deke is like making a deal with the devil; he's extremely effective, but he leaves a wide wake of carnage and bloodshed. Unlike Glas, Deke is not professionally trained. Instead, he honed his talents during the many range wars that until recently plagued New Australia.

Wee Ming Lam

Age: Unknown (17 Estimated)
Born: Unknown

Profile: Wee Ming is the enigmatic daughter of Mr. Lam.

Having led a sheltered, privileged existence, little is known of Wee Ming. She is rumored to be beautiful, and to possess an inner strength that belies her youth.

Wee Ming's incursion into the Shan Xi Protectorate is the catalyst for our team's adventure. She holds the key to the mystery and terror that will follow.

Next Time: Tracking The Prize

firewaterword · July 2009

Awesome! I loved this game. I remember it being hard as nails at times - I think I still have it and the sequel packed up somewhere.

cj iwakura · July 2009

Part 1: Unfamiliar Territory

Let's start, shall we?

Hong Kong. A familiar place, in another time.

Mercenaries were coming from the west, told of my disappearance by a man.

A betrayer who worked for my father.

I had become a commodity that could be redeeemed for cash.

"So, you trust him?"

"Jin's, uh, reliable."

"Yeah? How do you know?"

"He helped me get off the streets years back, before he threw in with the Triad.
He's always got an angle, but I'd say he's a friend."

"When you're talking about this kind of money, you can lose friends in a hurry.

And once we find the girl, we are talking about this kind of money, right Hana?"

"Wee Ming Lam is the daughter of the most powerful Triad leader in Hong Kong.

Don't worry, Glas. If we reach his little runaway first, Lam will pay us handsomely to get her back."

"Of course, he'll want us dead as well."

"There, that's it. The Lam Building."

"I've got 11:00 straight up."

"Jin said he'd be on the pad!"

"So much for Jin being 'reliable'."

"I'll go find him."

And so it begins.

Hana is controlled in real-time, with Resident Evil-esque tank controls.

Inventory is cycled through with the Square button, selected with Triangle, and used with X. Triangle is also for interacting with the environment.

To fire, simply point

And shoot. When there's someone who needs to die(which will be most people), a handy green targeting reticule will appear above the screen.

Her inventory also includes a Cellular Phone for saving, and a knife for, well, stabbing.

This is the first save point. They're indicated by a ringing phone, and the save icon in the lower right.

But first, we have to get into the building.

A flick of the switch,

and open sesame. (Pay no mind to the foreboding lightning. It's China.)

Where's Glas, you ask?

I guess he's got things of his own to do.

Later, freelancer.

Once inside, it's best to be cautious. We weren't invited, after all.

The R1 and R2 triggers can be used for crouching and running, respectively. The former is better for sneaking.

It doesn't take long to find some Triad types nosing about.

I assume they don't want us here.
So naturally, they have to die.

Red is for stealth kills. They don't see you, you pull the trigger, they die instantly.

All too easy.

Some spoils of the assassin's trade.

And we continue on.

Well, we won't be going that way. (He's conveniently out of firing range.)

Ooh, what's in here?

Jewelry?

Better! A switch.

Die switch!

Wrong, it's our way in.

Pull first, question later.

Well, no doors opened.

But it made this accessible, that must mean something.

And a fuse! If it's not bolted down, take it.
(Sorry, no pills here.)

Let's try upstairs.

There it is!

Maybe we should find out what it does first?

Nah.

Now we can get down with ease.

This should be useful.

And so it is.

Don't mind me, just shooting fools.

Like you guys.

Just passing through.

How convenient. Sure beats a carving of armor.

Easy access.

More saving.

It's locked! And still no carvings.

Ooh, TV.

The Triad Beating Network. My favorite.

"Talk, Jin! Who are you waiting for?"

"Please-"

"Who were you planning to give this to, huh, 'Jin'?"

Gee, I wonder.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Wrong answer!"

That must mean something.

"You said this deal was clean, Jin."

Well, it was a nice thought while it lasted.

Next Time: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

cooljammer00 · July 2009

What are you gonna do about the endings? I think you need to have beaten the game more than once or twice to get the good one, right?

Also, how is this not a video LP?

Shady3011 · July 2009

I have two copies of Fear Effect. No joke.

As for being non-video, I lament it as well. This could be a great subtitled video LP.

cj iwakura · July 2009

Good question. I guess I'll see when I get there.

And because I don't have video capturing material.

cooljammer00 · July 2009

Oh god, put it in a spoiler!

l337CrappyJack · July 2009

cooljammer00 wrote: »

What are you gonna do about the endings? I think you need to have beaten the game more than once or twice to get the good one, right?

Also, how is this not a video LP?

You can only select the "Good" ending if you're playing on hard mode.

cj iwakura · July 2009

So since Hard supposedly leads to a different ending(which I've never done), that's what I went back and started a new game with.

It won't affect the proceedings.

Part 2: Trial By Fire

Well, guess we'd better go save that idiot's life.

A couple more idiots block the way, but not for long.

Extra spoils.

Seems like we're missing a fuse...

Good thing I brought one!

That looks like it hurt.

And now up we can go.

Unfortunately, the path isn't as safe as it was before.

Steady as she goes.

Let's try this again.

Must be nice and cool down here.

More goodies. Well, goody. Surely it's here for a reason.

Does this office building have any offices?

He must really like the architecture.

Ah, a blue door, I knew this had a purpose.

Sounds like we're just in time for more beatings!

"Tick, tock."

"Tick, talk, or you'll start to tick, Jin! Now. Who are you waiting for?"

"He's waiting for me."

"Get her!"

"Wait, Hana! Don't leave me! Don't let them kill me!"

Wasn't planning on it, but he sure high tails it.

Killing the peanut gallery doesn't take long, thanks to dual pistol wielding.

"This was supposed to be a standard grab and hold, Jin.

What the hell happened?"

"Yeah, Lam must have had me watched! He knows I'm tight for cash. You can turn this off, huh?"

"C4 is hard-wired. I pull the blasting caps, you and I are misting the walls."

"Then don't do that!

You alone?"

"Glas is with me. Deke's at the hotel. This is a lot of trouble for one little runaway, Jin."

"It's the first time Wee Ming's ever been outside Lam's compound!
She's all alone, in a big bad world. Ripe for the taking."

"Hmm, there are three leads between each delay.

Probably neutral, ground, and hot.

So outside the Triad, who knows Wee Ming's gone?"

"No one, Hana! Except for you, which is worth-"

"15% of 90 million, and you're in no position to negotiate!"

"90 million! That's your asking price to guarantee her safe return?"

"No guarantees! You know me better than that, Jin.

Looks like I'll need to cut two of three wires between each delay without interrupting the circuit."

"And if you cut the wrong wires?"

"Wrong wires or wrong order and BOOM.

Or I could just say screw the money and leave you here."

"Cut my fee! 12 percent! 10! 10 percent!

Hana, please! You owe me!"

"Not after this, I don't. Damn it!"

"What? What is it, Hana!?"

"The timer! It just started."

"W-...What's it say!?"

"Not a lot. Now shut up, Jin. I have to think."

And now it's time to play bomb doctor.

To be honest, they aren't very clear about just what needs to be done. It's all about trial and error.

There was quite a bit of that before I figured it out.

Three here...

Two there...

And two here.

And miraculously, we're clear.

"This could come in handy."

"Ah, about my fee, Hana, I was under a lot of stress.

Explosions make me nervous, eh?"

"Give me the package, Jin."

"I made a flash disc with all your info on Wee Ming, including a good place to start looking.
I locked it in a control panel near the neon sign before that jerk laid into me."

"And the key?"

"With the jerk."

"Alright, I'm going for the disc. You'd better go under, and go deep."

"Ha, you know, for a moment there, I thought I was a dead man!"

Spoke too soon, Jin.

Way to ruin her complexion, shooter.

Better luck next time, player.

And guess who's back.

Should've left while he had the chance.

Fortunately for Hana, his aim isn't as good the second time.

Duck and cover.

And off he runs.

Hey, that's our elevator!

Guess we're taking the long way.

Hmm, this might help.

If nothing else, it's... flashy.

Simple yet effective.

Now we move on.

A few new faces, easily dispatched.

The knife is much more cost-effective.

Our new destination.

Not very scenic.

That's more like it.

And here's the jerk.

This is what I was saving the machine pistols for.

Jin is avenged.

And this must be the disc holder.

Now what could this mean? Hmm...

Anyone?

Considering that, the solution is easy.

Easy money.

Jin would be proud.

Now we just need a laptop, and time to-

!

Well, shoot.

Meanwhile...

Still waiting.

I wonder what the fine for littering in that era is.

"Come on, Hana, hurry it up."

And just think: he's her only hope.

Next time: Additional Threads

cj iwakura · October 2009

So hey all, time for an interest check.

New challenger approaches!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9MsOzjuvFU

That is the intro, freshly recorded.
(Seems to be a bit offsync... I'll have to look into that.)

And here's a taste of how Part 3 may proceed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdPRppCcdhE&feature=channel

I'll do my best to work out the audio to a better balance. Based on those samples, would the denizens of this thread prefer remaining with screenshots or switching to video?

Either's fine by me.

Zephyr_Fate · October 2009

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

videosvideosvideos

cj iwakura · October 2009

I died like ten times attempting what follows that clip.

This may take a while.

cj iwakura · October 2009

Took a bit longer than I planned, and I died quite a bit.

I'll try to make the next update a bit longer.

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtJIxVLBymA

I think the audio was a little low on my end. It should be better next time.

Zephyr_Fate · October 2009

That time when you died from shooting the big canister after you hit it with the pipe was hilarious.

cj iwakura · October 2009

Okay, the audio should be resolved now. I think I've found a proper balance.

This reaches the end of Disc 1. Safe to say, I'm glad I went with video. Relaying this with screenshot both would have taken forever, and not have conveyed the events nearly as well.

Fair warning, there is a lot of epic failure in these videos. You may want to skip the last, oh, four minutes of the first video, unless you enjoy watching someone die over and over, badly.

The first two are uploaded, the second two are still processing. They'll probably be ready by the time you view the first two.

Part 4: Dying One Thousand Deaths

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1gUGtu3vp0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiTcUefehrc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-EUWZ5voTU
Vimeo alt: http://www.vimeo.com/7001801

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEjuGjpDzDY

View after 4.4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmqer1-TbVg

Er, it says part 3 is too long.

I'll see about rectifying that... the other three should be fine though.

Uploading it to vimeo. I'll keep closer tabs on the timer from here on out.

cj iwakura · October 2009

Part 5 is in the works. It's looking to be a long one. Five videos and counting.

This puzzle is in the way:

Solve it and get a shout out! Maybe.

cj iwakura · October 2009

Sorry for the wait. This will be seven segments long, as I had a hard time knowing when to quit(and when to stop dying).

The first part is mildly NSFW.

Consider yourselves warned.

Oh, Part 5.3 is one of those I die a whole lot clips, so feel free to skip through it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T73dtc3YZ9s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLFpOGfT-QM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySo-mLPrEwM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=836cB-dXIwE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAo7CeSGlDM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZI15V-vOa4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2z7dhw97PU

cj iwakura · November 2009

If you thought I sucked before(and I did), this sets the bar higher.

Granted, Fear Effect is BS on Hard Mode. Maybe it's my own fault.

Part 6, six parter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owk3e4hgmGs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qov4fYHd5c.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBTHccUsI0c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwxqBCuDo1Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v8fMU_PqrM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zQytDEEUN0.

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