Software:Fear Effect

From HandWiki
Short description: 2000 video game
Fear Effect
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Director(s)John Zuur Platten
Designer(s)Scott J. Compton
Christian Dailey
John Zuur Platten
Programmer(s)Michael Fernie
Artist(s)Pakin Liptawat
Writer(s)John Zuur Platten
Composer(s)Matt Furniss
Jason Agolia
Platform(s)
Release
  • PlayStation
    Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
    August 29, 2025
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Fear Effect is a 2000 action-adventure video game developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment and published by Eidos Interactive for the PlayStation. Set in the year 2050, the player controls three mercenaries in Hong Kong and contains elements of survival horror and stealth. It received a mainly positive critical reception, with praise given to its cinematic presentation and unique visuals but criticism given to difficulty. A prequel was released one year later entitled Software:Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix.

Gameplay

Fear Effect features gameplay with unshaded characters textured to resemble cel-shading, notably being one of the first games to attempt the technique. Rather than using pre-rendered 2D backgrounds, the environments are composed of streaming or looping full-motion video. As a consequence, the game is composed of four discs. There are also puzzles interspersed between action sequences, similar to other games of the survival horror genre.

The player controls one of three mercenaries (either Hana, Deke, or Glas) through areas filled with human and non-human enemies. The game controls are similar to traditional survival horror tank controls, with an exception being that the characters can run and shoot simultaneously. When wielding two guns (one in each hand), they are also able to shoot multiple enemies at the same time. Another feature is the ability to duck and roll; while facing a number of the armed foes, the player can roll a short distance and avoid taking enemy fire.

The game's title refers to the player's life bar, a meter which resembles a pulsing EKG. When the player is damaged, the green line of the EKG will pulse faster and turn red. It is possible to 'regain' health by performing acts that will calm that character's heart rate. These include solving a puzzle or sneaking behind a guard to perform a stealth kill. Both will be rewarded with a health boost that brings the meter back to green.

Plot

Set around the year 2050, when Wee Ming Lam, the daughter of a powerful Hong Kong Triad boss, disappears, a trio of mercenaries search for her in the city. They have not been hired to find her, but they intend to kidnap the girl before her father's men locate her and hold her for ransom. Wee Ming has vanished into the fictional Shan Xi protectorate; Hana Tsu-Vachel, the lead character and femme fatale of the group, used to work in a brothel somewhere in that region.

Hana arrives in Hong Kong accompanied by her partners, Royce Glas and Jacob "Deke" DeCourt. What begins as a simple snatch and grab turns into a fiasco: The father of the runaway, Mr. Lam, attributes his fortune and power to a pact he made with demons long ago. Wee Ming, who is a paper doll given life, has been scheduled to serve as a sacrifice to Yim Lau Wong, the mythical "King of Hell". Hana's contact inside Mr. Lam's organization, Jin, is discovered, tortured, and left to die with a bomb strapped to his chest. Hana frees him, but he is killed shortly after. Meanwhile, Glas is attacked by a VTOL jet and forced to flee into Mr. Lam's building. After avenging Jin, Hana is captured and beaten by Mr. Lam and his thugs. Glas is able to rescue Hana, and the duo make their escape where they meet Deke in front of the hotel they are staying at. While listening to Jin's last message for Hana, the trio are forced off a bridge but are able to swim to a junk. While sailing down a river, Deke spots Wee Ming amongst a burning village. Deke and Glas give chase while Hana gets dressed, but all three are separated by the undead villagers.

They stumble upon a military train where the hostile soldiers shoot anyone on sight for fear of the villagers. Hana and Deke wreck the train trying to steal it, but Glas is able to find a jeep with Wee Ming sitting inside. She asks to be taken to a Madam Chen's restaurant, which doubles as a brothel, hoping to find answers about her existence. When Glas is caught sneaking in the brothel, Mr. Lam surprises him, cutting off his left arm. At the same time, Deke is murdered while trying to infiltrate the brothel from upstairs. Hana sneaks in by dressing up like one of the prostitutes, where she runs into Wee Ming again after she had been dragged off by Madam Chen, who is working for Mr. Lam. After being splashed with Deke's blood, Wee Ming's powers activate, transforming the working girls and Madam Chen's thugs into demons.

The one-armed Glas reawakens in a meat locker. Surprised to find he is still alive, he surmises that Mr. Lam must be planning a slow death for him. Wee Ming arrives and tries her best to aid him. When Hana storms in to confront her former boss, Madam Chen, she learns that Chen is actually a demon in disguise. In the ensuing fight, Chen and her minions are killed, but Mr. Lam disappears with his daughter into a portal to Hell. Determined to save Wee Ming from whatever fate Mr. Lam has in store for her, Hana follows them into the portal, with Glas reawakening, and frees himself to give chase.

In a surreal journey through Hell, Hana meets the Black and White Guards of Impermanence who give her cryptic messages about her fate. Glas encounters the reanimated corpse of Deke, who is being tortured for the many murders he has committed. Deke takes on a grotesque demonic form and attacks Glas. After defeating Deke, Glas promises to avenge him. Meanwhile, Hana confronts Yim Lau Wong, who explains that Hell has become overburdened with the souls of the guilty. Once Wee Ming is returned to the netherworld, Yim Lau Wong will be able to expand the reaches of Hell and consume Earth. Hana was chosen to look after Wee Ming because Yim Lau Wong desired someone "ruthless" to be her guardian.

Glas reappears and tries to kill Wee Ming, believing her to be the root of the chaos. During the tense standoff between Hana and Glas, the player is given a choice over which of them should die. This decision will determine the final boss as well as the subsequent ending. On the "Hard" difficulty setting, a third option will become available: spare the lives of both Glas and Hana. In this ending, the pair emerge from the smoldering wreckage of the brothel, where they find a befuddled Deke sitting on a toilet. Deke has no memory of being killed, believing he has taken a bump to the head, and asks how they made out on the "deal". As he hoists himself out of the pit, Glas is stunned to realize that his left arm has been completely restored. The three partners walk off into the sunrise to continue their exploits.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings85%[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStarHalf star[5]
Edge6/10[7]
EGM9/10[8][lower-alpha 1]
Eurogamer6/10[10]
Game Informer8.25/10[11]
GameFan87%[12]
GameRevolutionA−[13]
GameSpot8.5/10[14]
GameSpy89%[15]
IGN8.9/10[16]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar[17]
OPM (US)StarStarStarStarHalf star[18]
The Cincinnati EnquirerStarStarStarHalf star[19]

Fear Effect received generally positive reviews from critics.[4] GameFan gave it a favorable review while it was still in development.[12] Edge praised the game's tight script and distinctive graphics, but criticized its unbalanced gameplay and clumsy control system, stating that they "make the boss encounters absurdly difficult".[7] The magazine concluded that, "In such a beautiful cinematic game, featuring clever plotting and scripting, such deficiencies are even more offensive."[7] However, Blake Fischer of NextGen called it "One of the most exciting and innovative adventures to show up on PlayStation, dragged down only slightly by a few sticky gameplay issues."[17]

Four-Eyed Dragon of GamePro said of the game in one review, "All told, Fear Effect blends a host of nifty features to create a well-balanced, action-packed game. Though not for the squeamish, it's well worth a look from anyone craving an intense, challenging adventure."[20][lower-alpha 2] In another GamePro review, Uncle Dust called it "an amazing game, full of action, puzzles and characters you actually give a damn about. The solid integration of visual design and solid gameplay makes Fear Effect a must for any survival horror or action-adventure fan."[21][lower-alpha 3]

The game sold 170,000-175,000 projected units in the U.S, according to the NPD TRSTS Videogame Service.[22]

Accolades

The game was nominated for the "Best Adventure Game" award at GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2000 Awards, which went to Software:Resident Evil – Code: Veronica.[23] It won the award for the same title at the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2000 Editors' Awards.[24] It also won the award for "Adventure" in Editors' Choice, but was a runner-up for the same category in Readers' Choice at IGN's Best of 2000 Awards.[25]

Legacy

A prequel titled Software:Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix was released in 2001 for the PlayStation. In 2016, Fear Effect Sedna was announced after French studio Sushee pitched the idea to Square Enix;[26] it was eventually released in 2018.

In August 2017, Square Enix announced a remake of Fear Effect titled Fear Effect Reinvented. Reinvented was being developed by MegaPixel Studio S.A. and to be published by Square Enix for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[27] In September 2023, it was reported and later confirmed that the game was cancelled.[28] In August 2025, it was announced that a port of Fear Effect was available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch platforms.[29][30]

Notes

  1. ↑ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the game, one critic gave it 9.5/10, another gave it 8.5/10, and the rest gave it each a score of 9/10.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game three 5/5 scores for graphics, sound, and fun factor, and 4/5 for control in one review.
  3. ↑ GamePro gave the game 5/5 for graphics, two 4.5/5 scores for sound and fun factor, and 3.5/5 for control in another review.

References

  1. ↑ , "Fear Effect, disponible le 17-03[-2000]" , Wikidata Q130612847
  2. ↑ , "Facts: Game: Fear Effect [...] Out: March 18 [2000] [Note: we can assume the game was actually released on the 17th (a Friday) since games are usually not released on Saturdays, and since another source gives March 17th as the EU release date.]" , Wikidata Q130612771
  3. ↑ IGN staff (February 18, 2000). "The Fear is Near". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/19/the-fear-is-near. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Fear Effect for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197299-fear-effect/index.html. 
  5. ↑ Hargreaves, Devon. "Fear Effect - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20317&tab=review. 
  6. ↑ Ham, Tom (March 15, 2000). "Fear Effect". CNET. http://gamecenter.com/Consoles/Sony/Feareffect/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Edge staff (April 2000). "Fear Effect". Edge (Future Publishing) (83): 76. https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d6/Edge_UK_083.pdf. Retrieved November 17, 2023. 
  8. ↑ Hsu, Dan "Shoe"; Hager, Dean; Davison, John; Smith, Shawn (April 2000). "Fear Effect". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (129): 163. https://retrocdn.net/images/4/4f/EGM_US_129.pdf. Retrieved November 17, 2023. 
  9. ↑ Hudak, Chris (March 15, 2000). "Fear Effect". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=2212&full=1#mr_toppy. 
  10. ↑ Ellis, Keith "DNM" (May 15, 2000). "Fear Effect". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/feareffect-psx. 
  11. ↑ "Fear Effect". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (83). March 2000. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Rodriguez, Tyrone "Cerberus" (February 2000). "Fear Effect". GameFan (Shinno Media) 8 (2): 14–15. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_8_Issue_02/page/n15/mode/2up. Retrieved November 18, 2023. 
  13. ↑ Silverman, Ben (March 1, 2000). "Fear Effect Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34001-fear-effect-review. 
  14. ↑ Fielder, Joe (February 23, 2000). "Fear Effect Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fear-effect-review/1900-2547464/. 
  15. ↑ Kooltookian, Gary (February 15, 2000). "Fear Effect". GameSpy Industries. http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/reviews/fear_a.shtm. 
  16. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (February 18, 2000). "Fear Effect Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/19/fear-effect. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Fischer, Blake (April 2000). "Fear Effect". NextGen (Imagine Media) (64): 86–87. https://archive.org/details/NextGen64Apr2000/page/n87/mode/2up. Retrieved November 17, 2023. 
  18. ↑ MacDonald, Mark (April 2000). "Fear Effect". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 3 (7): 88. https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-31-april-2000/page/n85/mode/2up. Retrieved November 17, 2023. 
  19. ↑ Bottorff, James (2000). "Fear Effect a blast". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). http://cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/feareffect.html. 
  20. ↑ Four-Eyed Dragon (April 2000). "Fear Effect". GamePro (IDG) (139): 88. https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d6/GamePro_US_139.pdf. Retrieved November 18, 2023. 
  21. ↑ Uncle Dust (March 16, 2000). "Fear Effect Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG). http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/5003.shtml. Retrieved November 18, 2023. 
  22. ↑ Gaudiosi, John (March 19, 2001). "Eidos builds on Fear". Archived from the original on April 7, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010407065655/http://www.videobusiness.com:80/games/031901_eidos_fear_effect.asp. Retrieved October 30, 2025. 
  23. ↑ GameSpot staff (January 5, 2001). "Best and Worst of 2000 (Best Adventure Game Runners-Up)". Ziff Davis. http://www.zdnet.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2000/p4_02.html. 
  24. ↑ OPM staff (April 2001). "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2000 Editors' Awards (Best Adventure Game)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (43): 32–33. https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-43-april-2001/page/n31/mode/2up. Retrieved November 18, 2023. 
  25. ↑ IGN staff (January 30, 2001). "PSX Best of 2000: Adventure". Snowball.com. http://psx.ign.com/news/30806.html. 
  26. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (April 7, 2016). "New Fear Effect announced". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/new-fear-effect-announced. 
  27. ↑ Frank, Allegra (August 21, 2017). "A Fear Effect remake is in the works for PC, consoles". Vox Media. https://www.polygon.com/2017/8/21/16178058/fear-effect-reinvented-remake-teaser. 
  28. ↑ "Forever Entertainment's Fear Effect Reinvented Discord Server Logs". 15 September 2023. https://archive.org/details/fear-effect-reinvented-discord-logs. 
  29. ↑ "PS1 Action Adventure Game Surprise Dropped on PS5, PS4". PlayStation Lifestyle.
  30. ↑ "Surprise! PS1 Cult Classic 'Fear Effect' Just Shadow-Dropped On Switch". Nintendo Life.
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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