SummarySexy babes, action, and Chinese mythology is all we need
The GoodOh boy. What a game. It could be easily featured in a tutorial entitled "How To Make Sequels To Great Games" (although it is actually a prequel... but you got the point). Fear Effect was great. "Retro Helix" takes all the things that made "Fear Effect" great and gives us more of them. A simple formula, but it surely worked here. Liked those marvelous FMV backgrounds and awesome "everything-in-motion" gameplay? "Fear Effect" had plenty of it; "Retro Helix" has even more. Thought Hana was sexy? "Fear Effect" had sexy Hana wearing sexy outfits; "Retro Helix" introduces Hana wearing even more sexy outfits, but this time, there is also Rain to look at (well, to tell you my honest opinion, Rain is not really in the same league with Hana... Hana is way cooler. But that's off topic). Enjoyed this inch-close, breathtaking, tense, controller-bashing, run-shoot-roll action? "Retro Helix" delivers it. Thought Chinese mythology coupled with futuristic setting was interesting? "Retro Helix" is even more Chinese than "Fear Effect", and definitely more straight-to-the-goal futuristic. Found those puzzles nice? "Retro Helix" has even nicer ones. So, to sum up all this goodness: Astounding graphics with FMV backgrounds (there is no screen that looks still - and bear in mind, this isn't even real-time 3D, as all backgrounds are pre-rendered. Awesome idea, splendidly executed). Just think of Palmetto Maze, the pavillon on Penglai Shan, or water animation in the first section. And there is plenty of this cool gameplay, where you run and see things colapsing behind you, fully animated fire, things flying, chasing you, etc. It looks even more natural than in "Fear Effect". The scene where Glas runs away in a mech, chased by a helicopter (flashback part), is so spectacular that you think for a moment you are watching an action movie. In general, Glas' flashback part belongs to the most intense sequences I've ever seen in a video game. Action gaming at its best.
Lots of sexy stuff - just check out the famous elevator scene and see for yourself... What's even better - all this cool lesbian stuff between Hana and Rain is anything but cheap. If you expect some kind of a stupid porno game, look somewhere else. This game is about class. Hana and Rain are sexy in a classy way. Hana's got a terrific personality, she is strong, beautiful, tough and good-hearted at the same time. Her relationship with Rain is anything but a show for adolescents. Hana is much stronger than Rain, she feels she has to protect her, and what she feels for Rain is genuine care and tenderness. Two thumbs up for the creators of "Retro Helix" - they certainly showed a lot of good taste by creating those two characters and their relationship. And managed to capture our hearts with this delicious erotic flavor.
Action, action, action! Just like "Fear Effect", "Retro Helix" re-builds this whole nerve-tickling, sweetly frustrating old-time platform-style gameplay in the sense of Another World. You won't rest much here. There are sequences where you have to shoot frantically, boss battles where you die several times until you figure out what weapon hits the damn bastard, tricky enemies, enemies that appear out of nowhere, enemies you can't kill and have to run away from, timed sequences, bomb-disarming, obstacle-shooting, mech-driving, last-moment-jumping/diving, choosing right and wrong directions, running like a maniac, heart-pounding creeping, figuring out patterns, floor-collapsing, stepping with precise timing, and what not! It is all there! Name a kind of action you'd like to see in a game, and you are guaranteed to have it served to you in "Retro Helix".
Did I say "action"? Hey, "Retro Helix" would be a hit even if it had only action, but it has more than that - it has great puzzles. Now this is where "Retro Helix" surpasses the original "Fear Effect". The puzzles are intuitive, versatile, interesting, and many of them are downright cool (like the Chinese signs-stepping puzzle in the end of the game, which everybody hate for a mysterious reason. This puzzle rocks!). There are whole sequences which are puzzle-oriented (primarily those with Hana or Rain), and those where there are no puzzles at all (those with Glas). The balance is definitely better than in "Fear Effect". There are almost no frustrating areas where you have to act quickly and to solve puzzles at the same time. Some sections are very tranquil: you can relax there and solve a puzzle or two peacefully. In other parts, you have plently of action and nothing else to worry about. Besides, you've got some really great parts which are a mixture of both (like working your way to VIP area wearing that gorgeous dress). There are also some easy, but very enjoyable "half-puzzles", almost mini-game (like the strategy game Glas plays during the trials - a very refreshing change).
Sci-fi setting with mechs, fancy-looking weapons, and a perspective of a grim future is nothing really new. But to mix such a setting together with Chinese superstitions, traditions, folklore, and mythology is an artistic trick of highest quality. "Retro Helix" is very Chinese, you'll literally plunge into the strange and incredibly rich world of this country's culture, and perhaps discover a lot of interesting material for yourself. The tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first Chinese Emperor, really exists. And those giant clay guardian statues are really standing there (although they didn't attack me when I visited the tomb). The whole plotline (very important for the game) of Qin Shihuang trying to become immortal is quite authentic, as well of many other features (the eight Immortal Ones, the island Penglai Shan, various symbols like the five elements, saying about the fate etc.) Of course, some plot issues owe their existence entirely to the fantasy of the creators (you won't find anything about the mysterious Entity, the creator of the world, and some other stuff mentioned in the game while browsing through Chinese mythological images), but they fit the whole setting perfectly. Particularly great are those little "dream" sequences, where Hana solves mysteries dressed in Chinese clothes. Those little stories are very typical for Chinese folklore (you can find similar ones by Pu Sung Ling, in case you like reading medieval Chinese short stories - I really recommend). The design is fantastic, there are plenty of colorful Chinese "accessories", representatives of flora and fauna (dragons, phoenix, lotus lakes, garden), authentic clothes, room decoration, and lots of other great stuff. And just when you start thinking there's been enough of this fancy Chinese stuff, the game throws you into Glas' flashback with its strict setting devoid of all supernatural...
You can now choose to see your save points, and you can choose to play with normal (3D) controls, instead of crappy "classic" ones! Yahoooo!!!
The BadYes, you can choose 3D controls, but they are almost as clumsy as the "classic" ones... especially with those camera angles constantly changing. Turning to a side is still very uncomfortable. I wish the characters could run faster, especially Glas! Why the hell is he so damn slow?! Running from that golem was a pain in the neck.
The Bottom LineFor those poor souls who think games like Doom or Quake have great action, try this baby, and then do yourself a favor and throw those two out of the window. "Retro Helix" is hot. No - it's burning! Nerve-tickling, breathtaking action, eroticism, fantastic futuristic/Chinese mythology setting - this game delivers it all. And does anyone out there still has a slight doubt about Playstation being the coolest of all consoles?! Well, I gotta go and finish Suikoden now. Catch you later, and stay tuned.
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