The original ‘Fear Effect’ game is 25 years old. Yes. I was shocked too at the realisation that the year 2000 was that long ago. Originally released on PlayStation 3, this cel-shaded, cinematic shooter, now developed by Implicit Conversions and published by Limited Run Games, was re-released in 2025 for PC players. I will confess, though, I went in blind as I did not play the original.

This tale, ironically set in the future, 2050, takes you to an even more futuristic Hong Kong, where mercenaries are looking for an abducted Wee Ming Lam, an innocent girl, on her 18th birthday. With the intention of bribing her rich father, Mr Lam, a menacing and powerful leader of the Triad, to secure her return, this becomes an epic game of cat and mouse.

As you dive deeper into this tale, there are some wild, unrealistic revelations, which, as it eventually turns out, are muchly welcomed because it started as a dry, action-cop-like concept. I was definitely all about its absurdity as it moves into the occult and ritualistic territory. With the introduction of mythical elements, this tale really pushes you to keep going.

Despite this, I’m not particularly fond of this gameplay, I must admit. Firstly, there was no way to see key bindings, crazy for a PC release. I found it much friendlier and forgiving to be played on a controller anyway, but it would be nice to have been able to play more on keyboard and mouse without it feeling clumsy.

Secondly, gameplay itself was so cumbersome. You can sort of expect that from a retro, third-person horrorish game muchly akin to the original ‘Resident Evil’, but it can at times be an irritating push-pull for control and direction.

As the mercenaries, you must run, sneak or roll around terrain, avoiding enemies and eliminating them using a range of cool weapons you pick up after they die. Your adrenaline is your health metre; this is where the fear effect comes into play.

Play aggressively, and you can turn red and die; being more stealthy will reward you with a steady heartbeat again. There are many puzzles along the way, so be aware of your surroundings and what you can pick up, because you will definitely hit a roadblock if you miss something.

The graphics are obviously dated now, but they still have their own charm. It was definitely the draw card for me picking up the title despite never having played the first. With pixelated cel-shading, cutscenes interject gameplay with a janky finesse that only a ’90s/’00s game could. It’s retro, but it’s endearing.

The contrast is effective, with neon colours for signage or attacking enemies (without spoiling too much) against grungy cityscapes or eerie swamps. It is incredibly nostalgic.

The sound is a double-edged sword. Because it was ported without enhancements, the sound effects and dialogue can at times appear to have a slight static overlay. This could have been a design choice from the original game, or just due to poor tape conversion to the modern game.

Either way, I wasn’t a fan of scratchy audio. This is frustrating, as the voice acting I thought was brilliantly corny, with all the flair of a ’90s action movie, especially given the Hong Kong background. Everything was either over-the-top expressive or flat, but the actual voices themselves mask the flat spots well.

‘Fear Effect’, the 2025 PC release, is a perfect nostalgic ride. In saying that, though, it did deserve some spit and polish before its official PC debut. Some bare-minimum, quality-of-life upgrades would make such a difference, aside from the rewind and wide-screen options. This is a fun experience that takes you back in time to let out a bit of fear.

Written by: Stacey