Fear Effect Sedna

A powerful blend of bugs and poor design make every moment of this game a chore

Fear Effect Sedna shows that the developer truly knows its source material inside out, but unfortunately the gameplay aspect remains lost. With poor voice-acting, a broken, almost unnecessary tactical system, unreliable A.I., and flat action, Sedna just isn't fun or compelling.

Fear Effect Sedna represented an opportunity to bring a well-remembered series – albeit not always for the right reasons – back to life. As is the case with many games arriving via Kickstarter, though, the ambition of the project fails to translate into the final product.

Fear Effect: Sedna is a flawed amalgam of disparate parts. It fails to wholly convince as an action, strategy or stealth game, and the delivery of its story is a little stilted. However, the sheer variety of its mix and its fresh visual style may prove enough to keep you playing through.

Fear Effect Sedna is proof creativity can't always overcome poor execution. The game is often quite enjoyable, but the inspired moments can be difficult to appreciate amidst Sedna's mishandled nostalgia, ill-considered mechanics, and sometimes-wonky level design. Those willing to ride out the rough patches (or just hungry from some early-2000s cheese) may want to give the game a try, but I'm afraid I don't see this being the Fear Effect franchise's big comeback.

Fear Effect Sedna is a flawed return for the late PS1-era classic, with its combat occasionally being a bit clunky and not utilizing the tactical elements as well as it wanted to. But the creepy descent into Inuit horror, stylish graphics, and challenging puzzles and gameplay may still provide you with enough reasons to take a peek at it.

Fear Effect Sedna is a good way to go back for the Fear Effect franchise that already had several failed third-party attempts. It is not a third party as such, and may be considered a spin-off or distant follow-up, but at least it has put the adventures of the controversial Hana and Rain back in the limelight. The formula chosen for this comeback works, but the AI ​​and certain excessively basic playable mechanics are a consequence of it being a minor project, almost an indie. Let's hope that the remake of the first installment is more ambitious.

Overall I think this game is a bust. Sure the visuals are pretty, the puzzles are fun, and the soundtrack is fantastic, but it’s just not enough to distract from the fact that this game is really bland and has a lot of really glaring problems. At $19.99 you get about 10 hours worth of content which is good for the price, but I can’t in good conscience recommend this game unless you really enjoy the puzzles.

Fear Effect Sedna feels like a fan-service game. Fans will enjoy the story's continuation, but for everyone else, playing it is almost pointless.

Overall Fear Effect Sedna gets a 4/10, it is fun in some areas with in-depth and difficult puzzles. Combat becomes too annoying in the later sections with party management becoming a hassle due to the mechanics. You cannot customise your character enough, or even stick to a certain playstyle as the game will swap between sneaking, action and puzzles.