--Sedna, Fear Effect Sedna
I had never played a Fear Effect game up until recently. Series veterans are familiar with the emphasis on supernatural entities and puzzles, while the setup of Sedna does not immediately show its supernaturalism. Fear Effect Sedna starts off as if something other than the story's true focus is at hand, revealing its true antagonists later on. The eventual emphasis on Inuit theology is unique; it is just that Fear Effect Sedna's strongest elements are not its only prominent qualities. For one thing, it is a somewhat short game in spite of its sporadic difficulty. Its combat controls can also be sluggish or unresponsive to the point of repeatedly costing a player his or her life in key boss fights. It also has an unnecessary game mechanic that can easily hinder progress.
Production Values
The component of Fear Effect Sedna that stands above the rest is its approach to graphics and cutscene stylization. Utilizing one of the most unique art styles of any game I have played on the Switch, it mixes graphic novel-like cutscene visuals with an overhead perspective for the actual gameplay. The "isometric" viewpoint shows a static environment that does not have the same animation style as playable characters, enemies, and videos, which makes the three things stand out. Some dialogue is delivered as images of the speaking characters are shown on opposite sides of the screen in non-cinematics, and the lighting for these moments is strangely dim to the point of being far darker than the other settings and videos.
Gameplay
The variety of the gameplay proves one of its greatest strengths as different characters are introduced with their own arsenals, such as, in the case of some characters, a flamethrower or explosives. Most segments put players in control of companion thieves Hana or Rain as they either sneak around and stealthily kill guards or engage in direct combat with firearms, yet others feature different characters and have objectives as diverse as listening to wealthy party guests to get information while posing as a server and fighting off spirit-like beings while progressing through a maze of crane equipment. In applicable sections, stealth is almost always a better way to conserve ammunition for special attacks and health kits.
The health system is tied to management of rising fear levels, which make the characters more vulnerable to gunfire or melee attacks. However, even when one mercenary loses all of her or his health, they can be revived by partners if any are present during the mission--even if all health kits have already been used. Health kits can actually be plentiful in some levels and there is no limit on how many times you can reload primary weapons, although special abilities like the use of mines, grenades, or a flamethrower have limited uses for each level. Occasional ammunition pickups for special weapons can be found in the environment. So, too, can collectible totems that unlock concept art in the main menu.
A "tactical mode" actually lets you freeze enemy movement and walk wherever in the environment you would like to go once the course is confirmed, something that can be useful for identifying areas with items, as tactical mode can be exited so that the character remains where they were. However, this mode is not particularly helpful in combat. This is the unnecessary mechanic I mentioned above. Boss battles are especially complicated by planning these on-rails movements without overriding the course of action (which is possible). In some of the boss fights, just like with the puzzles, a lot of trial and error might be needed to figure out what the best or intended way to surpass obstacles is. Not every boss fight is complex, so this applies to the puzzles more frequently, but clues in the levels can suggest how to proceed if you get stuck.
Story
Some spoilers are below.
A pair of mercenary thieves named Rain and Hana receive an unexpected request to steal an artifact from a private collection. Through intentional and unintentional circumstances, they end up working alongside other mercenaries and figures, some of whom are old companions. The mission brings them into conflict with supernatural beings as they gradually learn of genetic experiments meant to create animals with a mixture of parts from what would otherwise be different species. It eventually becomes clear that someone either believes in the Inuit goddess Sedna--or she is a real being.
Intellectual Content
Many levels have a unique puzzle or two that is tied to some set of clues in the surrounding environment. These puzzles can involve everything from hacking server rooms to disabling security systems, and each one has unique aesthetics and mechanics that set it apart from the other puzzles. Even between these mandatory puzzles, the environments themselves must often be navigated in ways that require alert observation, backtracking, and interaction with certain objects. The themes of supernaturalism themselves fall short of even a thorough exploration, but other aspects of the game truly do require fairly abstract thinking at times.
Conclusion
The randomness of Fear Effect Sedna works both in its favor and against it. On one hand, the puzzle diversity and special weapons and attacks tied to each character provide novelty at many turns. On another hand, the randomness extends to some of the story threads. The exact trajectory of the plot is not always straightforward, and not in a clever, sophisticated sort of way. The puzzles and art style are the best that Fear Effect Sedna has to offer, but the rest of the game is mediocre by comparison. Individual players interested will likely end up appreciating the uniqueness or becoming bored or frustrated with the other aspects.
Content:
1. Violence: Blood appears when characters are shot. None of the kills are particularly gory or brutal, though.
2. Profanity: Variations of "damn," "bastard," "shit," and "fuck" are used at least once.
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