Survival-horror, you should know the genre by now. We have seen reams of them flood the consoles over the years, each trying to bring something new, most failing in the attempt. At first, we had scary pop-up moments that were trickled throughout the game. Then ambience made with sound and design. All of which gave the "been there done that" reaction from a lot of gamers. Cold Fear by Ubisoft is another survival-horror game, many times referred to as Resident Evil 4 on a boat. Now while I cannot say that is totally true, it does borrow many of the aspects that make RE4 so good. By aspects, I mean an attention to action. In the past, it was scattered action and lots of puzzle solving. Now it's blow stuff up, unlock a door, blast more things, get scared, blow away what scared you-a formula for success, baby.

Rock the boat of love, err, I mean terror.

You play as Tom Hansen, a member of the Coast Guard (hey, about time those sailors get some representation) who boards a very creepy Russian ship along with a team of investigators. Of course, the rest of your team gets jacked, only their screams via your radio lead you to the notion that you're in deep. You must navigate your way through the deck and bowels of a rocking ship, collecting keys (sorry RE fans, no cogs) and unlocking new areas, all in an attempt to find out what the hell is going on. While on your mission, you won't be short of any ammo. Most fallen enemies will drop some shells, and of course, the baddies take more then one shot to take down. Along the way, you will pick up some heavier weaponry to take down some of the more ferocious bad guys-nothing fancy schmancy, though sometimes a BFG would come in handy. A really neat feature of this game is the rocking mechanics of the boat. While outside, not only do you have to battle waves of water (that can knock you overboard), but you must also fight blurred vision due to the storm, and you must steady yourself on a rail to get off a good shot while the boat sways. I was surprised how much you use it, and if you are weak of stomach, you might get a bit of motion sickness. It's weird to get used to.
Remember when you used to shoot as soon as you enter a room in RE? Say goodbye to that. Now you get a great over-the-shoulder view that allows you to aim your shots. You can move about easily, interact with the environment, and yet still have the claustrophobic feel of the inside of the ship. The enemies move fast, making your aim all the more important. Luckily, you should be able to handle them with a shot in the head, and then of course kick on the ground to finish them off. Happy hunting.

Environment

All right, we already know that environments make a survival horror. Know that Cold Fear is full of the dreary, dark, and damp rooms we have come to love. Things pop up (a dead whale comes to mind, hehe) and scatter about, all on par with any survival-horror game. However, with most of the rooms, it's your own paranoia that makes for the true terror. The rooms are dark, with your gun's tactical light being your only source to illuminate the unknown; and at times, something "was" there, and just isn't there anymore. Truly great pacing and setting are found in Cold Fear.

A fan again

Cold Fear has made me a fan of the survival-horror genre once more. I used to love playing the old RE games, but the ammo conservation and horrid controls turned me off. With Cold Fear's over-the-shoulder view and aiming, you feel more in control of the environment. Gone are the days you shoot off screen and hope you hit something. The game still brings the terror moments and some cheap scares, but best off when nothing happens and you brace for something to pop up. When a game can extract an emotion, then it's more than a game but an experience. This is a hell of a game. I give this my full recommendation, and I look forward to being scared some more.

Jun 17, 2005 | 1 comments
Mike Carabajal