The original Fear Effect is an intriguing and stylish game. The new release for PC and modern consoles is neither a remake nor a remaster. I think this release will appeal only to those who are nostalgic for games from the PS1 era.

Fear Effect is a short game for returning players, but newcomers like me will take longer. Even then, my time with it was rough. The story and characters were not the issue. They still have charm. It was the constant strain from the poor resolution and the clunky inventory quirks that pushed against any enjoyment I tried to pull from the game. Walking through blurred environments and fighting against the interface ended up defining most of my experience.