Deep Fear

Deep Fear
European cover art
Developer(s)	Sega AM7 System Sacom SIMS (some CG movie design) ISCO
Publisher(s)	Sega
Designer(s)	Hiroyuki Maruhama Kunihiro Shirahata
Artist(s)	Yasushi Nirasawa
Composer(s)	Kenji Kawai
Platform(s)	Sega Saturn
Release date(s)	EU: June 30, 1998 JP: July 16, 1998
Genre(s)	Survival horror
Mode(s)	Single-player

Deep Fear (ディープフィアー, Dīpu Fiā) is a 1998 survival horror video game developed by Sega AM7 and System Sacom for the Sega Saturn. It was the last Saturn game released in Europe. The game offers unique gameplay features such as buttons that allow the player to use items in real-time, aiming while moving, and falling oxygen levels. The music was composed by Kenji Kawai, and the creatures and characters were designed by manga artist Yasushi Nirasawa.

Gameplay

Players move John Mayor through the pre-rendered rooms of The Big Table which are shown from fixed camera angles using a permanent 3D control scheme. Players can turn on or off certain on-screen indicators such as an oxygen counter, health meter and bullet count. Once armed, players can move using the D-pad and can run while aiming a firearm. The game fully utilises the Saturn's six-button controller, allowing players to have instant access to a map screen as well as real-time use of grenades and health items, which may be used without resorting to the inventory screen.

The Big Table's oxygen supply is dwindling. Therefore, one necessity for survival is to refill low oxygenated areas and thus avoid asphyxiation. Overuse of firearms depletes the oxygen more quickly. In some areas, oxygens can be replenished (an unlimited number of times) by finding yellow oxygen boxes known as Air Systems (AS). When the player has a regulator, an AS allows him to refill it. If the player is not using the oxygen level indicator, a red emergency light will indicate a low oxygen level. Low oxygen level rooms will appear in red on the player's map. Oxygen grenades can be used to replenish low oxygen level rooms or hallways.

If the player is not near an AS or lacks oxygen grenades, they can use a regulator to breathe in low oxygen areas and in flooded areas. Each room entrance has two doors with a vacuum system between them; this ensures that a flooded room will not leak outside the room.

Being an ex-SEAL, John Mayor is able to use all sorts of firearms and so, the player can move while armed and automatically lock on to enemies by depressing the aim button. There is an option for the player to switch manually between targets.

The Big Table has a large supply of ammunition for a number of different weapons. The weapons and ammunition are located in the weapon storage rooms. However, security is maintained and so some weapons can only be accessed by important individuals in The Big Table. The player obtains these weapons by securing the appropriate weapon storeroom pass-cards.

Plot

The plot of Deep Fear is inspired by the films Leviathan and The Abyss. The game takes place 300 meters below the surface of the Pacific Ocean in a naval fueling and research facility known as "The Big Table" (SSB-01). Players assume the role of John Mayor, an ex-Navy SEAL who has joined forces with a civilian rescue organisation called Emergency Rescue Services (ERS). The ERS was one of many civilian corporations who were offered space at The Big Table in order to raise funds after the US Navy cut the facility's budget.

A small capsule from space has landed near The Big Table. It contains a chimpanzee who was launched into space forty years before the start of the game, as part of an experiment about the effects of cosmic radiation on a living creature. The cosmic radiation caused the chimp to undergo a mutation whereby its metabolism slowed and it went into hibernation. Commander Clancy (see below) assigns Gena Weisburg (see below) to unravel the mystery of the chimp so the same effect may be used to allow humans to travel into deep space.

The Sea Fox, a small but fast nuclear submarine, has been dispatched to refuel at The Big Table and investigate the capsule. The Sea Fox crashes into the base at a part called the Navy Area, The Big Table's top secret research facility. Ignoring the high security level of the Navy Area, the base commander calls in a SEAL team as a primary rescue force, and also sends the ERS to extract an important doctor.

Hostile mutants in The Big Table are troublesome: human beings (both living and undead) are being transformed into grotesque creatures that kill. The hostile mutants are weakened by high levels of oxygen and so they try to destroy The Big Table's oxygen generators.

The mutation creating the hostile mutants is the result of the effect of cosmic radiation on common bacteria. John Mayor, who is afflicted with a cold, is unaffected by the infectious mutation and must try to rescue The Big Table's occupants and escape.

Characters

• John Mayor (Samuel Rose)- the protagonist of the story, is a responsible and caring individual who, though quiet at times, is a very agreeable person. As he was a SEAL Team 6 member, he is strictly disciplined and is used to taking orders despite the odds against him. Since his resignation from the navy, he has administered the ERS. He wants to help people and forget about his past combat experiences. He can be grievous to an extent, as he sees every death as a tragedy and finds himself unable to let go of the past.
• Mookie Carver (Wayne Doster)- the only other ERS member in The Big Table, is an energetic and compliant young man, though his sense of exuberance often gets the better of him. He has experience with submersibles and so is the pilot of the ERS submersible, Little Shark. He is a newcomer to the ERS being trained by John Mayor (an easy-going tutor). Mookie arrived at the Big Table before John Mayor and so is more familiar with its layout. Mookie is a fan of the New York Yankees and is keen to tell this to others. His name is erroneously credited as "Mooky Carver".
• Sharon State (Shay Isbel) is a passionate young lady from California who has an appreciation for animals. She is a part-time freelance photographer who is best at underwater photography. She also has knowledge of breeding animals, particularly dolphins. Sharon State is very responsible in her job as the Sea Farm company caretaker. However, she finds her post at The Big Table boring as there is nowhere to have fun. She perks up when John Mayor arrives at the base and she like to keep his company.
• Commander Clancy Dawkins (Tom West)- an authoritative, dutiful and calm man with a large sense of responsibility who ensures accident reports are made and tries to prevent accidents as best he can. However, he is easily stressed after his "little mistake" of hitting a passenger ship in a neutral zone with a missile during wartime. His name is often misspelled "Crancy", "Clansy", or "Cransy" in the game.
• Dubois Amalric (Winston Kirk)- A man from Alsace-Lorraine, and an accomplished individual; he was a top graduate of his MIT class and is an expert in computer designs and architecture. He was hired by the Navy in the nineties to design both the Sea Fox and every component of the Big Table, both of which he is immensely proud of. Much like his place of origin, there is a particular duality to his personality: due to his accomplishments, he can be conceited and eccentric. On the other hand, he is helpful and willing to do anything he can to save others. He speaks in a high-pitched effeminate voice and slight South African accent. His name is erroneously listed in the credits as "Duboa Amalric".
• Gena Weisburg (Karen Kennedy)- the lead researcher of the MI Area. She is a stoic woman who dedicates herself to her work. Though she seems apathetic and a little cold at times, she has a few soft spots in her that prove that she is a humane and caring persons. As a biologist, she is seldom fearful of the unknown and is quick to observe and study what others will not. Her name is erroneously listed in the credits as "Gena Wiseberg".
• Danny Reynolds (Nik Sliwerski)- the docking area foreman. He can be very stubborn and entitled but is well regarded, particularly by his colleagues. He also tends to be pessimistic and unnerved by bad news. He was the sonar operator during Clancy's accident, and is thus resentful of his authority.
• Anna Lawrenson (Skye Borgman)- a professional deep-sea diver hired by the Dynamic Network company and stationed in her own room in the DN Area. Anna is a very independent woman and is as strong physically as she is mentally. Although she may intimidate others with her tough build and outlook on life, she is a very open person and is often playful.

• Dallas Silver (Mark Murdock)- the captain of the Sea Fox. He is a private man about whom little is known.
• Ken Fujiyama (Shingo Hiromori)- an executive for the Shirahata Heavy Industries Corporation of Japan. He was sent to The Big Table in order to retrieve Monitor Data on the company's anti-pressure diving equipment. He is witty despite being a dedicated business man. His actor, Shingo Hiromori normally does Japanese dubs, but used English in this game with a heavy Japanese accent.
• McCoy "Ironfist" Lambert (Monty DiPietro)- the leader of the SEAL rescue team. He and John share a common history that causes John to be fearful in his presence. His name is erroneously credited as "Macoy Ironfist".

• Andrew- a bottle-nosed dolphin that is used for underwater breeding in the Sea Farm despite being the only dolphin in the breeding pool. Andrew is very friendly and loves company. He is Sharon's prized dolphin as she has taken plenty of underwater photographs of him.
• Anthony- a dysfunctional chimpanzee that interacts with Gena, who is very lenient on him.
• Rambo- a bulldog that roams the apartment area of The Big Table. He can be very gluttonous despite his fit physique and is often sociable. He is very dependent on his loving owner, Anna, as he will run to her room if he is frightened.

In addition to these characters, Matthew Meersburgen voices a radio announcer and other extras throughout the game.

Similarities to Resident Evil

Deep Fear borrows elements from Capcom's Resident Evil such as first-aid spray capsules of various types which become the player's only healing item. There is a significant dependency on firearms in both games.^[1] Both games have been criticized for the voice acting and dialogue.^[2]

Versions

There are 2 versions of this game released to the public. The Japanese NTSC release and the European PAL release(which also happened to be the last Saturn game released in Europe.). This Japanese version of the game is very import friendly for English speaking gamers. All of the spoken dialogue is in English along with a good portion of the menus, text and visual clues.

Reception

In 2009, GamesRadar included Deep Fear among its games "with untapped franchise potential", commenting,

"This atmospheric survival/horror game also used limited air supplies and moody silence to create tension (see Dead Space.) Though we’re puffing at the gills for BioShock 2, we’d love to get our feet wet in another Deep Fear game."^[3]

References

External links

• Deep Fear at MobyGames