Deep Fear is a
1998 survival horror video
game for the
Sega Saturn. It is
notable for being the last Saturn game released in
Europe.
It borrows many aspects from
Capcom's
Resident Evil
such as the use of first-aid sprays as the player's sole healing
item and a significant dependency on firearms. But the game offered
many unique gameplay features such as buttons that allow the player
to use items in real-time and the ability to walk and run while
armed.
Premise
Somewhat
inspired by David People's Leviathan and partly inspired by James
Cameron's The Abyss, Deep
Fear takes place 300 meters under 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 resigned and
joined forces with a civilian rescue group known as the ERS
(Emergency Rescue Services). The ERS is one of many civilian
corporations that, according to the Big table's history, was
offered space at the facility in order to aid the Navy in a severe
budget cut.
The game starts when a small
UFO descend from
space and near the Big Table. The Sea Fox, a considerably small but
fast
nuclear submarine, was
dispatched to collect the object and refuel at the Big Table.
Shortly after the refueling, however, the Sea Fox crashed into a
separable portion of the base known as the Navy Area, which serves
as the base's fueling and top secret research facility.Neglecting
the high security level of the Navy Area, the base commander calls
in a SEAL team as the primary rescue enforcement, but sends the ERS
into the area so they can extract an important doctor from the area
and re-connect the area to the base.
From here, the presence of hostile
mutants
cause trouble throughout the base as human beings—living or
undead—begin to transform into grotesque creatures that are fueled
by one goal: to kill.
Gameplay
The controls were similar to, yet somewhat advanced from Resident
Evil. Players moved John through pre-rendered rooms of the base
shown in fixed camera angles using a permanent 3D control scheme.
Players had full control of the Options which allowed them to turn
on or off certain on-screen indicators such as an oxygen counter,
health meter and bullet count. Once armed, players could move
freely using the D-pad and could even run while aiming a firearm.
The game fully utilized 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 that could be used
without having to go into the inventory screen.
Additional Gameplay Features
Oxygen: Because the setting takes place underwater
and due to certain circumstances in the base, the base's oxygen
supply will deplete over time. So one point of survival includes
the function of refilling low oxygenated areas as to avoid choking
to death. In addition to this, the limited oxygen levels will
deplete faster once a firearm is overused in rooms which lack
proper oxygen levels.
The oxygen in certain areas can be replenished through yellow
oxygen boxes known as Air Systems (AS) located in different rooms
of each area. Each AS allows the player the ability to save an
unlimited number of times as well as the ability to refill the
player's Regulator once acquired. There is an option to view how
much oxygen is left in an area, but often a red emergency light
helps indicate how low the oxygen is to the player with the
number-option off (it's also indicated on the player's map with
rooms colored red).
A97 Oxygen Grenades: Harmless grenades used to
replenish low oxygenated rooms or hallways.
Regulator: In case the player is not near an AS or
lack Oxygen Grenades, they can equip a regulator (once acquired)
which will allow them to breathe both in low oxygen areas and
flooded areas (it's also worth mentioning that each door to each
room in the base features two doors and a vacuum system between
them; this ensures that a flooded room will not leak outside the
room once flooded).
Combat: Because of the protagonist's prior combat
experience as a SEAL, he is comfortable using and is familiar with
all sorts of firearms. With this in mind, the player automatically
locks on to nearby enemies once the 'arm' button is pushed, as well
as being able to move freely once armed (any high or low enemies
are automatically aimed at). In addition to these, there is an
option that allows players to switch manually between multiple
targets.
Weapon Storage: Due to the base's record lack of
weapon usage, the player is allowed access to an over stocked
supply of ammunition for a number of different weapons located in
the Weapons Storage rooms. However, security is still maintained
and only certain weapons can be accessed by important individuals
in the base. Therefore, all non-standard firearms are accessed in
the game once the player collects the appropriate Weapon Storeroom
Passcards.
Big Table areas
The Big Table is a considerably massive base that has a number of
levels and houses a number of Naval and civilian areas.
Based near
the edge of Mariana
Trench
off the coast of Guam
, the Big
Table serves a number of purposes with its areas.
- CCD (Central Control Deck): This is the area
that is responsible for contacting the surface as well as multiple
parts of the base via wireless PA. This is also where the Base
Commander and designer live temporarily as well as a meeting room.
Additionally, the ERS are stationed on the top floor of the area,
right above one of the base's two emergency pools for submersibles
to enter.
- Apartment Area: The living quarters for staff,
workers and soldiers on the base, the Apartment Area houses a large
number people on the third floor including the Docking Area foreman
with an assortment of bunks.
Below this are the washing and laundry rooms as well as a small
diner and entertainment/media room (where the player can watch any
Digital Video Tapes found), and below this is a fast food
restaurant, the base's first-aid station and a small recreational
park.
- DN Area: A small area of the Big Table that is
rented out by the Dynamic Network company, a company that
specializes in varied communication levels. They also specialize in
maintenance and hire special deep-sea divers and anti-pressure
diving wear in order to make repairs to communication
machines.
- Junk Area: A small, but necessary area of the
base that incinerates all forms of garbage including hazardous
waste materials.
- MI Area: A well proportioned part of the base
which is rented by the Medical Industry for innumerous chemical
experiments and research.
- Sea Farm Area: An agricultural company which
specializes in breeding animals for deep underwater levels,
complete with its own breeding pool and small pasture.
This area can lead to the separate Energy Unit Area via Sea-Bed
Tunnel, the only true underground area of the base.
- Docking: The part of the base that allows
access to the Navy and Air Unit Areas.
- Navy Area: A top secret part of the base that
serves mostly as a refueling station for submarines, but currently
houses a small research and record station. It is the sole part of
the base that can be moved away from and reconnected to the bottom
of the base.
- Air Unit Area: The Big Table's main source for
oxygen, accessible to workers via gondola
lift only.
- Energy Unit Area: The Big Table's main source
for electricity, accessible either on foot or underwater through
the outer Connection Park.
- Connection Park: A small warehouse used solely
for storing explosive materials; stationed outside in the water
between the base and Energy Unit Area for security reasons.
Characters
Base occupants
John Mayor
The protagonist of the story, John is a responsible and caring
individual who, though quiet at times, is identified as 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.
Since his resignation, he was administered in the ERS from his need
to help and his prior combat experiences, though he tries to avoid
recognizing the latter.He can be grievous to an extent as he sees
every death a tragedy and is hard to let go of the past.
Mookie Carver
The only other ERS member on the Big Table, Mookie is an energetic
and compliant young man, though his sense of excitement often gets
the better of him. He has a well established experience with
submersibles which landed him in the pilot seat of the ERS
submersible 'Little Shark.' As a new comer to the ERS, he is
currently being trained under John's easy-going tutorage. He was
the first of the two ERS members to be admissioned at the Big
Table, so he is more familiar with the areas of the base than John
is. He is also a big fan of the
New
York Yankees and is never hesitant to inform others of his
appreciation.
Sharon State
A
passionate young lady from California
who has an appreciation for animals. She
works part-time as a Freelance Photogragpher, but her best work
consists of
underwater
photography. She also has a certain knowledge of breeding
various animals, particularly dolphins, and she is very
responsible, all of which landed her in the Sea Farm company as a
caretaker.
However, after being stationed at the Big Table, she finds her job
boring as there is nowhere for her to go and have fun. Eventually
her ennui is fought back when John arrives at the base and she
tries to spend as much time as she can with him.
Clancy Dawkins
A dutiful and calm man, Commander Clancy (as he's best known around
the base) is very responsible of his position at the Big Table. He
ensures that all accident reports are made and will do anything
necessary to prevent further accidents. He is very authoritative
and can be stressed easily.
Dubois Amalric
Supposedly
hailing from Alsace-Lorraine
, Dubois is a remarkably accomplished individual; he
was a top graduate of his MIT
class and is an expert in computer designs and
architecture.
He was eventually hired by the Navy back in the nineties to design
both the Sea Fox and every component of the Big Table, both of
which he is emmensly proud of.Much like his origin, there is a
particular duality to his personality: due to his accomplishments,
he can be awfully conceited with his work and is very
eccentric.
On the other hand however, he is amazingly helpful and is a
compliant man willing to do anything he can to save others.
Gena Weisburg
The lead researcher of the MI Area, Gena is a stoic woman who
dedicates herself to her research. Though she seems apathetic and a
little cold at times, she has a few soft spots in her that prove
that she is humane and cares about others. As a biologist, she is
seldom fearful of the unknown and is quick to observe and study
what others won't.
Danny Reynolds
The Docking Area Foreman, Danny takes every ounce of responsibility
for his area. He can be very stubborn and expecting, but is
otherwise well appreciated around the base, especially around his
fellow maintenance and construction workers. He seems often relaxed
and unnerved by bad news, though it's thought that's all he
expects.
Anna Lawerenson
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.
Though she's been known to intimidate others with her rigid build
and tough outlook on life, she is a very open person and is often
playful.
Base visitors
Base visitors are characters who appear in the storyline, though
most of them are not regular base occupants.
Dallas Silver
Captain of the Sea Fox; he tends to be a private man as there's not
much known about him.
Ken Fujiyama
An executive for the Shirahata Heavy Industries Corporation in
Japan.He was sent to the Big Table in order to retrieve Monitor
Data on the company's anti-pressure diving equipment. He is
somewhat witty despite being a dedicated business man.
McCoy Lambert
A Colonel for the SEALs who is the leader of the additional rescue
forces that Clancy called in after the initial accident. Few people
know him on the inside as his exterior is blunt and strict enough
that he has gained the nick name of 'Iron-Fist' over time.
Animals
In addition to the human characters, there are a few animals which
serve a number of purposes on the base:
Andrew
A
bottle-nosed dolphin used for
underwater breeding purposes in the Sea Farm. Despite being the
only dolphin in the breeding pool, Andrew is very friendly and
loves company. He happens to be Sharon's prized dolphin as she has
taken plenty of underwater photographs of him.
Anthony
A dysfunctional and aggressive
chimpanzee
who seems to be closely associated with Gena as she is the only
person he is passionate with. Although Gena cares for Anthony, she
tends to be overly lenient with him and lets him do as he
pleases.
Rambo
An explorative little
bulldog who 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's
frightened.
Trivia
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