4-May-2004 Usually while playing survival horror, we're shouting stuff that isn't fit to print. Measured words just aren't on the list. Yet, these are exactly what are required for Konami's new game in which your heroine takes her cues from your voice!
Yep, it seems ridiculous but actually works out pretty well. You're given charge of a female undercover agent called Rio, who was onboard a space-station hotel when disaster strikes. In the aftermath of an alien attack, you find yourself trapped in the control room, and Rio is your only contact via headset. From here on in, Rio depends on your every spoken command.
Say Aagain? Of course, we tried 'Take a shower' and 'I love you' and got reactions too: 'Not in your lifetime' and 'Be serious'. But we had more fun doing things properly. Rio reacts surprisingly well, whether exploring or fighting. You need a very logical, almost robotic way of constructing phrases, but the range is huge and the consequences are fun as well as involving - once you get the hang of it.Simple tasks require painfully exact phrasing: 'Search beneath dresser', not 'Look under dresser'. In battle it's slightly better, as you shout the name of the target plus 'Shoot', 'Dodge', 'Low kick', 'Taunt' and so on.
We couldn't help being drawn in by the plot, and enjoyed finding enemy weak-spots and shouting them out for Rio to shoot. And while you feel like a dork shouting stuff at the TV, the action is so engrossing that you stop caring. Lifeline isn't perfect, and it's sometimes frustrating, but it's still definitely one to check out.
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