Cult Classics: PlayStation 2
Part 5: Horror, bugs, puzzles and anger.
Firefighter FD18
- Publisher: Konami
- Developer: Konami
I know I was fairly mean to Firefighter FD18 when it came out back in spring 2004, but in the context of celebrating quirky, oddball, one-of-a-kind games, this definitely deserves airtime. The premise is simple: you're armed with a hose and an axe with a mission to rescue survivors, and have to work your way around a series of deadly locations with a mini-map and a strict time limit. The controls are a bit clunky, but it's tense, it looks great (with that same gritty effect beloved of Silent Hill games), and there's nothing else around quite like it. The fact that it's now super, super rare means its appeal has only increased with the passing of time.
What we said: "The kind of cult curiosity that only the true hardcore would ever dare parting cash for." [That's you lot, then].
Ebay guide: Very rare, so over GBP 30
Kuon
- Publisher: Nobilis/Indie Games Productions
- Developer: From Software
We were bafflingly mean to this archetypal Japanese cult classic survival-horror gem when it belatedly reached Europe in summer 2006, perhaps worn out with the clunky genre conventions and dazzled by sexier next-gen offerings. But with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, Kuon is far better than some of the mediocre scores dished out (especially our 4/10, which was the harshest in the world) and probably closer to a 7/10 if you're a gotta-play-'em-all horror adventure fan like me. Played from the perspective of two young girls, you trot in and around a delightfully spooky manor, getting the bejesus spooked out of you while solving traditional collect-'em-up puzzles, and it still looks great for a PS2 title (especially upscaled on the PS3, if you have a backwardly-compatible version), retaining its atmosphere. The combat's tense, the story's interesting, and it's not annoyingly difficult. Few horror fans will be disappointed with Kuon - the only problem will be finding a PAL copy without having to pay over the odds for it, as this is definitely one of the most collectable PS2 games of all time. The NTSC version is easier to find, though.
What we said: "It's a good-looking game, but any amount of prolonged play makes it apparent that it's just a kind of sad 'creepy by numbers' approach."
Ebay price guide: Very rare, so over GBP 40
Echo Night: Beyond
- Publisher: Nobilis/Indie Games Productions
- Developer: From Software
Now this is a real curiosity. Another From Software-developed survival-horror oddity which only the most determined Asian horror fan will have bothered to track down. Actually the third title in the little-known Echo Night series, this one earns the rare distinction of being a horror title set on a haunted lunar colony. Terrific in terms of concept and atmosphere, you blunder around the remains of the desolate base, hampered somewhat by first-person controls which completely defy conventional thinking (by default, you look up and down with the shoulder buttons). With a bit of patience and a measure of tolerance, Echo Night: Beyond carries you on via suspense and the claustrophobic surroundings. The problems are initially obscure, but with a bit of FAQ guidance, this isn't as terrifyingly bad as it initially appears. For those of you starved of atmospheric adventure titles who want to check out the darkest corners of the genre, Echo Night: Beyond's undoubted clunkiness is worth tolerating for its overall freshness. There really is nothing else around like it - and what better way to round off the PlayStation 2 Cult Classics series than with something cheap you can't easily better.
What we said: "It's an off-path Japanese curio, but a little too hard to recommend to all but the most ardent and accepting of horror adventure fans."
Ebay price guide: Under GBP 10