PS1 Exclusive Game From 2000 Just Got Stealth-Released Out of Nowhere

A PS1 game from 2000 just got stealth-released out of nowhere via the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and PS5. Unfortunately, for Xbox fans, the Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X have been skipped. The same is also true of the Nintendo Switch 2, though the Nintendo Switch version is playable on Switch 2 via backward compatibility. Those who now have access to the 25-year-old PS1 game will have to fork over $9.99 to play it in 2025 and beyond.

The PS1 game in question is Fear Effect from developer Kronos Digital Entertainment and publisher Eidos Interactive. That said, with the acquisition of the latter, the IP now belongs to Square Enix, which has collaborated with Limited Run Games to re-release the PS1 exclusive. Unfortunately, the port is just that, a port. There aren’t any new bells and whistles to get excited over, nor salient improvements. Those after PS1 nostalgia won’t mind this, though.

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A Classic From Yesteryear

For those unfamiliar with Fear Effect, it is an action-adventure game with both stealth and survival-horror elements. Upon release, it garnered an 85 on GameRankings, making it one of the highest-rated PS1 games of its year. To this end, it notably won Best Adventure Game with the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Exact information on how well it sold was never divulged; however, it did well enough for a prequel, Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix, to be released in 2001. This follow-up was also a PS1 exclusive and earned a similar reception to the first game. Unfortunately, the prequel is not available on modern platforms.

Fear Effect Sedna Stink

In the modern era, Fear Effect has a little bit of a stink to it. And this is because of Fear Effect Sedna, which was released in 2018 by developer Sushee and publisher Forever Entertainment, after Square Enix licensed out the IP. And this was a mistake because the first Fear Effect game in 16 years, which served as a sequel to the first game, was one of the worst games of its year, as evident by its score range on Metacritic of 42-50. Around this same time, a remake of the first game was in the works at MegaPixel Studio, but it was cancelled in the 2020s.

Those who have played Fear Effect Sedna should not let its lack of quality steer you away from this new re-release. It is not representative of the quality of the first two Fear Effect games in the slightest. That said, those after PS1 nostalgia but not tickled by this new release have other options, as this is not the first PS1 game to return this year. In fact, it is not even the first PS1 game from 2000 to return this year.

As always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think. Will you be checking out this classic PS1 game now that it is finally available on modern platforms?