Deep Fear is the wateriest Survival Horror game on the Sega Saturn.
Was this a true competitor to Resident Evil or did it sink on impact? With the Sega Saturn sinking hard, Deep Fear holds the distinction for being the last official PAL released game in 1998. This is the same year the Sega Dreamcast was released in Japan. Essentially halting support for the Sega Saturn. Did we miss a true gem here?
Be sure to also check out how weird the Resident Evil games got with games like Survivor 2 Code Veronica.
The Resident Evil comparisons are inevitable. And the first Resident Evil game really set the standard for survival-horror game mechanics. The classic tank controls, pre-rendered backgrounds and focus on the cinematics of the horror game. The second Resident Evil was never released for the Sega Saturn so Deep Fear took those mechanics and set the bar for Survival-Horror on the system.
What is Deep Fear?
Deep Fear is more straight-forward than the original Resident Evil. You’re trapped underwater as an alien virus rips through the underwater base where you’re stationed. There’s plenty of puzzle-solving and back-tracking but no finding coloured gems and using emblems. The puzzles here require you to shut down security systems and open doors that have been welded shut. This gives Deep Fear a much more stressful, authentic atmosphere. The original Resident Evil game managed to create an amazing atmosphere in Spencer Mansion, but some of the puzzles and events worked against the feeling
The point-of-difference for Deep Fear is the constant pressure of Oxygen depleting as you make your way through the base. There are oxygen refill stations and oxygen grenades while firing your weapon and using grenades will cause it run out faster. It’s a cool mechanic that adds intensity to the game because you’re never sure what you’re about to walk into. A room full of enemies? A room without oxygen? Another empty corridor? A cow?
Deep Fear does manage to ramp up the cheesy voice-acting and terrible dialogue. I can’t even blame the English translation because the cut-scenes for the Japanese version are also in English. Audio Atrocities did a great job checking out some of the worst this game had to offer. But there’s so many golden nuggets of terrible dialogue throughout the game. The music itself however was really well done and atmospheric.
A very prolific Japanese musician, Kenji Kawai, handled the music for this game between the Japanese Ring movies. Kawai is also well known for the Ghost in Shell OST. It’s apparent Deep Fear had more budget for visual effects and soundtrack. While the actual script and performance are incredibly lackluster.
Check out the original Resident Evil line of action figures
Sega Saturn Magazine Review from 1998
So is Deep Fear worth checking out?
If you’re a fan of survival-horror, it’s a Sega Saturn exclusive. Resident Evil feels a lot more polished. But there’s better places to play the game. Deep Fear, like a lot of Sega Saturn games, is unlikely to see a re-release. The Sega Saturn didn’t get much exclusive survival-horror games, but Deep Fear is a great, accessible game.
If you emulate Deep Fear, I had some great results through the latest version of SSF. With only slight frame-rate drops underwater. The Japanese version is totally playable with English cut-scenes but you still may want a guide handy to decipher item names. You can check out the full longplay / gameplay video I did with Deep Fear here, using the SSF emulator.
Full Deep Fear Longplay
Like watery survival horror titels? Check out Resident Evil Gaiden for the Game Boy. Stuck on a boat with zombies, you play as Barry Burton and Leon, trying to survive at 160 x 144 pixels.