DESCRIPTION

Kenji Eno, whose predilection with story-heavy adventure games has already yielded the Sega Saturn titles Enemy Zero and D, is at the helm of yet another such title: D2, the sequel to Laura Parton's original survival horror excursion. The adventure unfolds as the plane that Laura is traveling in is hijacked by terrorists, before being struck by a meteorite and crashing in the Canadian wilderness. Awaking in a cabin, she learns that passengers killed in the crash are inexplicably turning into zombie/plant hybrids. It falls upon her, and newfound friend Kimberly Fox, to unravel the mysteries surrounding the disaster. Viewed from a third-person perspective, players must traverse the barren, snow-covered landscape as they explore the facilities and buildings in the area, engaging in random monster battles as they do so.

When combat begins, the view switches to a first-person format, in which the player cannot move and is capable only of aiming the currently selected weapon and turning on the spot to fend off the approaching enemies. The monsters all have particular weak points that must be exploited in order to kill them. Timing of weapon reloads also plays an important part in battle. Killing monsters rewards Laura with RPG-style experience points, which will eventually ensure a level increase and improved Hit Points and Skill attributes. The latter increases the accuracy and damage potential of weapons. Though initially equipped with a machine gun (with unlimited ammunition), Laura can acquire an assault rifle, pistol, shotgun, and other such weapons during her quest.

Once indoors, the view switches yet again to first-person and restricts player movement, only allowing examination of the surrounding area by pressing the corresponding direction on the D-pad to view and manipulate specific hot-spots. While searching for clues and solving puzzles, first aid items and additional ammunition can be acquired to allow Laura to protect herself from the ensuing monster hordes. An additional mini-game of sorts allows players to hunt the local wildlife (such as deer, rabbits, and birds) and then cook the prey for use as a health item. The game features lengthy cut-scenes and extensive spoken dialogue. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide