Cold Fear: Story Review from Retro Vault

Introduction

• Game: Cold Fear (2005, PS2)
• Developer: Dark Works
• Genre: Horror
• Presenter's Experience: Played first time at 17; found it terrifying. Recently replayed and completed.
• Spoilers: Warning about story spoilers.

Game Setting and Plot

Initial Setup

• Protagonist: Tom Hansen, former US Special Forces, now US Coast Guard.
• Mission: Investigating Russian whaling ship "Eastern Spirit".
• CIA Agent: Jason Bennett, team handler.
• Initial Scenario: US Navy SEAL Team attacks on the ship and is decimated by unknown creatures.

Key Events on the Whaling Ship

Beginning

• Tom boards the ship through stormy seas, fights terrified Russians.
• Encounters mutilated bodies, battles reanimated corpses.
• Finds colleague Lieutenant Lansing dead, retrieves emergency radio code.

Discovery of Infections

• Attacked by a former crew member who is reanimated, kills it.
• Discovers Orca with strange creatures emerging from it.
• Contacts Agent Bennett, tasked with securing Colonel Dimitri Yusupov.

Interaction with Yusupov

• Finds Yusupov in poor shape; learns about the mistake and the name "Anna" for answers.
• Receives experimental weapon emitting enzymatic gas.
• Yusupov dies from internal creature attack.

Further Exploration

• Tom sees small creatures infecting dead bodies, creating reanimated monsters.
• Destroys biomass clump producing these creatures with an explosion.
• Encounters strange life pods, some broken open.
• Reaches Anna, who has little knowledge and seeks her father Victor Kamsky.

Key Character Backgrounds and Motivations

Victor Kamsky (Scientist)

• Role: Partly responsible for the infection situation.
• Background: Recruited by Russian Mafia for EXO cell experiments.
• Research: Aimed to control EXO cells for military potential; fascinated by them.

Dr. Bv (Antidote Specialist)

• Role: Created an antidote for EXO cell infection, collaborative researcher.
• Experiments: Infected ~300 subjects; found various mutations, antidote effectiveness.
• Conflict: Acknowledges potential risks but driven by valorizing Kamsky's vision.

Invasion of the EXO Cells

Infection Explanation

• EXO cells are parasites hunting protein, infecting by tendrils to brain or through mouths.
• Can reanimate dead bodies into aggressive zombies, hard to control without enzymatic gas.

Mutation Details

• Contaminators attach on walls, grow into 'breeders' producing more contaminators.
• Scientists discovered mammalian DNA in some EXO cells, unknown origins.
• Theorized as alien or prehistoric due to mutations and past underwater nuclear waste dumping.

Mafia Involvement

• Russian Mafia led by Yusupov, aiming to weaponize EXO cells for profit.
• Secret Projects: Developing an invisibility mutation, armored mutants, etc.

Climax and Resolution

Oil Rig Operations

• Tom infected but cured by Dr. Bv before witnessing massive mutation nests.
• He learns of Anna's father experimenting on himself for human evolution.
• Final showdown with mutated Kamsky, Tom cures Anna and destroys the rig using explosives.

Conclusion and Analysis

• Gameplay: Frustrating and clunky, common in horror games of the era.
• Positives: Great atmosphere, solid storyline; potential untapped fully.
• Unresolved Mystery: The creature in nest area—possible continuity error?

Final Notes

• Encourages viewers to like, comment, and subscribe.
• Expresses appreciation for audience engagement.

Outro

• Next Review Completion: Impending future stories and game analyses.