Mental notes to self. Make sure you have enough gas to get where you need to when driving in an isolated area. Make sure chicken bones are not left down where the dog can get them. Make sure you never mention how much money you just won in a poker game to the IRS. And never tell your boss you speak a foreign language.

This being said I received a copy of the Zaphie 2 to play. Written in Korean, I figured my knowledge of the language would be beneficial. I found out my knowledge of how much a Korean student demands for payment to translate for me while I play almost, but not quite, matched my ego. This reviewer has been humbled. That does not mean the average gamer would not enjoy Zaphie 2. The graphics and cut scenes spell out the requirements for you. Just be forewarned, the game is challenging, even if you know the language.

Reminiscent of the Silent Hill series, the dark shading and gloomy atmosphere gives the game an overall feeling of suspense. You don’t know who is your friend or foe, even if they appear to be helping you. Just because you find out something, does not mean it is a helpful clue. It could very well be a red herring meant to through you off. While the graphics are well done, they reminded me of the Japanese styled cartoons. They use very little movement but plenty of explanations of the plot in the details of the characters. It is not until the end you figure out whether the main character is truly insane, or beset by real demons.

The soundtrack can be distracting. I normally play with it turned off after hearing enough to comment on it for reviews. Zaphie 2‘s soundtrack can get repetitive, however it can also warn you when you are about to meet danger, find out something critical, or be able to wander for a bit without worry. Realize the lull in music can be a lie. Things do pop out at you, people do attack you, and things do happen, with the sound cutting in almost at the exact instant.

When I first began to play the game I experienced a large amount of crashing. I recommend the player use the default settings of the game rather than try to figure out the correct graphics card. The game did not crash after I fell back on the default. However, I did experience stall out. While frustrating, over time it became almost a part of the thrill build up.

The controls may take a bit of time to figure out. I found my mouse did not like the game. It could be due to it being a wireless. Once I set myself controls on the keyboard, the game still was challenging to maneuver, but playable. One word of advice, just because you think it may not be important, or may not have anything for you, such as a box or car, check it out anyway! It was frustrating to find out the clues had been in the room four levels back.

While the producers of this game are not hard-line in America yet, I am interested in seeing what else they come out with. Zaphie 2 ranked up there with Silent Hill in my book. Now, if I can only figure out how to get Korean lessons cheaper. That kid should be an extortionist!

Grade: B

System Requirements:

Windows 98/ 2000 / XP

Pentium2 350 

64MB