Lifeline Game Sample 1/2 - Playstation 2
0"Lifeline" (known as "Operator's Side" in Japan) is a unique "Voice Recognition Survival Horror Adventure Game" developed by SCEI (or rather, SCEJ) and published in the U.S. by Konami in 2004. Taking place in the near future (2029), the game begins with a festive Christmas Eve celebration taking place in a newly-developed JSL (Japan Space Line) Space Station Hotel. You (the nameless protagonist) and your beautiful girlfriend, Naomi, are special guests on board the station enjoying yourselves when the prestigious Japanese Prime Minister, Takayama, addresses everyone in the room and uses talking points in a bid to improve his image and ease people's fears of Japan's long-term economic recession. Just when everything seems peachy, monsters mysteriously break in eating everyone, and you and your girl flee, but things get so chaotic that you get seperated and you're knocked unconscious.
When you wake, you have some moderate injuries and find yourself inside the main control room of the Space Station where, normally, the Operator has access to most of the ships onboard features, monitors, and locks. However, you are trapped in the room with no means of escape and, armed with a communicator, try to find other survivors to get help. "Luckily", you come in contact with a beautiful waitress of the hotel, Rio, who is capable of navigating the Space Station (with your help) and finding out what happened. At this point, the two must work together (you're the brains, she's the brawn) as you guide Rio and tell her what to do, do what you can from your end while Rio relays what she finds, fight the monsters, and unravel the mysteries of the LSJ.
The game is different from most games in that nearly every aspect of the game is driven through voice commands. Rio understands hundreds of different phrases (which is very misleading from the "Thousands" advertised on the case) and the bulk of the game can be seen as a "vocal" click and pick adventure game. In an ordinary game, you could, say, click a green book, but in Lifeline, you have to tell Rio to walk near a point of interest and then say something like "Read Green Book". You can use several Operator functions with the controller, but naturally, this game requires a PS2-compatible USB Microphone Headset to play. This, in theory, sounds like an awesome idea. After all, technology has improved vastly since Konami themselves toyed around with voice-activated gameplay with their "LaserScope" headset for the NES (which sucked... I actually have it). However, the game, in practice, has come off as a mediocre adventure game to many with a novel concept that you'll either love or hate.
A large part of this is due to the execution. Playing it is wierd... it's almost like "Dora The Explorer" for mature audiences. She's talking to you (who is rarely ever shown, so she stares at the screen as you're in first-person) and you respond to her, but you sometimes have to say things more than once for Rio to get it. You know how kids will respond multiple times to the shows and the show will say something like "What?" or say something else even when you know the right answer? Same here, only to a greater extreme. Not only do you have to repeat simple phrases for her to react properly, but she sometimes does something completely off the wall. You could say "Check the bed." and she'll say "Okay. I'll go back." (To previous area) or "Check the cup." and she'll pull out her gun and say "That'll only put holes in the cup!" Um... WHAT? Many objects also don't have obvious means of inspection and you can spend minutes or even have to consult an FAQ just to find out how to pick up a common sense flashing object... exploring is the pits when you can't even open a drawer or search a closet without battling for Rio's comprehension, and finding the right phrases is most of the challenge. Speaking of "Battles", you fight in realtime, which also functions through voice commands, but it's at least easier due to many simple commands. Doing time-sensitive events can really be a pain in the ass when she can't hear you even when you pronunciate properly, or she just flat-out ignores you. However, when she is following your orders, the game is fairly painless. Even in our videos, there are a few moments where nothing happens as we chat and just move on.
The graphics are pretty good; character models are respectable (and Rio's is particularly nice since you'll be guiding her around) and environments have a fair bit of detail with nice lighting. The audio is decent, but lacks immersion... she has a headset; she should talk in your ear when not talking to others. The story is mostly plain and derivative. Overall, it's an okay game and there aren't many voice-driven games for the system and this one was actually released outside Japan, so it's worth a try for that alone. Be warned however that the U.S. game does not come bundled with a headset. These are videos of the intro and some gameplay. Enjoy.