Kileak: The DNA Imperative | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Genki |
Publisher(s) | |
Director(s) | Nakaji Kimura [1] |
Designer(s) | Tomoharu Kimura [1] |
Programmer(s) | Kenji Shimizu [1] |
Artist(s) | |
Writer(s) | Manami Kuroda [1] |
Composer(s) | Kimitaka Matsumae |
Platform(s) | PlayStation |
Release | |
Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Kileak: The DNA Imperative, known as Kileak: The Blood [lower-alpha 1] in Japan and Europe, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Genki for the PlayStation. It was published in Japan by Sony Music Entertainment in January 1995, followed by a North American and European release in September 1995 by Sony Computer Entertainment as a launch game for the console. Kimitaka Matsumae, former member of the S.S.T. Band, wrote the game's soundtrack.
The story follows an International Peacekeeping Force's White Lightning team leader Matt Coda, as he attempts to stop a scientist Dr. Kim from conducting unethical genetic engineering research. As the game progresses, the eponymous Kileak is revealed to be an ancient extraterrestrial creature that is the common ancestor of all life on Earth. The player controls an armored SJ 107 assault suit through the series of floor levels within a South Pole observation base. Each floor is connected by an elevator, which the player must find in order to proceed to the level below. The suit is equipped with various weapons, some of which require the suits battery power to operate.
The game received mixed reviews, with criticism targeted towards its monotonous level design and limited control scheme, while praise was given to its 3D graphics and pre-rendered cutscenes. A sequel, Epidemic , was released in Japan in December 1995, and in North America the following year. Both Kileak and Epidemic became available on the Japanese PlayStation Network in September 2015.
Kileak: The DNA Imperative is a first-person shooter, [3] in which the player controls an International Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) polar operative Matt Coda in an armored SJ 107 assault suit. The player can advance and retreat, move from side to side and rotate the camera in any direction. The game is set in a South Pole observation base, which is composed of floors connected by elevators. On each floor, the player must find an elevator in order to proceed to the level below. The requirements are varied between floors, with many levels requiring the use of key cards to open locked doors, while some doors are opened by puzzle solving. On reaching the elevator to the next floor, the player can save their progress to a memory card that fits into the accompanying PlayStation. [2]
The heads-up display shows the amount of ammunition for the currently selected weapon, along with the suit's shield status and its energy. The game also features an automap to help players navigate the different areas of the game. On every floor, the player can access to the computer terminal with an ID Card and a Record Card in their possession. ID cards are used to reveal unexplored parts of the floor, while Record Cards hold pre-recorded messages that can be read with the terminal. At certain points in the game, the player can also acquire Armor ROMs to enhance the suit's defense system, which reduces damage from enemy attacks. [2]
The SJ 107 can equip a variety of weapons, ranging from conventional armaments such as a machine gun and a rocket launcher to more exotic weaponry such as a laser gun and "erosion gun". While most weapons use ammunition, some run off of the suit's power supply. The energy decreases over time, and can be charged by picking up batteries or using an energy unit. When the energy is critically low, the suit's driving power, radar and energy-based weapons become impaired. The game ends if the SJ 107 suit either takes too much damage or runs out of power. [2]
On August 16, 2038, the International Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) headquarters receives a distress signal from undercover agent Franco Fukazawa in the Byflos Group's South Pole observation base, where it is under control by a scientist known as Dr. Kim. [4] [lower-alpha 2] The IPKF's White Lightning team, led by captain Matt Coda, [lower-alpha 3] is sent to investigate. Minutes before arrival, the White Lightning's Lyger assault helicopter is shot down by surface-to-air missiles, [5] separating Coda and lieutenant Carlos Potrero [lower-alpha 4] in the process. [6] Coda emerges from the crash, and penetrates the South Base. [7] Carlos also survives the attack, and makes radio contact with Coda throughout the game. [6]
Over the course of the game, Coda and Carlos learns from Dr. Kim's sound recordings found in the South Base that a creature named "Kileak" is the first lifeform to have appeared on Earth, [8] and the progenitor of all life on the planet. [9] Kim found Kileak's DNA from an unknown pyramidal structure in the excavation pit, [10] and used it to genetically engineer a race of mutant creatures. [11] [12] In other recordings, Byflos [lower-alpha 2] confronted Dr. Kim over his use of Kileak's DNA, [13] and hid an "erosion gun" in his office for anyone who can stop Kim. [14]
As Dr. Kim plans to use an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to spread the mutant DNA all over the planet, [15] Coda descends to one of the base's lower levels and stops an ICBM from launching. [16] Advancing deeper into the South Base's excavation pit, Coda faces Kim, who turns himself into an alien-like monster. [17] Coda manages to kill the creature, and escapes from the South Base. The voice of Kileak reveals to Coda that the human race began long after the creature's civilization was destroyed by a comet. [18] The South Base collapses, and a space station containing Kileak ascends into space. [19]
The game was developed by a Japanese video game company Genki and published by Sony Music Entertainment Japan for the PlayStation. [20] It was initially released in Japan on January 27, 1995. [21] The game would later be released in North America on September 9, 1995, by Sony Computer Entertainment. [22] [23] Its European release was followed on September 29, 1995. [24] Kileak: The DNA Imperative was a North American and European launch game for the PlayStation, alongside other games such as Ridge Racer , Battle Arena Toshinden and Street Fighter: The Movie . [22] [23] [24]
The music for Kileak: The DNA Imperative was composed by Kimitaka Matsumae, former member of Sega's in-house band, the S.S.T. Band. Matsumae was hired by the producer, who thought that Matsumae's ambient works were dark. He felt his benefit of creating "extreme" themes would be crucial for producing the game's music, and stated that the development team gave him a lot of freedom. The music was influenced from the game's sound effects, which Matsumae created with a synthesizer and an effector while not composing at all. Kileak uses the PlayStation's sound processing unit for the in-game music with 100-kilobyte samples and MIDI data. Matsumae composed the music with Sony's software development kit, in which he found it difficult to use, but there was no decline in sound quality. The music for the game's cutscenes were CD-ROM XA or CD-DA sounds. [25]
A soundtrack album, Kileak: The Blood – Sound Tracks & Remix [lower-alpha 5] , was released by Sony Music Entertainment Japan on March 21, 1996. It includes remixes of the game's tracks, along with those from its sequel Epidemic which Matsumae also composed. [26]
Publication | Score |
---|---|
AllGame | [27] |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 6.875/10 [28] |
Famitsu | 31/40 [21] |
IGN | 3.0/10 [3] |
Next Generation | [29] |
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 4/10 [30] |
Maximum | [31] |
CD Player | 5/10 [32] |
The reviews towards Kileak: The DNA Imperative was mixed. The Official UK PlayStation Magazine (OPM UK) criticized its gameplay as "uninspired" and "shallow", and complained that two consecutive levels were identical apart from differences in their "wallpaper, mood lighting, and layout". [30] IGN similarly felt that the levels are "all very homogeneous" as they shared similar enemies and graphical detail. [3] Tommy Glide of GamePro said the game controls well but relies on dull enemies who use cheap attacks. [33] OPM UK also noted that the enemies are "suitably menacing". [30]
The game also earned praise for its 3D graphics. Maximum's review stated that "the graphics looked incredible", [31] while Next Generation opined that it helped to strengthen the environment's realism. [29] IGN remarked that the graphics are detailed, and the enemies are "realized in 3-D for that scary, in-your-face feel." [3] GamePro praised the detailed environments, smooth scrolling, and full-motion video cutscenes. [33] OPM UK also praised the game's cutscenes, especially its "awesome" introduction and ending. [30] Conversely, GamePro criticized the game's ambient audio, calling it a "wimpy techno", [33] while OPM UK derided it as "Brian Eno on valium". [30]
The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly repeatedly compared Kileak to Robotica , a very similar Sega Saturn game released at almost the same time as Kileak, with varying opinions: Danyon Carpenter said that Kileak, though "a little boring", was "definitely the best one", while Al Manuel held Robotica to be clearly superior in strategic design, overall fun, and most especially control. [28] [34] Maximum also commented on the striking similarity between the two games, and judged Kileak to be "far superior to the Saturn title" but mediocre in absolute terms due to its dull and repetitive gameplay. [31] GamePro added to the comparison Iron Angel of the Apocalypse: The Return , a 3DO game released a few months before, and said all three games are "too polite" due to their robot enemies which do not look remotely threatening. [33]
In a retrospective review for AllGame, Shawn Sackenheim found the collection of enemies unoriginal. However, he applauded the cutscenes, writing that they tend to "jump in at major plot points and during transitional periods where the game needs to be loaded". Sackenheim was also impressed by game's ambient audio. [27]
A sequel to Kileak: The DNA Imperative, titled Epidemic , [35] was released in Japan on December 29, 1995, as Kileak: The Blood 2: Reason in Madness , [36] and in North America in October 1996. [37] Like its predecessor, the gameplay in Epidemic focuses on traversing corridor-like environments, destroying enemy robots and finding key cards to reach inaccessible areas. [35] BRAHMA Force: The Assault on Beltogger 9 , though not bearing the Kileak name in any of the regions in which it was released, uses the same mecha-based first person shooting format and was announced by Genki as an official follow-up to the Kileak series. [38] Kileak, along with Epidemic, was released in Japan by Clarice Games on September 16, 2015, under the PlayStation Network's "Game Archives" category. [39]
Kileak: The DNA Imperative was considered one of very few efforts to top Id Software's hit Doom during the time when the game was released. [22] Bob Mackey of USgamer listed Kileak as one of the worst launch games for the PlayStation, alongside Street Fighter: The Movie and Total Eclipse Turbo . [40]
The PlayStation is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released in Japan on 3 December 1994, in North America on 9 September 1995, in Europe on 29 September 1995, and in Australia on 15 November 1995. As a fifth-generation console, the PlayStation primarily competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn.
Blood: The Last Vampire is a 2000 Japanese animated action horror film directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo, written by Kenji Kamiyama and produced by Production I.G. The film premiered in theaters in Japan on November 18, 2000.
Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is a Japanese-American video game and digital entertainment company, subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is headquartered in San Mateo, California and primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game consoles and products. It is also the world's largest company in the video game industry based on its equity investments.
Jumping Flash! is a 1995 platform video game developed by Exact and Ultra and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It was originally released on April 28, 1995 in Japan, September 29, 1995 in PAL territories as well as November 2, 1995 in North America.
The PocketStation is a memory card peripheral by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation home video game console. It was released in Japan in 1999. The device acted not only as a memory card, but was interactive itself via a small monochrome LCD display and buttons on its case. Many PlayStation games included software that could be downloaded and played on the PocketStation. A release in Europe and North America was planned, but was ultimately canceled. The PocketStation shares similarities with Sega's VMU for the Dreamcast.
Ridge Racer Revolution is a racing video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation in 1995. It is the sequel to the PlayStation version of Ridge Racer. Like the original Ridge Racer, the player races computer-controlled cars with the objective of winning a series of races, and supports Namco's NeGcon controller. Ridge Racer Revolution adds two hidden cars, and two-player support via the PlayStation Link cable, and took roughly the same time to develop as the first. The intention was to increase the depth and add features.
Ghost in the Shell is a 1997 third-person shooter video game developed by Exact and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. A part of the larger Ghost in the Shell media franchise, it utilizes the same English voice cast as the feature film of the same name, although the two do not share a story continuity. The game was released in July 1997 in Japan, December 1997 by THQ in North America and July 1998 in Europe. Soundtrack albums, an artbook and a guidebook were produced to accompany the game.
Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return, or simply Tomba! 2, is a platform-adventure game developed by Whoopee Camp and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game was released in Japan in 1999 and in other territories the following year. The game is a sequel to Tomba! and centers on the exploits of the eponymous feral child as he attempts to rescue his friend Tabby from an evil race of anthropomorphic pigs.
Beyond the Beyond, known in Japan as Beyond the Beyond: Harukanaru Kanān e, is a 1995 role-playing video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. Though not the first role-playing game released for the PlayStation, Beyond the Beyond was the first RPG available in the west for the console using a traditional Japanese RPG gameplay style like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star. The characters were designed by manga artist Ami Shibata of Papuwa fame.
Genki Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer. It was founded in October 1990 by Hiroshi Hamagaki and Tomo Kimura, who left Sega to form the company. The company is best known for its racing game titles.
Ridge Racer is a 1993 racing video game developed and published by Namco, and the first title in what would become the Ridge Racer series. It was released initially on the Namco System 22 arcade system board and ported to the PlayStation home console in 1994. Ridge Racer was notable for being the first arcade video game with 3D texture-mapped graphics, with its System 22 hardware capable of texture mapping and Gouraud shading.
Twisted Metal is a 1995 vehicular combat video game developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and SingleTrac, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game's plot is centered on the titular competition in which various drivers in modified vehicles must destroy the other vehicles in an attempt to be the last one alive. The winner meets the organizer of the competition, a mysterious man named Calypso, who will grant the winner a single wish, regardless of price, size or even reality. A commercial success, it was followed up by a sequel, Twisted Metal 2 (1996), as part of the Twisted Metal series.
Genki Rockets (元気ロケッツ) is a virtual band created by video game developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and record producer Kenji Tamai. Rachel Rhodes portrayed the band's frontwoman, a fictional 17-year-old girl named Lumi who was the first human born in outer space on the International Space Station on September 11, 2019.
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of Sony.
Siren: Blood Curse is a 2008 survival horror stealth game developed by Project Siren, a development team of Japan Studio, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The third and final installment in the Siren series, Blood Curse was released in July 2008 in Japan and on the PlayStation Store in North America and PAL regions. It was released in October 2008 in Australia and Europe and in December on the PlayStation Store in Japan.
PlayStation Underground was an American video game magazine, originally published by Sony Computer Entertainment America. The magazine focused on the PlayStation fanbase, including gaming on the original Sony PlayStation and the PlayStation 2, and was promoted as a "PlayStation fan club". Unlike its paper-based counterpart the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, PlayStation Underground came in the form of CD-ROMs which could be played on the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 consoles. Subscribers were also given access to a members-only website. The magazine released its first issue on March 26, 1997 and its final issue in 2001. The magazine released a total of seventeen issues during its active years. The magazine was eventually merged with Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine in 2001 when it was discontinued.
God of War is an action-adventure video game series, the first era of which was loosely based on Greek mythology. Debuting in 2005, the series became a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and the character Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The series consists of nine games across multiple platforms; the first seven make up the Greek era of the series. Five of the Greek era games have been re-released through three separate compilations for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) platform: God of War Collection (2009), God of War: Origins Collection (2011), and God of War Saga (2012). With the exception of God of War III in the God of War Saga, each collection features remastered ports of the games that were not originally released on the PS3. God of War III was later remastered as God of War III Remastered and released on PlayStation 4 (PS4) in July 2015. God of War: Betrayal, God of War: Ascension, God of War (2018), and God of War Ragnarök are the only installments that have not been remastered for a newer platform or included in a collection.
Strike the Blood is a Japanese light novel series by Gakuto Mikumo with illustrations by Manyako, with 22 main volumes published between May 2011 and August 2020. A manga adaptation began serialization in June 2012 in ASCII Media Works's Dengeki Daioh. A 24-episode anime television adaptation by Silver Link and Connect aired between October 2013 and March 2014. An original video animation series titled Strike the Blood II was released in four volumes between November 2016 and May 2017. A third series titled Strike the Blood III was released from December 2018 to September 2019. A fourth series titled Strike the Blood IV was released from April 2020 to June 2021. A fifth and final season titled Strike the Blood Final was released between March 2022 and July 2022.
Epidemic, known as Kileak: The Blood 2: Reason in Madness in Japan, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Genki for the PlayStation console. It is a sequel to Kileak: The DNA Imperative.
Narrator: August 16th, 2038. International Peacekeeping Force headquarters, Oakland. Control picks up an urgent message from undercover agent Franco Fukazawa at the South Pole observation base of the giant Byflos group. The message reads: "Situation critical. Kim must be stopped. Repeat: Kim must be stopped."
Anti-aircraft encountered. Transport downed before assault troops deployed. One casualty. Team members Matt Coda and Carlos Potrero separated but still in radio contact. Base defences breached.
Kim: Kileak is the first life that existed on Earth. He's been here since the beginning of time. The real Adam.
Kim: Kileak is not just the ancestor of the human race, but the very progenitor of life itself.
Kim: February 14: Discovered mysterious pyramid-like remains at excavation point C. February 15: Unearthed new remains 15 meters from yesterday's find. Could they be the work of aliens from another solar system?
Carlos: Looks like Kim has been experimenting with DNA mutations. He's obsessed with this idea of a new race, like God died and put him in charge. I get the feeling he's behind these ungodly creatures.
Kim: March 10: Succeeded in giving robot's life, I was right all along. March 25: The breakthrough I've been waiting for: isolated a DNA configuration. Now, the power to create a whole new lifeform is within my grasp, and this time, I'll be in control!
Byflos: Kim! What the hell are you doing? No one gave you the authority to go this far. / Kim: Shut up, you fool! Everything has changed. From now on, I'm the one in charge! / Byflos: Kileak? You're mad! Who do you think you are? God?
Byflos: Kim is out of control. I should never have allow that madman to go this far. There's an erosion gun in a fake wall in my office. If you get your hands on that, you can finish Kim once and for all.
Carlos: Captain, the situation is more critical than we thought. The researcher says there's an ICBM on one of the lower levels filled with mutant DNA and ready for launch. Looks like Kim is fighting to spread the wealth around.
Kim: So, you pitiful humans think you can stop Kim? You may have won the day's battle, but now you will see my real powers. My empire shall be ravaged no further!
Kileak: Coda, can't you see the truth? Your lifeform began long after the comet that destroyed my civilization. I am Kileak. I was the beginning, and I am the end.
The original PlayStation launched on September 29th 1995 priced £299. Launch software comprised Ridge Racer, WipEout , [Battle Arena] Toshinden, Jumping Flash , Kileak The Blood (from SCE) [...] .