Hyleyn Review

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Hyleyn

Review by OrbJanuary 2003

A Visual Feast

Hyleyn is the second title in the Sinkha Project, a massive undertaking by Italian artist Marco Patrito. The Sinkha Project tells a wonderful and elaborate science fiction story through a series of graphic novels that started with Sinkha, first published in CD form in 1995. At the time, Sinkha was published as a special edition by Heavy Metal magazine, the decades-old gold standard for quality graphic arts stories.

The second in the series is an equally impressive effort, with incredibly detailed renderings and a captivating story. What the casual gamer should know is that these are graphic novels, redone using multimedia tools to expand the static stories and give them depth and motion. There are no puzzles or, for that matter, anything to solve. Hyleyn’s style is similar to (but not the same as) L-Zone and Gadget or maybe even The Legend of Lotus Spring. These are all titles that focus primarily on story and art, versus player interaction, although Lotus Spring is more of a game than the others. Hyleyn is built using the exact same multimedia methods employed in Sinkha.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story, as the story is what the user is in it for, after all. What the story most reminded my of was the Star Wars series, and it is definitely a kissing cousin to that style of science fiction. The story is of a beautiful girl, Hyleyn, who has become involved with immortal beings of superhuman capabilities, the Sinkha. Through a series of circumstances, she is no longer completely human but is now part Sinkha. Together with her friends from the Sinkha, Darshine and Aker, Hyleyn embarks on an adventure to save a world from an encroaching invasion. That’s the short version. The story itself is epic and the worlds created by Patrito expansive.

The completely enjoyable music score is done by Ettore Cimpincio.  The music furthers immersion in the story and helps to build it, rather than detracting from it. It has a synthetic, otherworldly air to it that is completely appropriate for the science fiction subject matter. There are also some really great sound effects: the roar of huge engines, running water, and the chatter of strange creatures.

Animations are stunning—every bit as good as anything seen on the big screen. There is some nudity and the art is at times suggestive, so prudes are not invited. You know this crowd, those who think the Venus de Milo should be “covered up” and Catcher in the Rye should be banned—if you are of that mind, skip this—you won’t get it. Then again, those aren’t the folks that visit this site, so we’re all pretty safe on this point, aren’t we?

The graphics, which are the meat of the meat-and-potatoes duo of pictures and story here, are nothing less than mind-bogglingly stunning. In fact, the quality of the art really brings to mind the oft-repeated discussion regarding art and computer games.  Has computer science come far enough for users and the public in general to recognize this as a budding and legitimate art form, with quality pieces that should be taken care of and preserved?  Probably no more so than the exhibitors of silent movies worried about protecting their films published on nitrate stock.

What’s my point? Hyleyn is a perfect example of art in a new art form, complex and exhilarating, and probably most are not going to be getting this message until we are much further down this road. But the piece itself makes an excellent argument for this point, as well as for the idea of future preservation, if one could think that far ahead. As it is now, it is certainly a pleasant and enjoyable diversion for the average adventure gamer looking for a fascinating story and stunning graphics to wind through.

Hyleyn is not a long title—it can be played through in one sitting, about the same amount of time it takes to read through many of the graphic novels currently published.

For more information, visit the Hyleyn website. There is also a link to a very cool trailer download. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Virtual Views Publisher: Vittorio Pavesio Release Date: January 2003

Available for: Macintosh Windows

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Screenshots

Click to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge

System Requirements

PC: Pentium II 266 (Pentium II 450 recommended) Win 98/ME/2000/XP 16X CD-ROM player (32X recommended) Millions of colors with 1024×768 resolution (2D acceleration recommended) 64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended)

Mac: G3-266 (G3-400 recommended) OS 8.1 OS X Classic mode only QuickTime 5 16X CD-ROM player (32X recommended) Millions of colors with 1024×768 resolution (2D acceleration recommended) 64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended)

Where to Find It

Sinkha Project €15,98 (approx. $16.50 US)

Prices/links current as of 01/16/03Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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