Enemy Zero

Infobox VG| title = Enemy Zero


developer = WARP
publisher = Sega
designer = Kenji Eno
engine =
released = December 1996 (Japan)
October 31, 1997 (USA)
genre = Survival horror, Action Adventure
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: Teen (T), BBFC: 18
platforms = Saturn, Microsoft Windows
media = CD x 4
requirements =
input =

"Enemy Zero (E0)" is a video game for Sega Saturn, developed by the company WARP and directed by WARP founder Kenji Eno. After its Saturn release, it was later ported to Microsoft Windows. It was the second game to star the digital actress Laura.

Gameplay

"E0" is a game in which the gameplay sequences alternate between interactive FMV and real time exploration, both from a first person perspective. Starring Laura of "D" fame, the game is set on a human spaceship in deep space. When Laura is woken from hypersleep, she finds the mangled corpses of her comrades. She feels a chilling presence in the dark rooms and corridors of the ship; the presence of an invisible alien.

The gameplay of "E0" is unique. Enemies are not visible, and location is only possible through the use of sound, with notes of different pitch helping the player find the distance and direction of enemies. The system, although daring and unconventional, was extremely unforgiving, and the game was critically panned.

Plot

Aboard the AKI space craft, a space station dedicated to biological research, we come to find Laura in a deep cryogenic slumber. The jets of the chamber begin to dissipate as the crafts emergency systems are activated. Laura is awoken by a large detonation on her deck. Outside of a door marked with the letters E0, something of great strength is trying to break free. The door is thrown down like a sheet of aluminum and the hallway is filled with a bright incandescent light, followed by a horrific growl. Pipes and the remains of the steel door shift around as if being stepped on. Enemy Zero is loose. Laura, quite unaware of what is happening, uses the video phone located above her sleep chamber to contact one of her crewmates, Parker Jackson. Parker is speaking in a struggle, knowing that the voice networking systems aren’t working. Laura confusingly watches as Parker jolts his head instantly away from the monitor and to his room entryway doors. He can hear a screech that sends him backing up to reach for his gun. Laura watches as her friend Parker is mutilated by an indistinguishable enemy. In horror she begins to violently shake the screen only to realize that Parker is dead.

She knows E0 is loose. Getting dressed and grabbing her gun, Laura proceeds to find out what, and how it got loose. Venturing through the ship, her unique "guidance system" warns of an invisible presence in the corridor in front of her. Laura’s mission is to find out what this enemy is and to find her crew or the remains of her crew. And kill this monster before it kills her.

Characters

Laura Lewis: Copilot of the AKI space station, Laura has lost most of her memory due to a malfunction during her awakening from cryogenic sleep. She is 32 years old, American, and has B blood type.

Ronny: The ship's captain. 45 years old and American. Although Ronny holds ultimate authority over shipboard activities, it's rare that he issues a direct order. He tries not to be away from his cabin during emergency situations, transforming it into a command center of sorts.

David Barnard: A sub-captain of the AKI, David's duties as sub-captain keep most of his time occupied, but when he has a free moment he likes to get back to his cabin to catch up on his reading. David is 31 years old and from England.

Kimberly Hurd: Kimberly is a 32 year old American serving as the counselor of the AKI. She is tasked with ensuring smooth relations between the crew members.

Parker: Parker is the AKI's engineer. A 30-year old bachelor from America; his room on the AKI was filled with beer cans and pin-up posters. Big-hearted and friendly, but has no cleaning ability. Parker is a reference to the movie "Alien" which also has an African American character named "Parker".

Marcus: The ship's German physician, 39-year old Dr. Marcus tends the needs of the sick and injured, provides periodic check-ups, and even does occasional psychological counseling. He presents a solid, serious image, but some of his personal effects betray a hidden side to his character.

George Takahashi: An eccentric 48-year old Japanese computer Engineer. Takahashi is a workaholic and perfectionist who centers his existence around his computer. When he isn't taking a cat nap, he can usually be found staring into the monitor. He makes it a policy never to answer his video phone when he's working on a project, which hasn't won him any popularity contests with rest of the crew.

Laura, David, Kimberly, and Parker reappear and have major roles in "D2".

Influences

The game borrows heavily from the film "Alien", including a number of direct references to the film - most notably the initial flyby shot of the Aki and the caption text "Returning to Earth", just as the Nostromo did at the beginning of "Alien", and the helmet shot in the introduction, where computer screens are reflected in the visors.

Development

"Enemy Zero" began life on Sony's PlayStation. Eventually Kenji Eno began to get irritated with Sony's heavy content restrictions, and at a Japanese PlayStation conference made a shocking move. Eno started to show a preview of "Enemy Zero". At the end of the clip the PlayStation logo appeared but began to slowly transition into the Sega Saturn logo. It was a humiliating moment for Sony and a triumphant one for Sega.

While Eno did the music for "D", Michael Nyman was hired to create a score for this WARP title, the only time Eno has not composed the music himself. Eno would write the score for the final "D" game, "D2". Nyman, composer for films such as "Gattaca" and "The Piano", has apparently never seen the game.

With much hype in Japan, E0 was released in 1997 under Sega Enterprises. Despite being critically panned, it was later ported to the PC. A small promotion for E0 was a replica of the gun used in the game, delivered to 20 special recipients by Kenji Eno himself.

Due to popularity in Japan, Sega sponsored the production of a few "Enemy Zero" items such as the official "Enemy Zero" soundtrack by Michael Nyman and a strategy guide.

Fumito Ueda, director of the cult video games "Ico" and "Shadow of the Colossus" worked as an animator on this game, before becoming a video game director.

Music

Infobox Album
Name = Enemy Zero
Type = soundtrack
Longtype =
Artist = Michael Nyman


Cover size = 200
Caption =
Released = April 18, 1997
Recorded = August 19, 1996, CTS Studio, London
September 28-30, [Abbey Road Studios|Abby [sic] Road Studio]
Genre = Soundtrack, Contemporary classical, minimalism
Length = 49:54
Language =
Label = First Smile
Director =
Producer = Michael Nyman, Kenji Eno
Reviews =
Compiler =
Chronology =
Last album = The Ogre
1996
This album = Enemy Zero
1997
Next album = Concertos
1997
Misc = Singles
Name = Enemy Zero
Type = soundtrack
Single 1 = Enemy Zero Piano Sketches
Single 1 date = October 25, 2006
Single 2 =
Single 2 date =
Single 3 =
Single 3 date =
Single 4 =
Single 4 date =

The music is performed by the Michael Nyman Orchestra and [Sarah Leonard|Sarah Leonold [sic] ] . "Confusion" is a modification of material from Nyman's previous score, "The Ogre", while the Enemy Zero/Invisible Enemy/Battle theme were modified into portions of Nyman's score for "Man with the Movie Camera". [Pwyll ap Siôn. "The Music of Michael Nyman: Texts, Contexts and Intertexts". Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate Publishing, 2007. p. 77]

"Laura's Theme," "Digital Tragedy," and "Love Theme" are solo piano works and are included on the EP, "Enemy Zero Piano Sketches", which was released eight months before the complete soundtrack, and two months before the game.

#Laura's Theme 4:01
#Confusion 3:45
#Aspects of Love 3:52
#Digital Tragedy 2:43
#Enemy Zero 4:20
#Lamentation 3:35
#Love Theme 3:42
#Digital Complex 2:48
#Invisible Enemy 2:13
#Laura's Dream 4:03
#Agony 3:16
#Malfunction 4:02
#Battle 3:48
#The Last Movement 3:44

References

External links

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