Kileak: The DNA Imperative
About
Kileak: The DNA Imperative, known as Kileak: The Blood 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 Sega's in-house music group 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.