Game developers are continually searching for alternatives to the standard joypad as a method of interacting with their titles, as evidenced by the success of gadgets like the EyeToy. But the Headset is far and away the most popular peripheral in use today, mainly for the chat capabilities it brings to online-enabled games. Created by Sony using voice-recognition software originally developed by ScanSoft, Lifeline is an ambitious take on the standard adventure genre that requires you to guide an on-screen character using only voice commands. While the quirky implementation of this technology may leave you flustered at times, the general premise is endearing enough to overcome its technical shortcomings and design foibles.

Lifeline takes place on a luxury hotel space station orbiting Earth in the year 2029. An accident occurs during the grand opening gala on Christmas Eve, as bizarre monsters suddenly appear to slaughter the helpless hotel guests. You are separated from your girlfriend Naomi during the fracas, and when you awake you find yourself locked in the hotel's security room. I keep saying "you", because you will play the role of yourself in Lifeline rather than assuming the identity of an on-screen avatar. Your unique vantage point in this monitoring room allows you access to every security camera on the station, as well as manipulate security doors and access panels.

You are soon introduced to Rio, an attractive young waitress who is locked in a holding cell. Seeing as you are physically separated from her, your only means of communication is through the headsets that you're both wearing. At this point it should be obvious that you'll need a USB headset in order to play Lifeline. The game won't even start if you don't have one plugged into your PlayStation2. I should also mention that before the game begins, you'll be taken through a brief tutorial that introduces you to the basic commands for navigation, searching and combat. After freeing Rio from the cell, the two of you get down to the business of investigating the unfolding disaster.

As the world's first "voice action adventure", Lifeline provides you with radically different play mechanics than what you typically see in a console game. Talking to a video game feels a little odd at first, but the game recognizes so many words and phrases that this awkwardness is soon forgotten. Basic commands like "walk" and "check" are rarely misunderstood; more complex statements like "go to the emergency panel" are also handled with surprising ease. As long as you speak clearly, Rio will carry out your recommendations with little resistance. When the game is clicking like this, you'll feel like Rio is a real person and that your relationship is akin to what you'd experience in real life.

The software is somewhat touchy about how to recognize certain phrases however, so most of the time you'll end up omitting basic words (like "the") and end up with robotic commands such as "check table" or "go to save point". This damages the illusion that you're conversing with a real person and strips away some of the charm that the game otherwise works very hard to foster. Another major problem is that you'll often have to guess what an item is before Rio can interact with it. You can offer a general description to help her out, such as "check the white paper", but more often than not you'll need to know that the object is called a "pamphlet" or a "brochure" in order to examine it. This type of stumbling block would obviously not be an issue in real life.

Core gameplay in Lifeline is a strict by-the-numbers adventure that involves the standard actions of searching for clues, solving puzzles and fighting enemies. Combat works like you'd expect, in that you'll issue commands to "shoot", "reload", "dodge" and "recover". You can press R1 to switch to a "first person" view from Rio's headset, which better enables you to view specific targets in some cases. Many enemies can only be defeated by hitting their weak points; exploiting these weaknesses becomes crucial when facing multiple foes. You can string multiple commands together (like "flee and recover") to save time, though sometimes issuing the "flee" command leads Rio to run face-first into more danger. Battles are fairly infrequent, thankfully, and there are plenty of recovery items to be found if you get in trouble.

Though competently-implemented, the combat sequences end up being the most frustrating part of the game by far. When multiple enemies gang up on Rio for a series of unavoidable "cheap shots", it is only natural to become flustered, but raising your voice and issuing commands more quickly only serve to confuse the game and exacerbate the problems with the combat mechanics. Additionally, I must note that the idea of issuing battle commands remotely seems completely unnecessary. During the course of the game, I kept wondering why Rio would need detailed instructions in order to fight a monster that was threatening her life. Later on you'll acquire a keyword command that lets her make her own decisions in battle, but for the bulk of the game you'll have to spoon-feed her instructions for actions that should be obvious to her.

Though voice dominates over ninety percent of the input you'll give Rio, you will still need to have your DualShock handy to play Lifeline, since you must press and release the circle button when you want to speak to Rio. You'll also be required to use the digital pad to operate certain doors and enter numerical codes to access others, as well as accessing maps and submenus with the shoulder buttons. It makes sense to structure the game this way, but managing both the headset and controller (with their miles of wires) made playing the game a bit of a chore. Needless to say, wireless joypads and headsets are badly needed on the PlayStation2 (and Xbox) in order to make experiences like Lifeline more natural and seamless.

Lifeline employs an elegant mapping and menu system that I'd love to see implemented in a wider variety of games. The L1 button provides a map of your current area that overlays the main display, allowing you to plot a route or check the name of a searchable place while Rio is still in motion. Pressing the R1 button brings up the item submenu that takes up the left portion of the screen while showing a slightly smaller view of the main display on the right. Here you can examine the story items that you've collected for clues and insight. For instance, a security card might contain a numerical code that you'll need to open a certain door.

Pressing R2 accesses the keyword submenu where you can review the major keywords that you've acquired over the course of the game. Standard commands like "walk", "check" and "shoot" are always available, but you can acquire new ones (like "zoom in") by finding items during your searches. This menu also lists the scenario keywords that you can use during a "consultation", which is a special mode of interaction meant to mimic an actual conversation. Basically, you'll ask Rio a question (like "I wonder if Naomi is safe") and she'll provide a canned response, giving you a little more insight into the story and into Rio's character. The consultation doesn't feel quite like a natural exchange, but it's still an admirable attempt to expand the core gameplay.

Speaking of which, Sony has implemented a number of interesting voice-related ideas that break up the otherwise monotonous flavor of the game. One sequence requires you to speak a voice password in unison with Rio, while another asks you to rattle off items you'd find in a medical room before Rio will conduct a search there. Within the main game, you can play a game of Tongue Twister with Rio; if you successfully rattle off three tongue twisters you'll refill about a third of her health. Rio will also ask quite a few personal questions throughout your ordeal, though your responses don't seem to matter that much, and, similarly, you'll be required to "console" her when she becomes frightened. It feels a little creepy to "converse" with a digital woman in this fashion, I must admit.

Lifeline is not a graphical showcase by any means, but its sparse visuals ultimately get the job done. Rio is well textured and sports a range of smoothly-animated movements, though her overall level of detail leaves something to be desired when compared with other female leads, like Heather from Silent Hill 3. And her mullet-like hairdo has got to go, sheesh! But to be fair, Rio is well-modeled and ends up being a rather cute companion to watch throughout the adventure. Other characters fall short of current PS2 standards, especially with respect to facial animation. Visual effects are almost non-existent, with the exception of a cool Predator-like stealth camoflage effect that crops up when enemies appear.

Environments are also sparsely-detailed, though the overall art direction does a great job of simulating how a hotel in space might actually appear. You'll get to explore a variety of conventional guest suites, storage rooms, staff quarters and maintenance hallways, as well as the zero-gee tubes of the high-tech laboratory area. Texture work is muddy when viewed from anything by the widest camera angles, and expect to see old favorites like shimmering and jaggies. Monster design is a particular sore spot, as the handful of basic enemies and boss monsters are pitifully uninspired compared to other sci-fi-themed games. Everything can be rated "acceptable" here, but a more pumped-up visual package could have made the gameplay sore spots a little more bearable.

Sound is similarly average, with standard gunshot, explosion and mechanical sound effects coming across much like you'd expect them to. Much of the adventure is devoid of background music, which is a plus considering that the handful of tracks in the game are quite forgettable. This lack of musical accompaniment fosters a calm atmosphere that should help you focus on thinking through puzzles and issuing clear commands. Voice acting is extremely weak with the notable exception of Rio, who is warmly voiced by actress Kristen Miller. Though her delivery can be a little stiff and unconvincing at times, Kristen's performance ends up being quite engaging and ultimately helps the player form a solid bond with Rio.

All told the game will take roughly eight hours to complete, though this could balloon up much higher if you get stumped by any of the games' off-beat riddles. Completing the game unlocks the standard New Game+ option that allows you to start over with all of your items and keywords. Sadly, no new events or scenarios are opened up, severely limiting the games' replay potential. But you do obtain a scandalously revealing new outfit for Rio; her toenails are painted pink, in case you're curious. You can also collect items that unlock additional voice games, like Word Jumble and Complete the Phrase, which prove mildly stimulating. The game is intriguing if nothing else, but more voice games, a wider variety of weapons or multiple branch points might have made this a much more attractive package.

In the end I feel conflicted about offering a verdict either way. The voice recognition technology has serious flaws that are intrusive enough to make you pull your hair out at times. A high degree of patience is required to get through the trouble spots, but even then, the games' design is so run-of-the-mill that you'll often times wonder why you're bothering. But the appeal of communicating with a digital avatar, however rudimentary its implementation, is a fascinating prospect, and the interesting modes of interaction in the game definitely point to more ambitious things to come. If you enjoy slow-paced adventure games and are willing to try a novel experiment in video game input, then the voice action adventure of Lifeline comes recommended.