@Splain ALERT!!!
It's finally done! I've finally defeated Body Harvest, a game I first got for Xmas at the age of 12 and has haunted me ever since!
There is so much to this game, it truly is one of the most underappreciated games on the system IMO.
There is undoubtedly a great game to be experienced here, although diminished somewhat by a few significant flaws. I'd say it's as close to greatness as you can get without quite getting over that line.
The main problems with the game IMO are the punishing difficulty (especially when factoring in the absurdly long stretches between save points), and also the relatively mundane quest elements that often consist of simply locating an item and bringing it somewhere else.
The thing is tho, there are also fantastic and truly impressive elements to the game as well. The combat is really fun, with well designed enemies and great weapons. Controlling the various vehicles is awesome fun, a true highlight, and the massive open worlds are incredible for an N64 game.
There is also TONS of content here, tens of different vehicles, 5 HUGE levels which would each be enough for a whole game in themselves in many respects, and there IS a decent variety of objectives and things to do as you play through the various stages.
The game also has a great atmosphere, augmented by an impressive and immersive soundtrack. This game has a truly epic, almost overwhelming and intimidating scope to it.
It's not for the feint hearted, and it's not for the easily frustrated or impatient. It is also a game I would DEFINITELY advice to have a guide handy, because you ARE gonna get stuck an hour into a play session, with more than an hour before the next save point, with enemies all around and a dwindling health bar crying out for whatever mercy you can get!
But, for a true deep-cut N64 experience, if you can say you bested Body Harvest on Hero mode, if you have GONE there and lived to tell the tale, you deserve a truly rarified kudos. I recommend this game to those N64 hardcore, unreservedly.
To everyone else give it a look, you'll probably find a ton to enjoy, but don't feel bad about giving up once the grind hits you halfway into the second level when you just lost an hour's worth of progress because you accidentally fell in a ravine and drowned!