Area 51 (2005 video game): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 06:32, 21 August 2009
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| Area 51 | |
|---|---|
| File:Area 51.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Midway Studios Austin |
| Publisher(s) | Midway |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Area 51 is a 2005 first-person shooter survival horror video game developed by Midway Studios Austin and published by Midway for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows, and is a loose remake of the 1995 light gun video game of the same name. Players control Ethan Cole, a HazMat operative voiced by David Duchovny sent to the infamous base to investigate some manner of viral outbreak.
Area 51 at first starts out with intense combat where the player has several AI teammates with him (ranging from two to seven most of the time) versus hordes of mutants. Notable among the voice actors are Marilyn Manson (as Edgar the ancient and powerful Grey), Powers Boothe (as Major Bridges), and Ian Abercrombie (as Dr. Cray).
This game has been released as freeware by the United States Air Force,though recent attempts to download have been met with errors.[1]
Gameplay
Gameplay involves combat in a first person view, through the eyes of Ethan Cole. Players may either be required to move to a certain location in order to complete objectives, or at later stages, operate a stationary turret against oncoming enemies. The Player will have a team of Hazmat soldiers through the starting levels and will meet security forces on most of the floors that will not follow the player, but will just hold their position. The player's Hazmat soldiers are in fact invincible and cannot be killed unless the story demands it.
Combat
Throughout the game, players may use various weapons in order to defeat increasingly larger amounts of enemies. These weapons can be fired using one or both hands for increased firepower. Each weapon, can be used either as a melee aid, or for its intended purpose. Some weapons can also be dual wielded to increase firepower for the player.
In all cases, every weapon has two modes of firing, the first being a regular mode, while the second is a much more powerful mode of firing, (at the cost of accuracy,ammo etc.). Players may also use grenades in combat, one of a human make, and one of an alien design.
At a later stage in the game, once the player is infected, the option to turn into a mutant temporarily is obtained. Mutating offers a variety of benefits, such as increased strength, stamina, as well as the initial ability to fire health-replenishing parasites as well as the later ability to contaminate enemies, both at the cost of mutation time reduction. While in a mutant form, players can easily spot enemies, which would otherwise be cloaked to the regular human eye, albeit with a slight ocular defect.
Players can replenish health and mutagen either through the use of medical syringes found throughout the game or by using parasites, and mutagen by melee combat or "using" infected corpses and finding mutagen syringes.
Other aspects
A notable aspect of gameplay is the ability to scan and analyze various objects and environments. This is possible by using the scanner present on the player's suit, worn throughout the game. While using a scanner, the player has no access to weapons, apart from melee, and must switch to an available weapon in order to fight. Scanning provides detailed information on a player's surroundings, as well as combated enemies.
The scanner, when equipped, adds a translucent bar to the players HUD, which changes in color and height from light blue, to deep red. This bar indicates how near or far a player is, to a scannable clue, red when the player is very close, and blue when very far. Items which are scanned are viewable in-game, providing insight into the workings of Area 51, as well as proving necessary to unlocking secret videos made by Dr. Cray or Mr. White.
Characters
The player controls Ethan Cole, a member of Hazmat Team Bravo. Other members of the team include Mitch "Crispy" Chrisman, Jack McCan, and Anthony Ramirez, the team leader. All but Ethan are killed by Thetas and mutants. Prior to Team Bravo entering Area 51, Hazmat Team Delta was sent in; they were mostly wiped out by a Theta, though a few survivors are seen later in the game fighting alongside Ethan.
The leader of research in Area 51 is Dr. Winston Cray. He was able to create a mutagen from the blood of an alien grey dubbed Edgar, who crash-landed in Roswell in 1947. He released a Theta in the base to prevent its use by the Illuminati, a shadow organization that holds influence over several world leaders, and who made the original pact with the aliens in Area 51.
Plot
An unknown virus has been released inside Area 51, and HazMat Team Bravo has been assigned to clean it up. Once inside, the team discovers that the virus turns people into murderous mutants, and anyone killed by a mutant turns into a mutant themselves.
As the game progresses, members of Team Bravo are killed one by one by mutants, until only Ethan Cole, the player character, is left alive. Ethan is later bitten by a mutant, slowly turning him into a mutant. Later he finds Dr. Cray, who promises to cure him using a machine that can remove the virus. Before the process is complete, the machine loses power as Dr. Cray's laboratory is invaded. Ethan then gains the ability to switch between being a mutant and a human. Eventually Ethan makes his way through the complex until he finds a Grey, called "Edgar" several miles below the surface. Edgar tells Ethan about the history of the Greys and Area 51 and gives Ethan a cure to the virus in the form of Edgar's blood before he sends Ethan to destroy the alien ship preparing to leave with the virus. Ethan destroys the ship in an effort to stop production of the virus. Ethan then proceeds to destroy the alien's powercore in their facility, causing a massive explosion. He narrowly escapes by jumping through a portal that sends him back to the surface of Earth, only a short distance away from Area 51. Ethan watches as the base is destroyed in several tornado-like explosions, he then sees the same truck that he helped protect at the start of the game driving away, loaded with an unknown containment canister. The game ends with Ethan walking away from the base.
Reception
Gamespot gave it a 7.2 out of a possible 10. IGN and Game Informer both gave it 8.5 out of 10. 1UP, on the other hand, gave it a 6.5 out of 10. The average, as told by Gamerankings, has been a 78% out of 100%.
Film
In 2004, ahead of the game's release, Paramount Pictures announced that they had reached an agreement around the acquisition of film rights for the game.[2] In March 2007, counter-cultural comic book author Grant Morrison was hired to adapt the game as a screenplay.[3]
References
- ^ http://extcamp.doublefusion.com/US_Air_Force/Game_Download_Sponsored_by_Air_Force.htm
- ^ Rebecca Murray (2004-08-31). ""Area 51" the Game Set to Become "Area 51" the Movie". About, Inc.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Pamela Mcclintock and Dave McNary (2007-04-03). ""Comicbook author to write 'Area 51'". variety.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)