What a Grey day.
By PaulEMoz
What’s this? Yet another Midway remake? They’re tarting up most of their back catalogue these days it seems, some with more success than others. Is it just a matter of time before we get a first-person, GTA style version of APB? (What’s wrong with that? – Ed).
Area 51 was originally a light gun game, and although this remake is a first-person shooter, they’ve done a good job of keeping something of a light gun game feel to it, at least in places. In the beginning, it’s great fun. You’ll often find yourself pinned down and picking off onrushing mutants, much like you did in the original arcade game.
Knock them all down and win a gonk.
In fact, there are some undeniably exciting, pant-filling moments early on. Though they’re generally of the “Fuck, something just jumped round the corner at me!” type. Still, things are pleasingly tense as you witness fellow squad members being wiped out by mutants, despite your best efforts. And having to use a dead pal’s severed arm to trigger a security door is a definite high point.
But Area 51 quickly degenerates into a fairly standard run-and-gun affair, and that’s despite an interesting twist where you yourself become a mutant, with the ability to switch between human and mutant forms at will. It’s a decent idea, but after an hour or so you’ll realise that you really don’t need to use the mutant form much at all. A lesson to be learned here: if you’re going to include a “’feature’, make sure the game uses it properly.
Hey, get outta the way! I’m trying to watch the little dancing guy, here.
Area 51 is a game that would definitely benefit from having more action and less plot. The cut scenes kick in just a bit too often, breaking up the flow. This is especially true of the cut scenes featuring the voice of David Dull-Chovny, who drones his way through his lines as though it’s something he’s killing five minutes while he waits for the bus. Instead of heightening any tension he makes you wish his character would be shot in the mouth.
That Gillian Anderson could do with bathing
more often. Or maybe a douche.
Area 51 is diverting enough for a while, with some solid first-person-shooting for anyone who’s really into that kind of thing. If it had built on the foundations of the first hour of play, though, it could have been something really special. But it didn’t. So it’s not.
June 2005
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