Satisfying sci-fi action
It might not exactly be original stuff or quite in the same league as Doom or Quake but if you're looking for a solid first person shooting experience, then this is a safe enough bet. It's set in the 21st century and follows the events that transpire after a meteor strikes the US. A team of scientists and the military are sent in to investigate but when they disappear mysteriously, an elite squad steps up to find out what is really going on and the truth is pretty scary: the meteor is the herald of an alien parasite and the scientists and soldiers have now been turned into hideous ravening monsters which are out for blood. The player steps into this nightmare and controls two soldiers, choosing from a selection of 14, and must fight their way through a series of levels, dealing death in traditional fashion. A couple of twists mark this game out as a little different, such as the fact that you can issue orders to the second soldier while controlling the other, which adds a nice element of strategy to the action, but on the whole this is familiar stuff. That's not to say it's without its charms, and the action is mixed in with some stealth elements to bring some variety to proceedings and both elements are incorporated well enough. You only carry one weapon but it can be switched to different modes to take advantage of different situations and they are quite satisfying to use but fail to take advantage of the sci-fi setting. Visually, the game is decent enough, with some nicely atmospheric environments and good lighting so on the whole, this makes for an enjoyable, if unspectacular, venture into the realm of 3D shooters.
