Area 51
Midway takes a stab at remaking its own game. Does it surpass the original?
Tags: Area 51 Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by David Hinkle on May 15th, 2005
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area 51 (title page) | 1+ | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| First Person Shooter | No | ||
Remakes, reimaginings, reinterpretations – we’re exposed to them everyday. Be it via television or film, odds are you’ve seen something that falls into this realm and didn’t even know it. Area 51 is such a thing, originally having been an arcade light-gun shooter that took you through the infamous Area 51 as things took a rather chaotic turn for the worse. While the graphics weren’t anything one could consider outstanding, it was overall a fun time to be had at the arcade. Midway takes another stab at it this time, trading in the light-gun experience and transforming the game into a First-Person Shooter (or FPS).
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As the name suggests, you’ll be spending your time in a UFO conspiracy nut’s wet dream and catering to their greatest wishes surrounded by alien beings. It’s not exactly the type of greeting most of these believers want, as you’ll soon find that Area 51 has been overrun by its extraterrestrial denizens, infecting those within with some sort of alien virus. You’ll be playing as one Ethan Cole, who along with his HAZMAT team, are sent in to assess the outbreak and combat it.
Combat in the beginning is very ferocious, as you’ll engage swarms thick with enemies, all aside your comrades. These times are hectic and really immerse the player in the chaotic environment ensuing. The PS2 hardware, however, doesn’t help any by bogging down the framerate repeatedly. These instances subside once you get out on your own though, and rarely show their ugly mug throughout the remainder of the title, even through some of the more action-packed areas later on.
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Action is the primary driving force for this game, which is only natural considering its FPS nature. With such visceral carnage ensuing during the outset, it’s a bit disappointing as you move on and get in the groove of the game, only to find yourself stuck in the same pattern of ‘walk, walk, kill a few baddies, walk, kill a few baddies, walk walk.’ There are some other aspects of the game, but they are impractical and rarely needed. Aside from that, they are also deliberately taken from games much better.
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Such things that have been borrowed from other titles are Ethan’s ability to scan objects and whatnot – a mechanic heavily employed in the Metroid Prime games. Scanning things isn’t totally useless, as it unlocks extras the player may access at a later time. Aside from the scanning, Ethan also may tap into alien power given to him when he is infected in the beginning of the game. These powers transform Ethan into an alien state and are fairly useful, but overall idiotic when you consider that this infection has made others go crazy and evil. Transforming, Ethan gains added strength, special projectile attacks, and resistance to damage. During this time, the game will look more colorful through Ethan’s eyes, emphasizing heat signatures and adding a soft blur to most else.
These abilities have their time and place for use, but for the most part you’ll be sticking to the firearms. Guns are balanced fairly well in the game, each offering their own distinct feel and damage, although the amount of firearms included is a bit lacking. Controlling each is an easy affair, and should you be a veteran of console FPS titles you’ll feel right at home. Even if not, it’ll only take a couple kills before you are competent at dissecting some specimens of your own. Hit detection on the enemies is spot on, with them not only responding adequately but also receiving a realistic amount of damage.
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Aside from all the shenanigans one would have throughout the single-player experience, there is a multi-player experience waiting for those brave enough to compete in the online arena. Sadly, there aren’t too many match types one could partake in online. The three modes are Deathmatch (with an option for teams), Capture the Flag, and Infection. Infection is the most playable of the trio, allowing players to take up the mantle of a soldier or one of the infected. As fun as the single-player experience is at times, the multi-player just isn’t too fun, and only has maps taken from areas of the single-player game.
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Graphically, Area 51 sports some impressive features. The environments look very good, though this is mostly due to how well the lighting is handled in the game. Shadows play well against the light, as well as the enemies. While it isn’t anything as good as Doom 3, it’s surprisingly good given the age of Sony’s hardware. Some of the aliasing issues the PS2 has with a lot of titles are non-existent even on the character models. The enemies all look the part (although a bit more variation between them would of been nice) as well as the soldier units.
The voicework falls extremely flat through the tired lines of the major celebrities on board. Marilyn Manson puts on the best show, but voices his character ridiculously. The others just sound wooden and lack any kind of enthusiasm. The music of the game follows this tone, as it rarely ever invokes any tension to the conflict through its small loops of clicks and bass. The one diamond in the rough though is given to the sound effects, which are excellent. From the deafening gun fire, to the throaty moans your enemies give upon death. The most impressive aspect is how the sound of gunfire changes based on location, echoing in some areas while expanding in others.
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Area 51 manages to revisit its roots and improve upon them in almost every area. While the multiplayer is a big letdown, the single-player game is fairly fun and exciting. Instead of trying to mimic other title’s success, Midway really should of strived to break some ground with something fresh here, which is obviously possible seeing how well this game is. Still, Area 51 should be able to satisfy someone over a weekend, but isn’t really worth owning in the long run.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ Graphics + Action |
7.3 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- Multi-player - Voicework - Replay value |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Area 51 is a fairly fun game, but really doesn't hold any lasting value through a mediocre multi-player set up. | |
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Tags: Area 51
Posted by David Hinkle on May 15th, 2005 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
