Area 51 Review (no fat)

Game Description

Midways version of Area 51 has little resemblance to the earlier Area 51 Arcade games, though the setting of the story and vast array of mutants has remained the same. The developers have tried to inject a storyline with the help of Hollywood voice talent and a good graphics engine. How far does this effort go? Read on to find out.

Like the name suggests, the game revolves around a section north of Las Vegas. According to the game’s storyline, the region covered by area 51 is a jumble of mystique and inscrutability because of the repeated alien sighting reports.

You play the role of Ethan Cole, a HAZMAT operative who is assigned the job of investigating the proceedings at Area 51. Your ultimate job is to stop the spread of virus infection, along with the enemy mutants that turn the infected scientists into grotesque monsters.

Area 51 Gameplay

The gameplay of Area 51 is typically FPS but with a lot less charm and thrill than the likes of Halo etc. However, that does not stop it from scrounge inspirations from its competitors, not sparing the weapons even.

In the beginning of the game you are teamed up with similarly armed HAZMAT soldiers, who incidentally are too adapt to fighting…so much so that they can’t possibly die. The whole scenario pits you against hordes of enemies as you, and your team, try to fight off the first few waves of resistance. The idea is to enjoy the pumping adrenaline while it lasts…there is not much thrill to follow.

Variety, Randomness, Diversity…all that’s missing

As you move from one level to another, (according to the manual) you just have to keep shooting at anything that moves other than your own teammates. If you ever find the urge to torment yourself with a replay of the game, there is a good chance you’ll be able to shoot down the enemy with your eyes closed as they spring out from the same locations every time.

Intriguingly, all the mutating viruses that infect the scientists turn them into similar looking grotesque creatures. You would expect some variety with the theory of evolution (…or simple variety) but maybe it was too much for the developers to appreciate the intelligence of its users of Area 51.

Each time you reach the end of a level a new cinematic cut-scene is triggered that looks great. Even though you will be fighting lots and lots of mutants and Illuminati soldiers who have a go at you with lots and lots of lighted firepower you will feel dreary after some time with the repetitiveness of the standard corridor crawl. Finding the keycards to unlock doors to the next level is by far the most out-of-the-ordinary task Area 51 has to offer (…wow).

The only thing that breaks the monotony of Area 51’s drowsy gameplay is the fact that you slowly gain alien superpowers after you get infected (…how original is that?). As you are completely infected, you change sides from the hunters to the ones being hunted. You can toggle this feature on and off but more infected you get the better powers you’ll have. The scanner that Cole uses to get details of items is also another useful feature ( all is not lost after all).

Area 51 Multiplayer Mode

The Area 51 has a multiplayer mode in which you compete against 16 players. A four player split screen gameplay is also on offer here (…you might actually start to appreciate your friend’s intelligence after this experience.)

Area 51 Graphics

The graphics are low resolution giving you an impressive frame rate, even though the scenes have good lighting and a smattering of particle effects.

The good part is the impressive nature of the character design and animation of the mutants. When you enter the main entrance of Area 51 you are greeted with a very detailed scenery and fast paced action. But as you reach from one layer to the other you feel that the rooms and mutants are fused together with the same texture and style, so proceeding to the end becomes a chore you’d want to be paid for.

Area 51 Sound

The sound effects of the guns are accurate and bounce off the walls along with being brutally loud. The best voice artists are those you have never heard of. Overall the sound seems to drone and remain monotonous, as the same artists have lent their voice to both the aliens and the main characters.

Area 51 Conclusion

If you have never played a video game, let alone played a quality FPS, you might want to sleep through Area 51. But for gamers who expect their money’s worth, this certainly isn’t the end of your FPS hunt.

Area 51 Cost

The Area 51 is currently available for $19.99US at the time of writing.