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ALIEN BREED 3D II |
INSTALLATION
Just pop in disk 2 and away you go. Read the installer doc, you're advised to disable any requester patcher programs (MultiCX 2.1 is singled out in particular) you may have running in the background as they may confuse the installer. Next it's time to decide which version of TKG to install, WHICH VERSION?, yep those nice chaps at Team 17 have included a 2Mb game suitably parred down to run in vanilla flavour and a more hefty sounding 4Mb extravaganza in the same box (good one, lads). So lets start the installer... ...dum de dum... eh?, what's wrong now "Insert disk TKG1 in any drive", what do you think I've done you pile of crap, hang on they've sent me a blank *#@%$!!! disk... ...where's Harwood's phone number!.
GET IT ON!!!
Two days after sending back the blank disk, the replacement drops through the letterbox. Now it's time to LOCK AND LOAD!!!, heh heh heh, eat hot plasma you scum sucking bugheads!!!.
Starting the game is simply a matter of double-clicking the "AB3DII-TKG" icon, or at least it should be. Certain accelerator boards cause the game to hang when launched from it's icon (does anyone know why?) which in itself is only there to launch a short script file. Paradoxically you can launch this script from within a shell (see above image - just replace the pathname to suit your system).
If problems still persist in executing the script load the file into a text editor and customise it to look like the image on the right (remember to replace the pathname for the tkg1: assign to one appropriate to your computer - for example if your Alien Breed directory is located in a partition called Games then the path would be Games:AB3DII-TKG, save it out and then execute it.
Once in your confronted with a mood setting introduction, nice enough but it's no Tower Assault. For the impatient ones amongst us clicking the right mouse button will skip the intro and bring you to the protection screen, hence the need for the Code Booklet (whatever you do don't lose this!). Whilst many pirates and crackers have thankfully left our beloved machine sadly there is still a minority of users(?) who will try and cheat those programmers who've put their time, hard graft, and faith into creating such wonderful programs for the Amiga community. For all that though the protection is fairly unobtrusive having only to deal with it at the start of the gaming session.
Congratualtions!, having passed the maths poficiency test we've finally reached the main screen, from here we can customise the various control options, load or save a game, select one or two players (more on this later), or jump straight to it and kick alien butt starting at Level A.
You're mission is to guide Captain Reynolds (that's you that is) through an Earth Force battle cruiser, alien mothership, and finally onto the alien planet and beyond using either joystick, mouse, or keyboard. In common with many games of this genre joystick control feels unnatural, imprecise, and unsatisfying, this is in no way the fault of the programmer, it is an inherent property of microswitched joysticks and probably joypads as well. Mouse control feels more natural and responsive prehaps too much, as when confronted in a tight spot and rapid turns are the order of the day the problem of mouse mat run-off looms large disrupting fluid movement. Call me old fashioned but IMHO the keyboard is best. Movement is precise and fluid, keys such as sidestep and turn left/right can be used together so you can slew, or skid, around corners allowing you to immediately fire on the enemy or quickly sidestep to safety (smart!!). Keyboard induced cramp also has the added incentive of insuring you'll get a life outside of the game.
2MB VERSION
Also known as 2x2 pixel mode, this is very much like the original Alien Breed 3D. It's blocky, you get no floor or ceiling textures, sound effects are kept simple, and though only a half screen option is available (full screen play comes with the 4Mb game) even on a bare A1200 the screen refresh rate is noticeably slow, though just acceptable. You're selected weapon isn't represented on screen making some of the larger weapons (like the assault rifle) hard to aim precisely. This is very much the bare bones deal. What you do get, despite what the manual says is an on screen, real-time, automapper with zoom in/out and configureable positioning facilities (whoa!!, like totally cool).
4MB VERSION
1x1 pixel mode really is the business, there is just one bugbear - SPEED!!! (or the lack of). Playing the various demo version circulatng the magazines several months ago I was impressed at how fast "The Killing Grounds" coped with a full screen display on a 50MHz 030 proccessor and 4Mb of Fast RAM. The display was jerky but certainly fairly playable, in half screen mode it was as smooth as you could hope for on a 030 amiga, it really was impressive, and so it is with the finished product. However, performance on an 060 amiga just leaves me feeling indifferent. Yes, frame rate is about double that with an 030 but somehow I was expecting a little bit more (prehaps unjustifiably - the problem may rest with the speed of the AGA chipset). Still I can't help feeling that with either a 040 or 060 FPU optomised game things would really start to rock, but then my sympathies would have to go out to the poor programmer who'd have to rewrite the code entirely (well almost).
The game really looks the part. The graphics are dark and foreboding, so dark in fact you may find it difficult to play in daylight. Nightly gaming sessions are the domain of TKG and this is when you'll really appreciate the effort the programmer has gone into creating the subtly shifting lighting effects, the almost chthuloid-like aliens, the appropriate combination of textures, and the alienesque design of the weaponry, which can only draw you further into the compelling illussion of other-worldliness. Fire your plasma rifle down a dark, dank corridor and ready your self for what may be revealed. This has to be the most graphically pleasing of all the doom clones available on the amiga.
SOUND EFFECTS
Sound effects are almost as impressive as the graphics, and add immensely to the atmosphere.
EDITORS
STRATERGY & GAMEPLAY
Despite the cut down feel to the game it still plays rather well. You're forever sneaking around (rushing headlong is a sure way to get killed - especially on later levels), straining you're neck trying to peer around corners, there is an expectancy that someone or something is going to jump out at you at any given moment. In short you're tense, paranoid, and fearful!!.
The game is vast with a total of sixteen levels to progress through. The first level is a walk in the park, but then BAM!, from then on you need to play the game with a modicum of intelligence if you want to survive with enough health and ammunition to make it through to the end.
Level design is varied and exciting exploiting the 3D environment to the full, it pays to explore both up and down. Implementation of the ability to jump and operate the jet-pack is spot on, taking a running jump will propel you further (you seem to possess Johnathon Edwards' legs) and the jet-pack can lift you out of sticky scrapes like an ambush or lava pit.
The game thrives on stratergy. You'll find yourself looking for places to make a stand against the enemy. The aliens show some signs of intelligence (but not a great deal - if some aliens are too tall to follow you down a corridor they will just continue to walk forward bashing themselves against the corridor entrance instead of recognising the problem and trying to find an alternative route to catch you, thus spoiling the game's illusion), some will even work together to corner you. A good idea is to establish your stand and then quickly run around the level returning to your base, the aliens will be after you like bees to honey, and very agitated. Once in cover ready your grenade launcher (easily the weapon you'll have most fun with) sidestep out, fire, then back into cover. You'll soon learn that cover and the sidestep keys are all important.
The mechanics of the various weapons available certainly has an effect on game stratergy. You start with only a shotgun and twenty cartridges to your name. Progressing through the levels you'll soon pick up the blaster, plasma rifle, laser, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, and mines. Each weapon has it's own characteristics (rate of fire, velocity, damage caused) making weapon deployment an added factor to the strategic outcome. Grenades are launched along a trajectory, they bounce down corridors, and upon impacting a solid surface will rebound until a very satisfying, explosive boom results. As you can imagine the aim and timing of grenades are a crucial gameplay skill, later levels may see you launching a grenade through an open window into an enclosed room bouncing along the floor until it comes to rest under the feet (claws?) of some nasty energy-sucking foe, then BOOOOM!!!, entrails a go-go, and you laugh manically (erm, well maybe that's just me).
TWO PLAYER GAME
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