Area 51 : Games : Web Wombat

The theory that aliens crash-landed on Earth in the 1950s - purely by accident or otherwise (inebriation?) - and died soon after re-entry is somewhat hard to swallow in my own opinion.

I mean, if physical beings from another planet, or even another universe or dimension, did in fact crash in the New Mexican desert, then wouldn't we be able to dismantle the ship, and in time reproduce the technology to create death rays, sub-light vehicles and photosynthesising skin grafts?

But wait, here's something: Area 51 proposes that these things have all indeed occurred - the crash, the alien corpses - but all this highly sensitive information was hidden under the desert from not only the public eye, but most of the government too.

Intriguing, if somewhat unoriginal. And this begins the twisting and turning story for the paranormal splatter fest that is Area 51.

It's a first-person shooter in the traditional sense, with plenty of good old-fashioned blasting to be had, but it's also a game with very high production values - the intro is impressive - and beyond all the gun toting there's a fascinating and often complicated story going on.

In addition to the underground research centre that houses the alien remnants, the story also involves alien DNA, a wicked contagion and the Illuminati, and the story is told in such a way (narrated by X-Files star David "Spooky Mulder" Duchovny) that it can be quite scary at times, if not downright captivating.

And at more than one stage in the game, you'll no doubt be left wondering who are the 'good' guys, or at least the 'not-so-bad' guys.

Together with the main campaign or 'story' game, there's also split screen multiplayer options (no co-op though) and online multiplayer options. Both of these modes are great fun, and with some of the weapons on offer can lead to some very ingenious tactics, but this game was created to be a single-player experience, first and foremost.

The Hazmat Bravo team holds its ground
gallantly at the end of an access corridor

The game kicks off with a touch of basic FPS training, before you join Hazmat Team Bravo, which has been tasked to enter the underground Area 51 facility, currently under quarantine for seemingly obvious reasons (the toilets are blocked).

The game plays quite well. Beyond a few annoying 'puzzle' sections the action is consistent in its intensity and I must say that it's a very moody game.

The music, the ambient sound effects and high resolution visuals all contribute to the game's somewhat chilling appeal, and with the use of some great lighting and shading effects it all comes together to create a very creepy and foreboding atmosphere, not unlike a Scientology gathering.

Seeing as you're not alone - you have various Hazmat Team members backing you up - there's a real sense of camaraderie about what you're trying to do as well, which is find out what happened to Hazmat Team Delta. Which isn't always clear…

You might be exploring a deserted office space - the lights blown, the only illumination coming from your torchlight and the odd spark from a crushed PC monitor - and you hear something scuttling about, but can't pinpoint it's location.

And then you hear a team mate squeeze off a few rounds and it's on for young and old, bullets flying everywhere, with a few frag grenades tossed into the darkness for good measure. "Boom!" There goes the neighbourhood…

The physics engine involved in this shooter is almost without par. I really had fun playing this game, as it all feels firmly rooted in reality. There's a certain weight to the 3D gameworld that some shooters don't always nail.

It's a solid, realistic feeling first-person shooter, that just feels grittier than most, and when some thrilling storytelling is interspersed, the result is one very involving adventure. And that's just it - although this game is a first-person shooter, it feels much more like a story-driven survival horror game, in the vein of Resident Evil or Devil May Cry.

Back to the solid physics, and when you fire a machine gun the screen shakes uncontrollably, for example. Well, I suppose it's not uncontrollable, because you can stop shooting, but I think you get my drift.

Fire-fights are common Area 51 and often very
rewarding, particularly if you use clever tactics

When alien slime balls attack they do plenty of damage and this realistic 'vibe' that permeates the game world makes playing Area 51 all the more engrossing. Turn off the lights, crank up the bass, do some upside-down push ups and then game on.

There's also a nice selection of weapons, alien and terrestrial (look out for the Meson cannon) many of which can be wielded akimbo, even the assault shotguns!

And truth be told, it's quite a rush wading into a genetically mutated fire fight with twin boom sticks: "Whose your daddy?" Furthermore, some weapons also have a secondary firing mode, which is always good to see.

A small scanning device also comes into play at numerous time throughout the game, which can yield vital clues to uncovering the Area 51 mystery, also adding a touch of nerdidity to the otherwise violently conspiratorial proceedings.

And as I mentioned earlier, the graphics are very good, particularly for the PS2 version, which stacks up well against the far superior processing capabilities of the Xbox.

Almost everything about Area 51 agreed with me. The controls (while not orthodox) work well, the graphics are tip top, the sound incredibly effective in creating atmosphere (when the music stops you know the shit's going to fly) and the plot, while complicated, greatly appeals to my adult side. One wonders whether the game would have been as entertaining as it is without Stan Winston's cool creature creations and the big name voice actors, but one also wonders what's for dinner, so there you go.

After four years in production, I was expecting a lot from this game, and what it delivered I really enjoyed, but once it's over there's not a lot left to play for. Had there been more difficulty levels, and a co-op mode or some more depth to the online aspect, this would have been a world-beater. As it stands, it's merely very good.

Game: Area 51
System: Xbox
Players: 1-multi
Online: Yes
Developer: Midway
Distributor: Red Ant

Rating: 80%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)

Area 51 is on the shelves now.

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