Alien Breed 2 - The Horror Continues - Review
(Team 17, Commodore Amiga Game, 1993)
The original Alien Breed, released in 1991, is a great game. It is a top-down atmospheric and claustrophobic shooter, influenced by the 1979 Ridley Scott film Alien and more so by James Cameron’s 1986 sequel, Aliens. The ’92 Special Edition release of the game is better still, with double the number of levels and the removal of some minor bugs that were present in the original version. So in producing Alien Breed 2: The Horror Continues, Team 17 definitely had their work cut out to improve upon a formula that was already hugely popular and successful.
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​Bigger is better?
This instalment, released in 1993, did just that however. Following the same blueprint as the original game, you play as a space marine, navigating and blasting your way through the maze like levels of a facility that has been overrun with alien creatures. The game engine used in the first versions of the game was redesigned to produce smoother scrolling and was so successful it was ported into Team 17’s 1993 platform masterpiece – Superfrog.
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Each level has a mission objective and, once this has been completed, you move to the next level via the deck-lift, providing you reach it in time. Completion of the objective triggers an alarm, the screen starts flashing red and a computer voice commences an auto-destruct countdown. Played in a darkened room this is hugely atmospheric and the panic that strikes you as you race against the countdown timer is quite disconcerting. If you fail to make it to the deck-lift in time, it is game-over.​
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The top-down view has been retained, as have the computer terminals, which you will find conveniently dotted around the levels. By logging in you can purchase first aid kits, door keys, extra lives, new and upgraded weapons, and a map scanner, all by using collectable credits that the previous inhabitants have carelessly left lying around.
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Choices, choices, choices
This is the only game in the Alien Breed series that offers the player with a choice of four playable characters, each of whom starts with different equipment, which is a nice touch. There is a good selection of weapons too, ranging from the standard and fairly ineffective machine gun with which most characters start, to more powerful options such as those with multi-fire, homing missiles, bouncing shots, grenade launchers and flamethrowers.
There are three levels of every weapon, each costing more than the last, often leaving a player in a quandary; “do I buy now or battle on a little longer and save up for a more powerful version?”. This is a smart way of adding real strategy decisions to the game and it works well. You retain each weapon that you buy and each player can cycle through all those they own by pressing the left or right Alt key.
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Your character has a health bar which can take quite a few hits before a life is lost and this can be replenished by collecting one of the first aid kits that are dotted about, or by buying a top-up from a computer terminal. This is just as well, as the aliens come at you thick and fast (with far more on screen than in the first game) and the only way to navigate some sections is to bite the bullet and take a few hits.
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Frame it and hang it in a gallery…
While retaining the bones of the original game; there is no disputing that Alien Breed 2: The Horror Continues is bigger and, for the most part, better. There are 17 large levels to negotiate, compared with just six in the original Alien Breed and 12 in Alien Breed Special Edition ’92. As you would expect from a Team 17 game, everything is very slick and it looks beautiful, the loading screens in particular deserving mention as being works of art.
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The maze-like levels are nicely constructed, being complicated enough to ensure that it takes a number of plays before they start to feel familiar. There is a greater variety of aliens than the first games too, with each type moving differently.
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As for the sound - Allister Brimble is now renowned as an audio genius in the gaming world and the atmosphere he creates with great music and terrific sound effects helps reinforce a genuine feeling of tension and foreboding.
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Two’s company
As a two-player game it works well, with both players playing the same level simultaneously. There are no additional credits to collect, so each player can only level-up their gun at half the speed of the one-player game. On the flip-side however, you have two guns to take on the aliens and this evens things out nicely.
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A high degree of communication and cooperation is needed; otherwise a player can easily become trapped by a wall at the side of a screen and attacked by aliens they didn’t know were there. This isn’t a game you can rush through - if you try you will quickly be overwhelmed. The best strategy, certainly early on, is to pick your way through each stage carefully, preserving your health.
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But it’s not all good
There are a couple of negatives that I should report. Firstly, the difficulty curve is somewhat uneven. The first level (which, strangely, is set outside and stands alone compared with all the others) is particularly difficult, especially for a new player. Rather than battling aliens you have to avoid meteorites (which diminish your health) and security helicopters (one contact results in instant death). There is a very fine line between difficult and stupidly unfair; and the first level embraces this line and takes it dancing. There is no hand-holding here, you either wise-up or die, extremely quickly.
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This does perplex me. There is no getting around it; it is a fairly unpleasant way to start to the game. Even experienced players will find it tricky to navigate this level without losing at least one life. The second level is also pretty tough and then, perhaps because by now you will have collected sufficient credits to upgrade your gun, things get a little easier.
The other irritating feature is that the aliens re-spawn continuously, making it impossible to clear out an area. You never see this - it always happens off-screen, but you can kill every alien in view, move away and return ten seconds later and the room is chock full of aliens again. This is frustrating, and makes some missions significantly harder.
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Verdict​
However, those niggles aside, this is a great update on the Alien Breed series, and an excellent addition to any collection. I have always been a huge fan of Team 17’s Amiga catalogue and (if we ignore the bizarre first level) this certainly carries the quality that you would expect from one of their titles.
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It looks and sounds terrific with solid gameplay, allowing the player to venture a little further with each incursion, providing that perfect: “I’ll just have one more go” incentive. It gives great value too as it can be replayed many times before becoming predictable.
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Definitely worth a look and, without the first level, the score would have been several percent higher. ​​
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Graphics - 85%
I don't think I've ever played a Team 17 game that doesn't look fantastic, this is no exception.​
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Sounds - 88%
The game is atmospheric and genuinely unnerving when the alarms sound and you have to race for the deck-lift.​
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Grab-factor - 80%
Easy to pick up and play, but blighted by an unnecessarily difficult start to the game.​
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Playability - 88%
A great top-down shooter with loads of (predominantly!) well designed levels, a great selection of guns and tons of replay value.​
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Verdict - 85%​
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AG July 2023
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Featured in Amiga Addict magazine, issue 23.
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© Words and pictures copyright grapeswriting.com
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Roadkill - Review
(Acid Software, Commodore Amiga Game, 1994)
Top-down racing with extreme violence. What’s not to like…?
Okay, so here’s the thing. The plan for this edition was to pick something “Christmassy”. But that presented a bit of a problem, as we couldn’t find a Christmas themed CD32 game at all, and the only one featuring anything more than a token sprinkling of snow (Fire and Ice) has been reviewed before. So I am going to write about a perfectly ordinary game but cunningly sneak in the odd Christmas reference, and we’ll see if I can get away with it… (Ed. – “Are you sure about this, Grapes? I’m watching you…!”).
Setting the scene…
It is a beautiful crisp Christmas Eve afternoon in December, 1993 (Ed. – “You aren’t fooling anyone you know…”). Damon Hill (the Formula One motor racing driver and 1996 World Champion in waiting) and Bernie Ecclestone (Formula One supremo) are drinking mulled wine (Ed – “This really isn’t working...”) in an exclusive bar in Monaco, composing their letter to Santa, listing their wishes to improve Formula One (Ed – “I’m serious – stop it now!”).
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Bernie Ecclestone: “Damon, we are losing our audience. We need more excitement; with shorter races on wide tracks to promote overtaking.”
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Damon Hill: “OK, I hear you...”
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BE: “And the British drivers are too dull. Our most successful driver is called Nigel for goodness sake. Suppose we gave the drivers showbiz names like Inferno, Cannon, Hammer, Slam, Demolition and Cyclone? You could be the driving equivalent of the Gladiators..!”
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DH: (His face lighting up) “You might have something there - the Yanks will love that!”
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BE: (Getting more animated) “And we need enormous metal-spiked walls. More danger when the cars leave the track...”
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DH: (Beginning to feel uneasy) “Um...”
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BE: (Starting to giggle) “But that’s not enough jeopardy. So we sprinkle mines on the track and add gun turrets. And arm the cars with rockets...” He pauses, then inspiration strikes him, “...and homing missiles!”
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DH: “Errr...”
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BE: “And the drivers get a huge cash bonus for each competitor they wipe out!” (laughs maniacally).
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DH: “Mate, is everything ok at home...?”
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Had that meeting actually taken place (Ed – “And not been a bizarre creation of Grapes’ warped imagination…”) and Bernie had followed through on his ideas, he would have beaten Acid Software to the creation of Roadkill. Roadkill is a futuristic top-down racing game released in 1994 exclusively for Amiga AGA machines, featuring a terrific combination of racing and extreme violence.
“Take his life…”
The CD32 version is essentially the same as the A1200 game, with the addition of a dramatic FMV introduction. This utilises dynamic, swooping camera angles and exciting race footage, and (perhaps unnecessarily) even features a driver being decapitated and blood splashing onto the camera lens with a cinematic flair that would probably leave Quentin Tarantino slightly moist.
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Your task is to race around a series of twelve circuits; seeking a top three finish each time to progress to the next round. The emphasis is very much on violence, with tracks littered with spiked or laser walls and collectable rockets and missiles to eliminate your competitors. Other power-ups include speed-ups, traction, armour (which reduces your damage by a point) and a deflector (a shield). If you can collect 20 Roadkill (RK) icons you collect all of these together. You can also pick up extra cash, first aid and super versions of traction, deflector or missiles.
Money is awarded for setting lap records, your finishing position, and for destroying opponents, multiplying hugely if you dispatch a set number within a short time. You can’t actually spend your winnings on anything; your accumulated cash when the game ends is your final score. There are a good seletion of options available, allowing you to select your race length, controller type, difficulty level, and to enter a level password.
Choices, choices…
There are six cars to choose from, each offering individual performance. Unfortunately, there is no display summarising each car's attributes, which means you have to find your preferred vehicle by trial and error. The racing view is zoomed in, making control tricky; but this is balanced by the tracks being wide with clear road markings indicating changes of direction. An on-screen map also helps with navigation, along with an optional practice lap before every race.
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Play sees you walking a fine line between pure racing (to achieve the required top-three finish) and mixing it with the opposition, which is where the big money is to be made. If you get too involved with the combat you can lose track position or even get destroyed before the race ends, in which case it’s game-over. As you progress, your opponents grow increasingly aggressive and other hazards come into play, such as mines and wall-mounted guns which target you. If your health gets low you can enter the pits to recharge, but pitting is a tricky decision as races are short and you will lose time and places.
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Controlling your car is intuitive - they handle well and a little practice will see you grinning like a Cheshire cat as you drift satisfyingly through the corners. The CD32 controller or similar is essential though, as separate buttons are required for accelerating, braking, and firing your missiles and rockets. If you are playing using emulation (or on the A1200) the game can be played using a mix of joystick and keyboard controls, but in reality this method is best suited to those adorned with a third arm.
“For the man who doesn’t have to try… too hard”
The tracks are located high above a cityscape with nice parallax scrolling effects in evidence as you race, though you probably won’t notice them while playing as the action is pretty full-on. Some of the circuits also include semi-transparent floor sections enabling you to see the landscape below which is a nice touch. In later tracks you will encounter tight shortcut routes containing additional mines or other hazards - offering the player that perfect risk/reward conundrum.
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The graphics are crisp and clear and do their job well, though the cars appear to be strangely flat. But the real stars of the show are the absolutely fabulous voice samples and thumping music. The game starts with a growly “Good luck...you’ll need it”, and later you are encouraged to “Destroy him”, or “Take his life” in a deep throaty voice that would give the guy who voiced aftershave commercials in the 1980s a serious run for his money. I would suggest that the speech samples are the second best of all time on the 'mig, perhaps only bettered by Speedball 2’s iconic, “Ice Cream”. The music is similarly impressive, leaping and dancing with the exuberance of a four year old on a Sunny Delight high when you win the jackpots.
A missed opportunity
On the down side, once you take a hit and start spinning you can find yourself bouncing around for a little longer than necessary before you regain control, and it doesn’t take too many excursions into the track boundary before you are wiped out. The game is also crying out for a two-player option - the A.I. is good and the three difficulty levels provide plenty of longevity, but a split screen or link multiplayer option would have been awesome.
Verdict
Roadkill wasn't hugely successful, almost certainly because it was an Amiga AGA exclusive which limited its market significantly. This is a great shame as it is an extremely well put together and very enjoyable game; the mixture of racing and vehicle combat is fabulous and the atmosphere is brilliant. It is very playable and is definitely worth checking out. It might not be Christmassy, but if you find this is your stocking on Christmas morning, you will know that Bernie has paid you a visit and you won’t have anything to complain about!
Critical Reception
Amiga CD32 Gamer: 93%
Amiga Computing: 87%
Amiga Concept: 75%
Amiga Dream: 86%
Amiga Format: 75%
Amiga Joker: 82%
Amiga Power: 84%
CU Amiga: 85%
The One Amiga: 90%
Average magazine rating: 84%
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My verdict? It isn't perfect but it a thoroughly fun and impressive game. Worth 90% in my book...
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AG Sept 2023
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Featured in Amiga Addict magazine issue 25.
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© Words and pictures copyright grapeswriting.com
