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ALIEN 3 (SMD)
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Publisher: Acclaim.
Developer: Probe. Released: 1993 (Europe). Genre: 2D Run 'n' Gun. Other versions: SMS; NES; SNES; AMI; C64; GB; GG. Posted 30th October 2019. By Tom Clare © 2019 |
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It’s 1992, and the hype train is well and truly chugging. Not only are fans looking forward to the return of Alien in cinemas after six years away, but are also anticipating the best opportunity yet to capture the series in gaming form. However, it would not all be smooth sailing. The eagerly-anticipated Alien 3 is met with tepid fanfare at the box-office. Furthermore, its weighed down by a story that’s not especially conducive to an action game. The film may have struck a bum note with cinemagoers, but the same can’t be said for Probe’s classy run ‘n’ gun, which capitalised on a wealth of game-friendly assets that had long held great promise. The end result is a real blast.
Playing as the iconic, shaven-headed Ellen Ripley, your task is refreshingly straightforward: rescue all of the marines held captive by the deadly xenomorphs, before locating the exit and beating a hasty retreat. Two additional factors spice things up: a strict time limit, which causes as much havoc as the aliens themselves, and some devilish, maze-like level layouts. There are around fifteen levels in all, with the occasional Guardian (read: big, bullet resistant alien) boss fight to keep the player on their toes.
Keep your trigger finger poised, but don't waste ammo, you'll need to stock up in order to beat the Guardians
It’s packed with xeno-blasting action and, with wicked artillery available from the get-go, it’s more closely aligned with the action-bent of Aliens. No bad thing, you might say. Alien 3 is prime example of tight, lean design, and it manages to channel a great deal of what made the movies so cool, and work them effectively into a shoot ‘em up setting.
Firstly, there’s Ripley. A badass never comes to the party unprepared, and right from the beginning she’s packing a fearsome array of weapons. Each comes into its own in different situations, with smart design necessitating the need for frequent rotation, so as to conserve ammo. The assault rifle is ideal for dealing with the numerous head-on attacks you’ll face throughout the game’s menacing corridors, though you’ll need a quick trigger finger. Grenades are deadly from the safety of a ladder, as dropping them can devastate groups of xenos in no time at all. Of course, it wouldn’t be Alien without a flamethrower. It’s not only handy for dealing with troublesome face-huggers, but also proves invaluable in close quarters, such as the iconic vents. Finally, you’ve a grenade launcher, which is slow but packs a big punch. You’ll want to save these for the boss fights.
There are plenty of nods to the source material. These include a useful motion sensor that lets you know when an enemy or a prisoner are in the near vicinity, whilst the branching vents found in the early levels make for an interesting twist on the basic gameplay, as even in cramped surrounds, you’ll need to defend yourself against scuttling foes.
Firstly, there’s Ripley. A badass never comes to the party unprepared, and right from the beginning she’s packing a fearsome array of weapons. Each comes into its own in different situations, with smart design necessitating the need for frequent rotation, so as to conserve ammo. The assault rifle is ideal for dealing with the numerous head-on attacks you’ll face throughout the game’s menacing corridors, though you’ll need a quick trigger finger. Grenades are deadly from the safety of a ladder, as dropping them can devastate groups of xenos in no time at all. Of course, it wouldn’t be Alien without a flamethrower. It’s not only handy for dealing with troublesome face-huggers, but also proves invaluable in close quarters, such as the iconic vents. Finally, you’ve a grenade launcher, which is slow but packs a big punch. You’ll want to save these for the boss fights.
There are plenty of nods to the source material. These include a useful motion sensor that lets you know when an enemy or a prisoner are in the near vicinity, whilst the branching vents found in the early levels make for an interesting twist on the basic gameplay, as even in cramped surrounds, you’ll need to defend yourself against scuttling foes.
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The key to Alien 3’s success is that it manages to capture the essence of the films, without compromising itself as a shoot ‘em up. It’s fun and immediate, yet filled with the kind of tension and jump-scares the films are so well-versed in. The aliens move with frightening speed, which is enough in itself to set the player on edge, without them leaping from ceilings, hiding in vents and crashing through doors. You’ll need to keep a clear head though, as planning a route through levels is often imperative to finishing them within the time limit. Nothing beats making it to the level exit with mere seconds remaining. The atmosphere is benefited massively by a sublime, thumping soundtrack, and the spine-chilling hiss of the xenomorphs.
Alien 3 fairs relatively strongly in terms of its presentation. Sprites are nicely-drawn, though visually they lack variety, and the animation is surprisingly threadbare. There’s a minimal degree of movement attributed to actions such as jumping and climbing, and no visual changes when swapping weapons either. That said, the important thing is that the performance is very strong; scrolling is silky smooth, and the action rapid. The attract screens look marvellous, whilst some of the levels make clever use of foregrounds to obscure the playing area, ratcheting the paranoia that their might be something lurking, just beyond your line of sight.
Alien 3 fairs relatively strongly in terms of its presentation. Sprites are nicely-drawn, though visually they lack variety, and the animation is surprisingly threadbare. There’s a minimal degree of movement attributed to actions such as jumping and climbing, and no visual changes when swapping weapons either. That said, the important thing is that the performance is very strong; scrolling is silky smooth, and the action rapid. The attract screens look marvellous, whilst some of the levels make clever use of foregrounds to obscure the playing area, ratcheting the paranoia that their might be something lurking, just beyond your line of sight.
Behind you! Some levels make use of funky foregrounds to obscure lurking aliens...
Providing you have a solid enough memory for level layouts, you should be able to best Alien 3 within a week. Boss fights are surprisingly gentle; I was able to clear every encounter at the first attempt. However, there’s a trio of difficulty settings to try, and with scores dependent on factors including speed of completion, difficulty and ammunition retention, there’s lots of incentive for players to return.
It may not have enjoyed quite the same level of creativity as Gunstar Heroes, nor the kind of variety and long-term challenge of Rolling Thunder 2. But in capturing the tone of the films, Alien 3 comes with a grittiness and urgency that’s scarce amongst its competitors of the time. Alien 3 was (and is) a thoroughly decent shoot ‘em up, and remains a model example of how to approach a film tie-in.
It may not have enjoyed quite the same level of creativity as Gunstar Heroes, nor the kind of variety and long-term challenge of Rolling Thunder 2. But in capturing the tone of the films, Alien 3 comes with a grittiness and urgency that’s scarce amongst its competitors of the time. Alien 3 was (and is) a thoroughly decent shoot ‘em up, and remains a model example of how to approach a film tie-in.
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VERDICT
"It’s fun and immediate, yet filled with the kind of tension and jump-scares the films are so well-versed in. Despite some clunky controls, Alien 3 is a model example of how to approach a film tie-in." OVERALL: 8/10 |