Area 51

Written by Chris Reiter  on March 23, 2004

First Impressions: Lisa: Area 51!? Hey, I found Area 51!
Guard: No ma'am, this is Area 51A.
Lisa: Grr... Well, um, I'm kind of lost. Can you tell me where I am?
Guard: I'm sorry, the location of this location is classified!

Tweet

Comments

When you think of the most overplayed and memorable arcade games, what comes to mind? Probably Capcom's Street Fighter, X-Men, and vs. fighting series. Then there are all the Virtua Fighters, all the Mortal Kombats, and even those NBA Jam games of yore. There was Konami's popular The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle multiplayer arcade romps, and Sega's lineup of red hot racing titles. Even before then, Pac-Man, Asteroids, Space Invaders, and many other retro titles were burning holes in the wallets of avid arcade goers. These games each had something big, something magical, and something to keep it alive for many years: whether through the memory of people or in future developmental efforts. This summer, Midway will be giving gamers' something from both accounts, as they're revisiting one of those great titles that not everyone probably recalls, but should have at one time played or seen in action. A short but a sweet light-gun shooter that went by the name of Area 51.

The question of whether or not alien life actually exists has been a mystery to many people over several generations. There is one place in the world that has been closed to the public eye, as it's been reported to be linked toward extensive study of these creatures from beyond Earth. This same underground domain is known as Area 51. A military facility under the watchful eyes of the U.S. government, Area 51 is where not only do personnel possess alien technology, but in fact beings of alien origin themselves. It is now the time that as Ethan Cole, a HAZMAT (hazardous materials) specialist, you'll have a chance to explore this undisclosed territory. When Ethan's attention is called onto a spreading plague amongst the workers of Area 51, he discovers the violent and hideous mutations that will await him. His top priority now is to prevent the leak from getting out, or humanity won't need to go into space to discover aliens any longer.

It's true that Area 51 wasn't a very lengthy game in duration. It's also true that Area 51 was a light-gun shooter. To undo the process of both in order to create a lengthier, more story-oriented adventure, Midway's turning the old Area 51 into the newly wrapped First Person Shooter Area 51. Moving with that notion, players will step inside a 3D world they can quite literally explore now. In keeping the feel of the original alive though, Area 51 will remain heavy duty on its quick action scenarios. Around every turn, expect some kind of freakish unnatural figure or figures waiting to pop out and bleed a slimy green. The bar is also being raised on certain battle sequences. Rather than just going it alone the entire time, you'll be joined by other HAZMAT members who aren't one of "them" just yet.

Interestingly, it's with said transformation that not just other people in the game will become another something all together, but as you progress into the story, you too will find yourself dealing with powers of a whole other origin. What kinds of abilities you'll have been kept under lock and key, however it is known you'll have access to ten different weapon types, including those from the alien people. Through exploration of the military base too, you'll find multiple NPCs (non playable characters) you can interact with, and team with, to wipe out the rampant infestation. Both in dual partnership and squad-based modes, Area 51 will be more like a war zone instead of a single man's journey for survival. In other forms of multi-play, online and offline multiplayer and downloadable content will be included to permit features like deathmatch and capture the flag for some of the gameplay's extras.

Naturally assembling the game so it not only plays better, but it looks it too: Area 51 is being shaped so its big and its small details stand out. In clear view, mind will be paid much to the environments that capture darkness over areas that were once of light, such as the base's kitchen that's now splattered with blood or wide-open factory-like spaces. Smaller things, like rag doll physics will give character to and after shooting a chair that spins in motion from firing upon it, to placing a couple of holes into a flag that sways around with the openings still remaining once diminishing the fabric's appearance. Dynamic effects in a display of shadows and beaming lights will play a part here too. And with help from Stan Winston Studios -- the creators behind the dinosaurs you saw in Jurassic Park and the aliens you saw in Aliens, they're developing some nasty and suitably spooky designs for the types of mutants you'll face here -- from skinless dogs, who now see with eight eyes, to deformed human things.