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The Truth About "Area 51" (Xbox)

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: May 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

"Area 51," the FPS redux of the arcade blast fest of the same name, is fun and addictive - two qualities that are certainly necessary in any good FPS. However, it is also, in a word, anticlimactic.

In "Area 51," you take on the guise of Ethan Cole (straight from the Generic Hero Name Generator), a soldier voiced by the "X-Files"' David Duchovny, as he and his team are sent into the legendary military facility known as Area 51 to investigate some strange occurrences there. Suffice it to say that Ethan and company get more than they bargained for, and have to shoot hordes of aliens and genetically enhanced baddies to ultimately win the day.

"Area 51" owes the usual debt to "Half-Life." The setup is similar, it goes without saying, but the infamous underground base and namesake of the game do provide some unique thrills - even if they're not fully capitalized upon. The level designs too often involve lots and lots of flip switching and button pressing, but otherwise do their job admirably. Still, although the top-secret setting provides ample opportunity to theorize in a fantastical way about what kinds of things that are truly taking place there, the game makes it feel quite familiar, like pretty much any other generic sci-fi corridor crawl, complete with bloodthirsty mutants and evil extraterrestrials. There are too few moments of sheer inspiration here - which makes one sequence, a sardonic discovery that the first American moon landing was faked, all the more memorable when it occurs.

Enemies suffer from this same sense of "been there, done that, shot that a million times before in a million other shooters." That said, there's more than a little something to be said regarding the gameplay, which is fast, furious, and ultimately compelling. Weapons, while mostly boilerplate (not surprisingly), pack a real wallop that is too often missing in the genre of late, and taken in effect with some very good rag doll physics make for action that is truly tasty. Given that this is an action game through and through, that's certainly high praise, and makes the game recommendable on that point alone.

Halfway through the game, the player character develops mutant super powers that further inject some sense of variety, allowing him to slow time, hurl vampyric parasites that can restore his health, and ultimately turn his enemies against each other. Whether or not this mutant element of the game is essential from a design perspective, it nonetheless adds flavor, and at times these abilities (particularly the parasites) are extremely helpful in dire combat situations.

Production values are another high point in "Area 51." As previously stated, the graphics are easy on the eye, and don't come with a high price attached. Despite the onscreen action there's never any discernable slowdown, and load times between missions are exceptionally brief. Also worthy of mention is the professional voice work, done by the aforementioned Duchovny (whose recognizable brogue makes it easy to settle into the conspiratorial setting despite the character's blandness), Powers Boothe (underused here as Major Bridges), and Marilyn Manson (whose alien, "Edgar," is the stand-out). Unfortunately the sound effects wrapped around these things can be a bit tinny at times, and, on a few occasions, quite annoying. Weapons discharges have a good sound to them, though, which helps make up for this.

It's unfortunate that the storyline running behind the scenes here is so unremarkable -- except perhaps for its remarkable ability to confound and confuse. It's a convoluted mess chock full of loose ends never properly tied. Perhaps the biggest flaw in "Area 51," however, is the anticlimactic finale, which comes and goes without much ado - so much so, in fact, that I had no idea I had reached the conclusion until I got dumped back onto the menu screen. Given that the single player campaign is fairly brief, this is a real disappointment.

All in all, though, "Area 51" provides an enjoyable FPS experience while it lasts, which unfortunately isn't long enough. Even so, the quality of the action at hand nullifies many of the game's faults. Well worth checking out, when it's all been said and done.

Some Secrets Are Best Left Uncovered

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: May 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Granted most XBOX owners have been completely and utterly spoiled having played HALO 1 & 2, so to expect anything less from a 1st Person Shooter would be uncivilized. Right? Well, yes and no. The problem is, with any great game such as HALO, the bar is always raised exceptionally high for posterity. As such, any game that came on the market after November 4th, 2004 (HALO 2's original release date) must live up to the high standard set by an almost instant classic.

Here gamers are confronted with AREA 51. A noble attempt at mixing HALO with Half Life that fails miserably in the end. It's not that this isn't a great game....ok well it isn't a great game. But, that's not the point. It's a decent game that does what it does well. The problem is you will get tired of it doing what it does and eventually wish you had rented it and not purchased it.

In the ohh so familiar words of my Business Law professor from Sophomore year: "Here's the deal". You're Ethan Cole, a bio-chemist @ the Groomlake testing facility we all know as AREA 51. Your list of credentials is as long as my....well you get the idea. You've been summoned to Dreamland in an effort to control and increasingly less controlable situation that has overrun the base. You soon find out that YOU have been infected with the virus and learn that you can mutate into a...well "mutant" and kill your enemies. You use some of your super mutant powers (you'll see what I mean), your mutagen level will dissapate quickly and your must find an infected corpse to suck the mutagen out of or find a vial to inject yourself with. Consequently the best way to use your mutant powers is to melee attack your enemies which, for some strange reason, builds your mutagen level back up. Talk about roid rage. I think throughout the game I used the mutate ability once or twice. It's just not as fun as blowing some poor cloned SOB over a railing to watch him fall to his death. Sounds exciting right? Not so much.

Gameplay doesn't falter, because it runs on the ever effective "I shoot you before you shoot me" engine. My faults with the game lie with the repetitive nature of the game. First there are only 5 or 6 different types of enemies. The mutant dudes, the mutated dudes, black-ops dudes and grays. While i may have missed one or two, 90% of the game is spent blasting away @ these creatures like there is no tommorow. It just get's boring.

I hate to keep referring to HALO, but this is the base for which all games get judged. Remember how the Master Chief was always doing something to help someone, going to different worlds, indoors and out, riding on vehicles, in outer space etc? Don't come to the AREA 51 dinner table and expect to get any of these meals. They're fresh out. As you climb deeper and deeper into the bowels of the base you will start to think...Damn, didn't I do that before? Yes, Watson, yes you did.

Another problem is while some parts of the game are almost too easy, some parts are just way too damn hard. You'll find yourself playing some pieces over and over and over. While this is to be expected, it just seems like sometimes you get bogged down in places for hours on end. Why? The weapons. They just suck. With the exception of the sniper rifle, none of these weapons has an outside purpose, and even it doesn't have the kick that a sniper rifle is supposed to have. What's worse is the horrible dual-weilding mode that you have no control over. Back to HALO, you could walk over most weapons and CHOOSE to dual weild AND you could dual weild different combos of different weapons. Here the computer does it for you. If you happen to walk over an assualt rifle it will automatically dual weild it and you can't drop it OR reload (which SUCKS, especially when you're running low on ammo). This coupled w/ the fact that you can't save the game until you reach a pre-determined checkpoint is enough to drive a man to drinking (more). It's analogous to climbing all the stairs in the Empire state building only to be told that you have to start @ the ground floor again because you missed a step. AREA 51 is soon approaching the $5.00 bin @ Wal-Mart.

The final straw for me was the game's sound and graphics. You'll be ready to toss this one back after you hear the horrible sounds that these creatures make when they attack, get shot and die. I still can't put my finger on what the Black-Ops dudes sound like when they take some lead to the chest. And while the environments are rich with vivid colors and meticulous detail, everything else looks like it was drawn @ a pre-school. Overall the game's graphics are comparable to a early PLAYSTATION 2 game, if not worse.

You would think there would be some high points for this game? Well they're arent' many. I haven't had a chance to evaluate the online play (which I hear is quite good) so perhaps I would have given it a better review had I experienced AREA 51.

Again, if you're looking for a decent run of the mill shooter for the weekend. Rent it and return it. Otherwise, buy it once it goes on sale.

Bloody First Person Combat Fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: June 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Area 51 is a shooter game where you - a HazMat team member - go in shooting away first at mutated humans, and then at a series of aliens. Shall we call this Half-Life-A?

You start, pretty typically, with training style stages. You learn how to shoot, how to move. But in no time at all you and your team are off taking out virus-infected humans. This game definitely earns its Mature rating. Even some of the first scenes of the "transformation" are pretty gruesome. When you get into full blown combat, there is blood flying everywhere, and some decapitations.

You move from area to area, looking for key cards, trying to open doors, blowing away tiny scorpions and giant six-eyed monsters. About halfway through the game you get infected and are now able to switch easily between a human and an alien. This gives you a nice mix of awesome firepower and bone-crunching hand to hand combat.

The graphics are reasonably nice, with shiny liquids, matte metals, and yes, a lot of blood. The sounds involve some well known voice talent (David Duchovny, Marilyn Manson) and in general helps to draw you into the game.

Really, though, the reason you play a game like this is to blast things. There are secret items to find on each level, plus different levels of difficulty to challenge you.

Yes, it can be relatively quick to just zip through the game from start to finish if you're skilled at this type of game - maybe about 6 hours for most. Still, if you go back and start looking for the secrets, and finding the hidden weapons, you can really hone your skills.

Plus, as with most games of this ilk, the multiplayer is where you really get to test your skills. It's easy enough to fight off AI - but can you handle yourself when real humans are involved? You can easily get hooked for weeks if you find yourself some good multiplayer partners.

Well recommended for those into bloody first-person combat - just be sure you don't mind blood before you begin!

Not Great

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: July 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I am a big fan of video games. I own over forty XBox games, most of which are the First Person Shooter type. This game is very good, but you had better take the time to study the book and have the time to play the game, it is not easy by any stretch. I know everyone reading this is saying " Well, do you really want a game to be easy enough to beat the first day?". Of course not, but a game should be easy/hard enough to be enjoyable and not nearly impossible

Midway classic....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: April 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The game is an intense shooter with a decent story. Language can be as intense as the firefights. Remeniscent of Halo 2 getting the chance to both play as a human Hazmat ( a fully armed one) member and then as one of the mutants. You'll want to sleep with one eye open and your M-11 Scorpion pistol under yuour pillow!

Almost as good as Halo and Halo 2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 9
Date: July 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Wow midway did a good.Job The grafics are amazing! The story and control are amazing. I love this game so much. I would not let any kids play this. This game could scare them. For a M rated game on the back it does not say gore but this game is gorey. It is creppy at times to. You have to use your head alot to to find your way thorugh the levels. I would by this game after you have halo and halo 2. This game is graet by it.

Three Stars.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: May 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Area 51 is standard FPS that plays decent .I beat the game in about 4 days .Its not too hard of a game. AREA 51 just doesnt come close to matching the quality of HALO2 . The graphics in area 51 are good but not great.Sometimes I noticed there was a haziness type effect to the game. The best part of the game is when you get to the alien ship & see the greys , the look of the game takes a turn for the better but its not until 3/4 into the game. If your a fan of the X-files you (might) like this game more for the investigative factor in this game ,because your supplied with a scanner type device that scans journals,people,experiments,etc. to give you clues & info on secrets in AREA 51.Also David Ducovny voices your player throughout the game. The storyline is pretty standard AREA 51,alien virus etc. & you eventualy can morph into a mutated human with certain abilities. You can transform at any time once your infected. The mutant/virus helps towards the end in the final stages.When you finaly see the GREYS alien (the ones with big eyes) its looks pretty kool and you can shoot/kill them. So people who are into x-files & anything related to that type of show might like this game more or less.But it realy just plays like a standard FPS that you probably should rent because you will be done before the rental is due.I agree with some of the other reviewers that HALO2 just raised the bar too high for this game too compete. 3 stars for AREA 51 ,Rent First.

spend hours killing everything in sight

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: June 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I bought the game a couple of days ago and I can't put it down, I've played through hours of battles online and see no end anytime soon. Good game. Also, can we please stop comparing everything to HALO, I'll admit, the first HALO got me to buy the XBOX after years of owning a PS2. But the 2nd HALO was garbage and offered nothing new. This game is great in single player mode and online and honestly offers more fun. But that's just my opinion.

Classic Area 51 fans rejoice

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game immediately gives the great feeling of the classic shooter game. The story presentation gives more detail in to the conspirator's world and guides the player in to a situation where blasting everything in sight is not only fun, it's imperative to your survival.
There are 4 movie scenes that unlock as the game progresses, not including the standard cinematics guiding the game. These are among the best, if not the best, graphics of any Xbox game to date.
GUNS! This game has some very sweet guns and artillery. Including some alien technology, one of their guns allows a laser sight to peek around corners, giving access to bank shots! This one should make for some great multiplayer fun.
Overall, this game is easy to review. If you like the classic Area 51 for arcade, get this and get ready to flash back in time!

THE CLASSIC SHOOTER COMES TO X-BOX

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Area 51 by Midway was a classic arcade shooter brought home now to the X-box. While it doesn't have quite the same shooter style as that arcade version it adds more of a storyline to make this a fun game experience. Area 51 concerns that legendary secret military base where remains of alien spacecraft and bodies are supposedly stored. In the story a viral outbreak at the facility has put it into total lockdown, trapping all personnel inside. A special forces unit is sent into the base to investigate. David Duchovny of X-files fame provides the voice of Ethan Cole, a role that the player takes on as a member of this HAMAT special forces team. As you and the team begin your investigation you'll encounter the former Area 51 staff who have become mutated from the alien virus.

You'll encounter hordes of enemy mutants along the way and begind blasting just like in the arcade classic. Handguns, sniper rifles, automatic weapons, gun turrets, even alien weapons will be at your disposal to use. One cool feature is the ability to wield two weapons at once although it has to be the same weapon and control with two weapons is a little bit on the dicey side. You'll really be kept on the edge of your seat as enemies pop out from virtually anywhere so you have to be on your guard constantly.

The graphics are really fantastic and the cut-scene cinematics are some of the best I've ever scene. The gameplay action moves smoothly and is very crisp and brilliant. The model are rendered very well. Great sound is also on display. Besides Duchovny you get Powers Boothe and even Marilyn Manson doing voices in the game. Be prepared if you have kids around. There is a lot of swearing in the game that really earns it the Mature rating.

The game can be played online on X-box live through all the usual game types such as death match and capture the flag. There are 17 different maps to play on offering a lot of diversity and I'm sure they'll be more to download later. all in all this is a great game. The cinematics and storyline make this rise above the standard shooter.

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