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One of the most unknown, underrated games ever made, this is a fun futuristic FPS with quite a few innovations that are rarely seen in today's 3D-accelerated games. You play either a male or female commander who is sent to investigate the chaotic situation at the Aragon mining colony, where mining robots run rampant, most humans are dead, and an alien invasion is rumored. You see the world from your bio-suit and access features and perform actions similar to those in System Shock, except that you do it in a 2.5D engine (no jumping, looking up or down, etc...). A distress signal was sent from the Aragon mining colony on a planet called Thermadax, taking five years to arrive to the Earth. A cybernetically enhanced fighter protected by an exoskeleton with mounted weaponry is sent to deal with the situation. A few of the colonists are still alive; the rest have mutated horribly, unable to resist the invasion of robotic enemies. The lone hero is the only one who can put an end to this dreadful situation. It incorporates traditional action-oriented mechanics with tactical decisions and interaction with the environment. The protagonist is often underpowered, and running for cover to gain advantage over the foes is sometimes the only way to survive. The player character's exoskeleton can recharge its power and repair itself using energy from a light source, effectively healing the protagonist. Stepping out of the darkness to recharge becomes therefore another tactical alternative. The futuristic weapons include plasma cannons, warhead launchers, and others; some of them use the exoskeleton's power, while others require ammunition. Beside using these weapons to advance in the game, the player also must interact with the environment, collecting items and completing other tasks to bypass security. It is also possible to interact with the human survivors, who can provide weapons, energy packs, and important information. Ambient temperature and radioactivity are present in the game, affecting the protagonist's movement and the effectiveness of his weapons. Damaging the exoskeleton's shields will not only make the protagonist more vulnerable, but also decrease his ability to aim and the rate of weapon fire. The exoskeleton can also be activated in different modes: in search mode, it displays a small map of the area, a compass, and a radar screen that indicates the presence of enemies. The attack mode is reserved for combat, while the inventory mode allows the player to access items such as mines, keycards, etc. |
