Previous Next

Here we have yet another example of the game of the film of the book of the stage play of the record of the game, and so on. Don't let this put you off though, as this game is a good example of the genre and a fair reflection on the movie Alien.

Before starting to try and play the game it is necessary to thoroughly read the instructions which come with the package. This is only common sense really and prevents you fiving in at the deep end. This helps you to familiarise you with the game's menu-driven mode of operation, and it is a good idea to get to know the various symbols used in the game. After this has been done it is quite easy to get used to the game's operation, but not necessarily the game itself - which can be difficult.

The game is a fairly realistic and tense representation of the final section of the film, as the crewmembers under your control hunt the alien and try to escape in the shuttle. The catch is that the crew cannot escape without Jones, the ship's cat. This generally means losing several crewmembers while chasing the cat across the ship.

The ship is represented by three floor plans, and you move each individual character from room to room, and floor to floor, collecting items which will help you defeat the alien and catch the cat. Without the right combination of items, the cat invariably escapes your grasp.

The alien, of course, is not just waiting to be hunted, but, unfortunately for you, insists on fighting back! The sound of opening and closing doors coupled with the noise of the tracker provides a warning that the alien is on its way. Often, your heartbeat increases with the sounds, as a stubborn character refuses to follow your directions to safety. Ultimately, the alien will attack - and appear on the screen looking particularly gruesome (even if it does look like it's breakdancing). The appearance of this monster is accompanied by messages informing you of the impending demise of whichever character is under attack. More than once I've panicked under a surprise attack, and so failed to react quickly enough to save my crewmember.

The instructions with the game are quite comprehensive and come complete with a photo-story of the film, up to the point where the game takes over. If the acknowledgements are to be believed, then the game was created by a group of Alien fans who have names strangely familiar to those of the characters in the film and game.

Alien is one of the more successful of the recent spate of book or film adaptions, such as Sherlock. Its unique personality control system allows the control of all the characters, except, of course, the alien! At times, the game is as tense and exciting as the film, a difficult feat to achieve with a computer game. Alien embraces features of both strategy games, and adventure, with the addition of a little horror. For this, Alien gets top marks in my book.

Alien is available from Argus Press Software, Liberty House, Regent Street, London W1.