Previous Next

From the author of TLL comes this latest of Vortex's 3-D shoot-em-ups. Once again the humble player is earth's last hope. All that stands between the aliens and world domination is a highway. You must travel down 30 zones of this road zapping the various droids trying to stop you, until you reach their stronghold, zone zero. There you need to place the lasertron, the world's most powerful weapon, and thus save the world.

'You control a vorton, which is a dalek type droid and one novel feature is that your back up lives are also on screen - their task is to shunt the lasertron across a central path, which you must clear for them. They can be destroyed independently of you, so you have to protect your future lives as well as the present one! The back up vortons have no intelligence and move along at constant speed until something blocks their way.

Graphically, Highway Encounter is superb. The main action is in Knight Lore style 3-D, excellently animated. Another similarity to Knight Lore is the way obstacles like barrels and bricks can be pushed - or even shot - about. There are some good, colourful background scenery graphics, particularly the bridges. Sound is suitably exciting.

As an action game this is brilliant, lots of aliens to shoot, with a reasonable challenge and plenty of initial addictivity. I think it's a little overpriced however, and I found the enclosed instructions too brief, although the program has good on-screen instructions and a useful demo. I also had some loading difficulties, and had to use my walkman! Generally a polished product which should be well received by the arcade addicts.

S.J.E.