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Rescue on Fractalus is the first of the Fractal-based titles. In many respects it's disappointing. Perhaps because it's the first it's the weakest on plot.

Fractals are all about craggy landscapes, consequently it's no surprise to discover that the game is set on 'Fractalus, the most inhospitable planet this side of the Kalamar system' - an excuse for lots of jagged edges if ever I heard one. The idea is that you pilot your Valkyrie fighter over Fractalus seeking out pilots shot down over the planet. You must then land and wait for the pilot to run on board. Rescuing pilots replenishes your energy - why I don't know - and after a certain point allows you to move on to the next level.

So the game splits into two sections, tracking down pilots (which becomes comparitively simply once you get used to the controls) and knocking out enemy gun emplacements before they blast you from the sky. In later levels there are space ships to deal with as well.

The problem is game play - there isn't enough of it.

Later levels make the pilots more difficult to find and have increasing numbers of alien machinery blasting away at you, but there isn't a lot of skill involved in many aspects of the game. In particular, it is surprisingly difficult to crash your fighter.

Label: Activision Author: Dalali Price: £7.95 Memory: 48K/128K Reviewer: Graham Taylor

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Programming limitations and lack of game plot restrict the appeal of this, the first of the Fractal titles.