Alien Earth is an isometric pseudo-3D action-adventure game with role-playing elements. It was released for Windows.[2] It was developed by Krome Studios Melbourne, (known as Beam Software at the time) and released in 1998.[3]
| Alien Earth | |
|---|---|
 Box art | |
| Developer(s) | Beam Software[1] |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Platform(s) | IBM PC compatible |
| Release | NA July 21, 1998 |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Plot edit
What remains of Earth and most of its inhabitants after a nuclear holocaust is dominated and enslaved by the insect-like humanoid Raksha, invaders from another planet.[4] Many years later, only the Resistance remains free, in the sewers of a ruined city. The player takes control of Finn, a villager in a jungle that the Raksha use to hunt their slaves as prey. A Raksha hunting lord marks Finn as a troublemaker,[4] and he must outwit the Raksha, and seek aid wherever he can find it, to survive. His nemesis vanquished, Finn searches for answers about the fate of his civilization in a wartorn city, despite the Scavengers hunting through the ruins for scraps of remaining technology and intruders.
Gameplay edit
Resource management is a key part of the game; items are collected, as in most games, but also combined; the latter is crucial to completing the game. Combining a wooden pole with a metallic blade forms a Spear, for example, or an empty bottle, petrol and a rag cloth to form a molotov cocktail. Separate NPCs make scavenged Raksha weapons usable and sellable, and level up Finn's psionic abilities. Finn's fighting abilities use a skill levelling system; the more Finn uses a weapon, the better he gets at using it.
Development edit
Reception edit
Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "Well-designed and (mostly) well-implemented, it might not be flashy, but the game possesses a depth and quality that marks it as one of the brighter spots in the lineup this month."[6] PC Action gave the game a rating of 53% and said the game had a good idea but implemented it half-heartedly.[7] PC Zone gave a rating of 60% and said "the storyline is mildly enthralling, but nothing makes you sit up and take notice."[8]
Reviews edit
References edit
- ^ "GameSpy: Beam Software". www.gamespy.com.
- ^ "Alien Earth (1998) Windows release dates". MobyGames.
- ^ "Alien Earth review by Al Giovetti". www.thecomputershow.com.
- ^ a b "Alien Earth - PC - GameSpy". pc.gamespy.com.
- ^ Lee, Helen (June 13, 1997). "Beam Software and Melbourne House Unveil E3 Lineup". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 6, 1998. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ "Finals". Next Generation. No. 42. Imagine Media. June 1998. pp. 142, 144.
- ^ Aichinger, Herbert (August 1998). "Test - Alien Earth". PC Action (in German). No. 8/98. Computec Media. p. 112.
- ^ Taylor, Adam (July 1998). "Reviews Extra - Alien Earth". PC Zone. No. 65. Future plc. p. 113.
- ^ https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1998-09/page/n73/mode/2up
- ^ https://archive.org/details/PC.Games.N072.1998.09-fl0n/page/n149/mode/2up
- ^ https://archive.org/details/powerplaymagazine-1998-08/page/n77/mode/2up