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Once again, your mission is to save life, the universe
and everything. Alien forces have captured an anti-matter
conversion plant which supplies power to colonists in
a distant planetary system. The aliens are threatening
to turn the anti-matter plant onto 'self-destruct' and
wipe out the entire planetary system, and a couple of
neighbouring stars, in the process -- unless they receive
unconditional surrender. But since this would prove
a fate worse than death, it's up to you to travel across
the surface of the asteroid on which the power plant
is sited, infiltrate the alien enemy's positions and
disable the anti-matter converter before it achieves
Critical Mass.
You
are put in control of a rocket-propelled hover craft
with high speed strike attack capabilities, according
to the armaments manufacturer's sales blurb. The craft
doesn't make contact with the ground, thus avoiding
seismic detection, and is equipped with a powerful laser
device. It is protected against collisions or alien
attacks by a force field, but every collision drains
energy until the field eventually implodes and destroys
the ship. The energy status is displayed to the left
of the screen and is replenished if you can avoid bumping
into things or firing for a while.
For
the benefit of less skilful pilots, a further protection
device detects when the craft is about to implode and
ejects you before the event. Your character can then
use the emergency jet pack to travel to a dome-shaped
energy pod where a new ship can be found. On the journey,
the shipless pilot is unprotected and must avoid contact
with rocks and other life forms which drain energy,
such as deadly 'sandworms' which pop out of the ground
and wriggle ominously. An indicator, in the form of
a large arrow, is provided and shows which direction
to travel in.
During
the early phases of the game you only encounter alien
long distance raiders and unfused mines, but as you
progress through the zones the opposition becomes increasingly
hostile with fused and guided mines to avoid or dispose
of as you see fit. Once you have travelled through all
of the zones, you will find yourself near the power
plant. This is protected by a score of nasties such
as amorphous clouds of molecular disorientation. To
enter the power plant you have to disable the force
field gates by shooting the front of the turret that
is between them. This is not easy and with the addition
of the clouds you are more than likely to end up spinning
off into the distance.
[This screenshot was not in the original review]
Inside
the plant there is an energy beam which draws you in
and must be destroyed by shooting the centre of the
pyramid-shaped energy concentrator in the middle of
the device. Failure leads to vaporisation of you and
your craft.
The
game is played against the clock, which ticks off the
time remaining before Critical Mass is achieved
and points are collected by doing away with alien defences
on the way to saving the universe.
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