Midway’s first-person shooter (FPS) “Area 51” is loosely based on the lightgun arcade game of the same name. Both games are set in the titular military base, Area 51, and both feature guns, but the similarities end there. “Area 51’s” trite storyline and vanilla gameplay do little to separate the game from the already crowded FPS genre.
“Area 51” puts players into the head of Ethan Cole (voiced by David Duchovny) a HazMat officer whose team has been sent to investigate the disappearance of another squad that was investigating a virus in the bowels of Area 51. Sound confusing? Well that’s not the half of it. “Area 51’s” story combines aliens, mad scientists, the Illuminati and a few other
conspiracy staples to become one of the most convoluted stories ever to grace a video game. The entire plot seems to the result of a late night game of Mad Libs.
Duchovny reads his lines like he’s auditioning to be Fox Mulder again. The game also features Marilyn Manson playing a mysterious entity known as Edgar, who pops up occasionally and recites lines that may have been written by an angsty eighth-grader.
Graphics and sound in “Area 51” are okay. The environments are detailed, although limited in variety. Enemies look interesting, and have a good deal of detail. Sound is possibly one of the game’s best elements. The guns sound menacing, enemies scream after they have been shot and shells click as they hit the ground.
“Area 51’s” downfall is its lack of innovative gameplay. The weapons in “Area 51” are almost all standard fare in first-person shooters. The levels are dull; players will find themselves trudging through halls as they try to find the keycard that unlocks the next area.
The attempt to set “Area 51” apart from other FPSs isn’t successful. Early in the game, Cole gains the ability to mutate into a sort of half-alien, half-human beast. When mutated Cole’s vision changes, his melee attack power skyrockets and he gains new projectile attacks. The first few times players mutate are fun experiences; Cole can tear through enemies with his claws and take out groups by infecting them with a deadly virus. But the novelty quickly fades.
With all the other FPSs on the market there is no reason to play this game. If you are looking for a good FPS, check out “Doom 3” or “Timesplitters 3,” but don’t waste your time with “Area 51.”