Sure, Alien Breed by Team17 may have been
a bare-faced attempt at re-imagining the Aliens
franchise as a top-down shooter, but if you
never had a chance to experience the classic
on an Amiga, you haven't lived.
That last statement may be hyperbolic (just
a tad), but players were subjected to claustrophobic
corridors, quick-moving aliens that continued
to appear seemingly out of nowhere and (best
of all) had to deal with severely limited
resources.
The sense of fear and tension was ahead of
its time, and as such, is ripe for re-releasing
in a modern setting.
However, some tweaks must be made to accommodate
for mature gaming sensibilities; notably the
graphics have been given a Retina quality
polishing and the controls now feature the
dual-stick shooting freedom we've come to
know and (in some cases) love.
Of course you can switch to 'classic' mode,
complete with the original visuals, soundtrack,
audio and controls, but you can save that
for when you're after a harder challenge - as
it is you're going to need all the help you
can get.
This is, in-part, thanks to the way in which
each level plays with a gamer's head - turning
expectations against them and forcing a player
to make decisions such as 'do I really need
to get through that door or will I need it
to survive the final run to the exit?'.
Keys, ammunition, credits and even 'health'
are in short supply, dotted around the map
behind closed doors or protected by hordes
of enemies willing to soak up your precious
ammunition.
Thankfully judicious use of your resources
will keep you alive, but beware the instant-kill
pits and doors waiting to suck up those spare
lives.
Team17's re-release features not only the
original Alien Breed, but the subsequent 'Special
Edition' complete with added levels and new
version of the weapons you may have already
unlocked.
Credits, lives, ammunition and keys all carry
on between these modes, so it's in your interest
to start off with the brand-new Convergence
and work your way up to the epic 'Special
Edition'.
Pulling off the rose-tinted glasses for a
moment, there are a few issues that can't
be ignored.
For starters, the twin-stick controls destroy
the challenge of the game - being able to
run-and-gun makes it so much easier to deal
with bad situations instead of being forced
to stand your ground in the classic mode.
Also, while the special effects weren't exactly
amazing in the original, the repetitive squawking
of the aliens as they die in the updated version
isn't much better.
Lastly, should you manage to waste your resources
your only options are either to start fresh
and try to be more conservative, or cough
up money to purchase credits via IAP.
Ultimately, these are only quibbles, but worthy
of fixing in future updates.
Whether you're a returning fan or an iOS gamer
after a top-down shooter that isn't afraid
to stack the odds against you, Alien Breed
is definitely worth grabbing.
