Act: Alien Abduction [by Pumpkin Games]

Game Review: Alien Abduction
Release Date: April 2005
Developer: Pumpkin Games
Genre: Action > Shooter
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP, 64 MB RAM, Direct X 7.0 (Open GL)
Players: 1-2 (alternating)
Price: $14.99


Back in 2002, more than twenty years after the release of the original game, Midway hopped on the retro bandwagon and tried to rehash the concept of one of the most famous games ever - Defender, with a 3D console game featuring the same name and similar game design. Some of the 2D to 3D conversions went great, notably the Nintendo ones like Super Mario 64 or a more recent title, Metroid Prime. Defender’s conversion to 3D didn’t fare so well. The gameplay was almost completely lost in the translation to a playing field with an extra dimension and the controls were rather poor, resulting in a loss of the fun factor and turning this remake into a very mediocre game. Fortunately, even though the basic concept of Alien Abduction is quite similar to Defender, Pumpkin Games' ambitions are slightly smaller than Midway's, bringing us a much more fun and enjoyable game.

The rules are very simple and have a lot in common with the original Defender title. The Barrier Defence Force is a special unit formed to protect the energy crystals powering two Lightning Barriers that keep aliens from reaching the last bastion of humanity - a colony named Tempus. Your job as hotshot pilot is to shoot everything that moves (except, of course, the crystals!), thus gaining access to the next level. Sounds like a rather high-risk job, doesn't it?

The rules are simple but your task is not due to a lot of enemies doing their own thing which, as you might have guessed, consists mostly of meddling in your affairs. Some of them will try to stop you from completing your task by shooting at you, some will just try to get in your way, and some will actively work on stealing the energy crystals in a variation of the Lander/Mutant concept - if an alien succeeds in carrying a crystal from one Lightning Barrier to the other, it will transform into a horrible suicidal buzz saw, and do everything it can to shred you into pieces. If you think this is bad, you'll be delighted to hear that, if all the crystals are gone, invincible creatures similar to Stephen King's Langoliers teleport in to destroy everything in their path, with your ship on top of their to-destroy list. Oh yes, if you get shot or collide with an enemy, you're toast and you'll have to start the level from scratch.

One of the biggest innovations of the original game - the radar, also exists in Alien Abduction. The game takes place on a side-scrolling level much wider than your screen, and the action happens in all parts of it whether you're there or not. This, as well as the need to keep track of where the fuel depots are (it's "game over" when your ship's fuel bar runs out), is why you absolutely have to keep your eye on the radar at all times, bringing a bit of strategy to an otherwise reflex-based game. Naturally, you are not alone in your battle against the alien hordes - while you're at it, you might notice a power-up floating around every now and then. Aside from weapons like more powerful laser beams and homing missiles, you can, for example, get a cloaking device add-on, which makes you invisible (but still vulnerable) to enemy ships and a shield add-on which renders you invincible for a while.

Graphics: 9/10
With glowing neon colours and trippy shapes swirling around on your screen, the game resembles an incredibly well done Amiga demo or, for people who don't remember the "scene", a wonderfully interactive Winamp plug-in. Although the game is played on your standard Defender-like 2D wrap-around map, it features colourful 3D graphics full of nice little touches like the level tilting to one side as you move your ship to it, or the fuel depot energy fields fluttering in the opposite direction of your ship as you zoom past them. Combined with a fluid color-changing background and geometrically designed enemies, the graphics really make the whole game feel alive.

This style is, sadly, not all that unique. Pumpkin Games clearly admit that Alien Abduction was largely inspired by Pom Pom's Mutant Storm (and to an extent, their other indie hit - Space Tripper) which, even if it wasn't officially stated, is pretty evident because of a rather similar look. However, the graphics in Alien Abduction are much more crisp and clearly defined, more simplistic and subtle - in a word, a lot more retro. This game, with its almost completely abstract visual elements, compares to the Pom Pom games in the way Rez could be compared Jet Grind Radio on Dreamcast.

Sound: 8/10
Nothing revolutionary here, but it fits the game perfectly. Both the sound effects, which are of the usual blast, explosion and laser beam zap variety, and the electronic music tracks work in synergy with the graphics, complementing the overall futuristic retro theme of the game and adding to its "old school" atmosphere. A few heavily modified synthesized voice effects might have been nice, but then again, it just might be that I've been playing too much Ikaruga lately.

Gameplay: 9/10
Very fast-paced and extremely fun! Alien Abduction does a great job at capturing the feel of the arcade classics. Easily learned controls will allow you to move your ship around, reverse direction at will, fire at your enemies or use the nuke to destroy everything that's visible on your screen. An interesting feature is that your ship moves slower backwards than it does in the forward direction, which allows for some pretty complicated (and sometimes life-saving or just bonus point-scoring) maneuvers. The ship responds well to your commands and the differences in handling between the various ships that you can unlock along the way are clearly visible - after getting access to all of them, you'll surely be able to find a ship that suits your playing style.

Value: 9/10
With 30 levels organized in a series of three "mission paks" which you unlock through playing and can replay whenever you wish, and a level editor that is currently in production, as well as promised free mission paks in the future, it is very hard not to justify Alien Abduction's price. The fun you'll get out of this title makes it more than worth spending $14.99 for, as you can play it over and over again without experiencing any boredom whatsoever.

Concept: 8/10
To say that this game is a Defender clone would be a horrible understatement. A homage to Mutant Storm and Space Tripper? Technically correct, maybe, but still a little unfair. Yes, the basics have been borrowed from one of the most successful arcade hits of all time and the graphics do resemble another popular indie retro game. But the purity of Alien Abduction's gameplay, even with so many different arcade elements that the crystal defending sometimes seems like an optional mini-game, is a shining example of a whole being greater than the sum of its parts. This is exactly how a modern game in the eighties style should be done.

Fun: 10/10
To put it short, I haven't had this much fun with a PC shoot-em-up since Tyrian. And that was, well, almost a decade ago. For a game of this type, easy equals boring - following this design philosophy, the challenge is just right for a seasoned arcade player, and the manic action in which only one hit means certain death is a good way to keep you on your toes and, hopefully, entertained. If you're a true shoot-em-up expert, you'll blaze through the levels in a pretty short amount of time, but for someone with such an amount of skill, the thrill isn't in finishing the game anyway, it is in getting the highest score possible. And, believe me, this is a game for the high score hunter.

All levels can be played in Points Battle and Time Attack modes so, even when you've mastered each level, you'll want to challenge yourself and your friends for the first place on any of the numerous high score tables. For the true perfectionists amongst us, the Sharp Shooter mode offers a game in which it is almost impossible to compete - the score greatly depends on the accuracy of your shots and each time you miss, a penalty awaits. Ultimately, no matter which mode you choose, the fun is guaranteed. This specific kind of a replay factor is very similar to what all of the arcade titles had (and still have, even on modern systems). The gameplay is simple, the design minimalist, the difficulty is high. And it works like a charm.

Overall: 9/10
Is it difficult? Yes. Is it (for now) somewhat short? True. But then again, so are most of the cult arcade games. Unlike a lot of the recently released retro-themed titles, Alien Abduction truly plays like something from a "better era" of gaming and, for accomplishing such a thing, it should be appreciated. "Shmup" fans will very easily recognize what this game offers and, although it might not be as fitting for people with absolutely no interest in twitch games, it won't fail to satisfy anyone who has a fondness for good old-fashioned shooters.
Added: June 25th 2005
Reviewer: Damjan Flegar
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Related Link: Pumpkin Games Website
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