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
editWhat 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
editResource 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
editReception
editNext 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
editReferences
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.
- ^ "PC Player German Magazine 1998-09". September 1998.
- ^ "PC.Games.N072.1998.09 [+400dpi]". 16 May 2015.
- ^ "Power Play Magazine (August 1998)". August 1998.