Área 51 é um deleite não para os fãs e sim os tarados mesmo por teorias da conspiração, porque pense em um jogo para apresentar tanta teoria da conspiração em um lugar só, mistura toda a base do que temos de teorias envolvendo a enigmática Área 51 com relação aos extraterrestres que supostamente poderiam ter lá, a raça dos "greys", até referência aos "illuminatis" e uma outra teoria da conspiração em específico que deve ter pegado todo mundo de surpresa como me pegou e me tirou umas risadas, que é relacionado a uma velha e besta teoria da conspiração de um dos maiores feitos dos Estados Unidos da América ter sido uma farsa, que não vou ir mais a fundo para caso alguém de alguma forma tenha planos em jogá-lo ainda, mesmo estando infelizmente em estado de "abandonware" (abandonado pela empresa e não sendo vendido nas lojas digitais), mas que deve ter ficado bem na cara de qual seja essa teoria da conspiração que quis dizer.
Basicamente, dando um resumo geral, tudo gira em torno desse vírus alienígena maluco que ficou fora de controle dentro desse lugar secreto do governo que é a Área 51, e cabe ao seu esquadrão resolver esse problema de forma sigilosa, neutralizando se possível (porque o caso é sério) o problema e salvando um grupo anterior de soldados que foram antes de você, mas não responderam mais o rádio. Não sei se foi de fato inspirado, mas esse game tem uma pegada bem "Doom 3" em suas mecânicas e em ambientação, e a primeira vista é esquisito os aliens poderem usar armas, mas aos poucos você se acostuma com a ideia. Toda a ambientação, o som no geral e os efeitos sonoros, tudo parece que é perfeitamente dosado e no ponto para estabelecer essa experiência de suspense e tensão nas missões, e pode se preparar para sofrer nas últimas missões do jogo que quando chega os tais alienígenas "greys" que mencionei antes, é que o jogo fica desafiador de verdade.
Enfim, que temática e abordagem daora a desse jogo, tão diferente do habitual que torna esse game tão interessante e bom. É notável o porquê esse jogo é um dos queridinhos do PlayStation 2, com toda a tensão ideal e bem equilibrada com um tom perfeito de suspense que, mesmo sendo um jogo focado em um "First Person Shooter" (tiro em primeira pessoa) de ação que do meio para lá ele realmente assume esse papel de ser algo levado mais para ação, mesmo assim, ele ainda consegue sustentar bem uma ambientação no início bem levada ao horror dessa temática alienígena com vários momentos bem brutais e tensos dentro dessa trama que eu não lembrava que era desse jeito, com cabeças a todo momento sendo decepadas por esses alienígenas e uma trama que não para nem por um segundo, que por isso, é um jogo que, na minha visão, ainda consta como algo genuinamente divertido que não envelheceu mal de forma alguma e recomendaria demais se tivesse em alguma loja para comprar, o que é uma pena que não tem mais, só podendo achá-lo para jogar nesses sites de jogos abandonware por aí pela internet.
Basicamente, dando um resumo geral, tudo gira em torno desse vírus alienígena maluco que ficou fora de controle dentro desse lugar secreto do governo que é a Área 51, e cabe ao seu esquadrão resolver esse problema de forma sigilosa, neutralizando se possível (porque o caso é sério) o problema e salvando um grupo anterior de soldados que foram antes de você, mas não responderam mais o rádio. Não sei se foi de fato inspirado, mas esse game tem uma pegada bem "Doom 3" em suas mecânicas e em ambientação, e a primeira vista é esquisito os aliens poderem usar armas, mas aos poucos você se acostuma com a ideia. Toda a ambientação, o som no geral e os efeitos sonoros, tudo parece que é perfeitamente dosado e no ponto para estabelecer essa experiência de suspense e tensão nas missões, e pode se preparar para sofrer nas últimas missões do jogo que quando chega os tais alienígenas "greys" que mencionei antes, é que o jogo fica desafiador de verdade.
Enfim, que temática e abordagem daora a desse jogo, tão diferente do habitual que torna esse game tão interessante e bom. É notável o porquê esse jogo é um dos queridinhos do PlayStation 2, com toda a tensão ideal e bem equilibrada com um tom perfeito de suspense que, mesmo sendo um jogo focado em um "First Person Shooter" (tiro em primeira pessoa) de ação que do meio para lá ele realmente assume esse papel de ser algo levado mais para ação, mesmo assim, ele ainda consegue sustentar bem uma ambientação no início bem levada ao horror dessa temática alienígena com vários momentos bem brutais e tensos dentro dessa trama que eu não lembrava que era desse jeito, com cabeças a todo momento sendo decepadas por esses alienígenas e uma trama que não para nem por um segundo, que por isso, é um jogo que, na minha visão, ainda consta como algo genuinamente divertido que não envelheceu mal de forma alguma e recomendaria demais se tivesse em alguma loja para comprar, o que é uma pena que não tem mais, só podendo achá-lo para jogar nesses sites de jogos abandonware por aí pela internet.
Very fun fps action to be had to be had here and I enjoyed the narrative. Voice acting ain't to shabby either. Decent game with cool elements such as the mutation form. Gunplay is inspired by Halo but not too hard. Firing from the hip is still a thing but you can aim down sights as well with certain weapons. Its a short romp but a sweet one.
A somewhat pedestrian FPS from the PS2 era, what really elevates this game so much for me was the voice acting cast. You have David Duchovny as the main character, which is awesome as I'm a huge X-Files fan and he seemed to fit in so well in this alien game. You also had Marilyn Manson, Powers Boothe, and even Nolan North was in the mix. It's just a big nostalgic kettle mixed with all sorts of fun ingredients.
Eu só joguei pelo modo versus q era um pouco legal mas fora isso era só mais um jogo fps igual vários outros do ps2.
>> Prós
- MULTIPLAYER : Jogar um versus no multiplayer é bem divertido, pelo menos nas primeiras horas.
• JOGABILIDADE : Fácil de aprender.
>> Contras
• HISTÓRIA : Slá, mt genérico.
>> Prós
- MULTIPLAYER : Jogar um versus no multiplayer é bem divertido, pelo menos nas primeiras horas.
• JOGABILIDADE : Fácil de aprender.
>> Contras
• HISTÓRIA : Slá, mt genérico.
Took me like 15 years to finish this on account that this was my brother's copy. I remember at the time I thought this game was really scary but playing it now it seems like that aspect only stemmed because of the beginning sequence of the game. game comes with as much gimmicks as it has QOL I didn't anticipate for a FPS released in 2005 such as your online profile settings and button layout being tied to your profile/save as opposed to one overall setting for all saves. the story definitely lends itself to the mysterious aspect of Area 51 but it ends up keeping itself a bit too vague and simple for me to keep an interest as the game progresses. I'm surprised the U.S Air Force sponsored and gave a game that plays around with as many conspiracies as it can fill for free to download.
Some famous voice actors, interesting plot
really fun until the final section, where encounter design is frustrating and there's too little ammo. really reminded me of FEAR.
A decent FPS. Some cool visuals for 2005, I vaguely remember not finishing this one on PS2. But you can absolutely pick this up for free on PC with the decent amount of effort put into restore it. It's a 6 hour sci-fi military B movie romp and it's pretty fun. Nothing super memorable, but fun!
xd
Only played multiplayer with Cody. It was a LOT of fun, but it's probably not actually a very good game.
Idk why i played it as a kid
Game scared the shit out of me when I was younger, want to revisit it someday to see if it holds up. Doubt it does though. 6/10
This review contains spoilers
This is a great example of a shooter game which functions really well, but then there's not really much going for it other than just routine elements like ragdoll physics and blasting away mutant creatures and so on. Midway was a company that really got into making strange games during the 6th generation of video games, and this was kind of an example of that in action.
Really, the strange elements comes from how this game handles a plot which deals directly with conspiracy theories and about aliens somehow coming down to inhabit Earth and contaminating human beings with mutagen which turns them into monsters. Of which there's also a plot-twist where all of our main character Ethan Cole's crew is picked off one-by-one by the creatures, and Ethan barely makes it out alive before plummeting down an elevator shaft and in a semi-conscious state gets bitten by one of the mutants - altering his body chemistry into this strange hybrid who can transform from a human being into a mutant creature at will (really to add something more to the gameplay).
The rest of this game is bizarre but playable, and I think I just got a kick out of the amount of times it adds more conspiracies after conspiracies - like with a visual gag where you discover that they faked the moon-landing, or that there actually are little grey creatures which are secretly plotting to take over the world and so on. The cover art to this game has become such a meme that people don't even know that it's from this game. Marilyn Manson also appears as the voice of the alien leader Edgar, and in general the voice-acting is decent for the most part (although David Duchovoney kind of phones it in as the lead character Ethan Cole).
I'm pretty sure this game was free-ware for the longest time as well (at least the PC version) was, and it's definitely worth playing as a curiosities sake. Deus Ex was also a much better game centred around conspiracies and did what this game was trying to do a lot better.
Really, the strange elements comes from how this game handles a plot which deals directly with conspiracy theories and about aliens somehow coming down to inhabit Earth and contaminating human beings with mutagen which turns them into monsters. Of which there's also a plot-twist where all of our main character Ethan Cole's crew is picked off one-by-one by the creatures, and Ethan barely makes it out alive before plummeting down an elevator shaft and in a semi-conscious state gets bitten by one of the mutants - altering his body chemistry into this strange hybrid who can transform from a human being into a mutant creature at will (really to add something more to the gameplay).
The rest of this game is bizarre but playable, and I think I just got a kick out of the amount of times it adds more conspiracies after conspiracies - like with a visual gag where you discover that they faked the moon-landing, or that there actually are little grey creatures which are secretly plotting to take over the world and so on. The cover art to this game has become such a meme that people don't even know that it's from this game. Marilyn Manson also appears as the voice of the alien leader Edgar, and in general the voice-acting is decent for the most part (although David Duchovoney kind of phones it in as the lead character Ethan Cole).
I'm pretty sure this game was free-ware for the longest time as well (at least the PC version) was, and it's definitely worth playing as a curiosities sake. Deus Ex was also a much better game centred around conspiracies and did what this game was trying to do a lot better.
Eu não sabia ligar a lanterna quando eu era criança, então zerei tudo no escuro, foi perturbador.
A bland, run-of-the mill FPS even with the addition of mutant powers. You don’t even see any actual aliens until the final level.
Conspiracy: The Game
Area 51's an interesting one, the story isn't anything spectacular but it is pretty entertaining. With the obvious namesake conspiracy aside, it follows up with some other fun conspiracies in a pretty amusing way. The game definitely starts stronger than it finishes, with things in the beginning being almost horror-esque as you fight these strange alien creatures before it devolves into more plain gunfights vs. enemies with guns. Said gunfights just kind of suck, the shooting enemies can just erase you pretty quickly and fights with large amounts of them can get painful, fast. There's a few boss fights that are, oddly enough, easier than regular combat, and for the most part, unremarkable. The level design is generally pretty good, and it gets especially neat towards the final few levels. I'd be remiss not to touch on the voice acting. David Duchovny voices the main character and does a pretty solid job, he sells the part well. Of course, one of the "highlights" is Marilyn Manson voicing the main alien in the game, he uh, he certainly tries, I can say that much. Overall, I got a few kicks out of playing through it with some of the conspiracy nods, which made up for the relatively average gameplay and some of the more minor gripes I had with the game. Not terrible, not great, but I don't regret playing it.
Area 51's an interesting one, the story isn't anything spectacular but it is pretty entertaining. With the obvious namesake conspiracy aside, it follows up with some other fun conspiracies in a pretty amusing way. The game definitely starts stronger than it finishes, with things in the beginning being almost horror-esque as you fight these strange alien creatures before it devolves into more plain gunfights vs. enemies with guns. Said gunfights just kind of suck, the shooting enemies can just erase you pretty quickly and fights with large amounts of them can get painful, fast. There's a few boss fights that are, oddly enough, easier than regular combat, and for the most part, unremarkable. The level design is generally pretty good, and it gets especially neat towards the final few levels. I'd be remiss not to touch on the voice acting. David Duchovny voices the main character and does a pretty solid job, he sells the part well. Of course, one of the "highlights" is Marilyn Manson voicing the main alien in the game, he uh, he certainly tries, I can say that much. Overall, I got a few kicks out of playing through it with some of the conspiracy nods, which made up for the relatively average gameplay and some of the more minor gripes I had with the game. Not terrible, not great, but I don't regret playing it.
Por mais que tenha gostado no começo, fui perdendo o interesse com o tempo.
The best thing about this game is that it's free. Unlockable Illuminati video log entries is a close second.
It's a very standard mid-2000s FPS. That alone should tell you everything you need to know. The shooting feels okay, and the story, which should have been the best part, ends up being forgettable. Some celebrities have lent their voices to some of the characters, but that hardly makes the experience better.
At least you can beat it quickly, but there are better options out there.
It's a very standard mid-2000s FPS. That alone should tell you everything you need to know. The shooting feels okay, and the story, which should have been the best part, ends up being forgettable. Some celebrities have lent their voices to some of the characters, but that hardly makes the experience better.
At least you can beat it quickly, but there are better options out there.
this game rocked because i love firing guns into little green aliens
Os controles são beeeeem mais ou menos, mas o jogo é divertido
masterpiece, um dos melhores jogos de ps2.
Regretfully
This review contains spoilers
Area 51 is a mixed bag for me.
On some levels, I love the audacity it has. I like the ideas it plays with, the attempt of fleshing out a plot much bigger and overwhelming than your character's own role in the story; but on many other levels, it's a merely ok FPS romp with some different variations that don't amount to much, at least for me.
This game is, bizarrely, freeware (see here: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Area_51_(2005)#cite_note-1).
In 2008 (that's the date as far as I can tell), the US Air Force sponsored three different Midway games as free downloads, those being "The Suffering: Ties That Bind", "Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War", and this. An...interesting choice of game to be sure.
Area 51 is intriguing in how far it delves into that alien and conspiracy spookiness, alongside little gameplay touches here and there are quite neat to see in an FPS. One of the biggest highlights for me was the ability to use a radioactive arm scanner to analyze objects, humans, corpses, yourself or even air in order to see what it is comprised of, or find information from secret dossiers or alien objects. It turns into sort of a collect-a-thon, trying to find where that hidden secret is in the levels you explore.
Initially the game has you travelling with your squad, engaging in firefights with extraterrestrials and journeying deep into the infamous government facility in order to rescue another group of soldiers trapped within. Eventually, you're left on your own to settle the matters at hand, uncovering a plot that's out of this world (badum tss). The weapons you use are some standard issue FPS stuff: pistols, smgs (that you can dual wield!), shotguns (that you can dual wield...that must hurt), and snipers. Several weapons have alternate fire modes, and there are alien and unique weapons to find throughout that vary in effectiveness but aren't too shabby. Your character also has the ability to lean and shoot, making it easier to get back behind cover after sending some suppressing fire or checking corners without being immediately seen.
The big gimmick of the game is that your character at a certain point can transform from human to mutated alien at will; the benefits of being in that form allow you to shoot homing attacks that replenish your health, but at the cost of your alien energy depleting. It also provides increased visibility of enemies and enhanced strength.
If I were to be honest, I used this ability as a last resort when ammo was low and health was in dire straits; I never really used it outside of that. It's a cool idea, but it doesn't really feel like it adds to the gameplay outside of plot necessity or a brief respite. I thought maybe it would be one of those things where if you use the alien form more you could get a different ending where you succumb to that form, or if you primarily use your human form you manage to withstand that fate...but there's only one ending that doesn't really elaborate on much. This aspect of your character is a missed opportunity that I feel should have been fleshed out. Despite the plot making it seem extremely urgent and vital that this soldier needs to find a cure, it mainly seems like a net benefit to have this form without much in the way of negative consequences, at least, not in terms of how the story goes along.
Speaking of, despite the grand spectacle of what this game presents through text and secret bonus content, the main story is delivered in a standard narration style featuring an extremely phoned in performance by David Duchovny (who seemed like a perfect fit for this game at first glance but alas), who seems bored out of his mind with this material. Marylin Manson sort of speaks his lines with what I assume is supposed to be a spooky, otherworldly tone, but feels quite wooden as well.
There are moments of pure 50s B movie camp that will definitely get those that are interested in such things into it, but these goofy, intriguing moments and the huge conspiracy stuff are delivered by gameplay that isn't too engaging and at times annoying.
There are a variety of enemy types, some more challenging than others (and some more stressful to deal with than others), and the difficulty of the game increases quite a bit near the second half, and you start to feel the length of the game...it begins to feel kind of padded out, sort of becoming a slog by consequence, and there could have been some areas that could be cut in favor of more memorable set pieces.
To elaborate, the environments, especially for the first half, aren't very memorable; mostly hallways and corridors, not very detailed, with the bigger rooms serving as firefights or areas of minor exploration...the graphics don't look the best either outside some neat initial cutscenes. The best part of the second half is the visuals, funnily enough, with more intriguing areas, but it's still not quite worth the buildup.
All in all, if I could give this game a 2.75/5, it would be more appropriate of a rating; it's not terrible, I liked its ideas, and it kept my attention, but it's held back on some levels, visuals and gameplay being the most dated aspects.
However, of interesting note is that it still sees preservation and modding in the form of Project Dreamland and most recently (12/13/21!) Area 51 Preservation Project which brings multiplayer back online (this latter mod I didn't try out because I beat this a month earlier). Since it's literally freeware in perpetuity, give it a try, mod it out and try out the multiplayer. There's fun to be had with this game, it's just a mixed bag overall.
On some levels, I love the audacity it has. I like the ideas it plays with, the attempt of fleshing out a plot much bigger and overwhelming than your character's own role in the story; but on many other levels, it's a merely ok FPS romp with some different variations that don't amount to much, at least for me.
This game is, bizarrely, freeware (see here: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Area_51_(2005)#cite_note-1).
In 2008 (that's the date as far as I can tell), the US Air Force sponsored three different Midway games as free downloads, those being "The Suffering: Ties That Bind", "Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War", and this. An...interesting choice of game to be sure.
Area 51 is intriguing in how far it delves into that alien and conspiracy spookiness, alongside little gameplay touches here and there are quite neat to see in an FPS. One of the biggest highlights for me was the ability to use a radioactive arm scanner to analyze objects, humans, corpses, yourself or even air in order to see what it is comprised of, or find information from secret dossiers or alien objects. It turns into sort of a collect-a-thon, trying to find where that hidden secret is in the levels you explore.
Initially the game has you travelling with your squad, engaging in firefights with extraterrestrials and journeying deep into the infamous government facility in order to rescue another group of soldiers trapped within. Eventually, you're left on your own to settle the matters at hand, uncovering a plot that's out of this world (badum tss). The weapons you use are some standard issue FPS stuff: pistols, smgs (that you can dual wield!), shotguns (that you can dual wield...that must hurt), and snipers. Several weapons have alternate fire modes, and there are alien and unique weapons to find throughout that vary in effectiveness but aren't too shabby. Your character also has the ability to lean and shoot, making it easier to get back behind cover after sending some suppressing fire or checking corners without being immediately seen.
The big gimmick of the game is that your character at a certain point can transform from human to mutated alien at will; the benefits of being in that form allow you to shoot homing attacks that replenish your health, but at the cost of your alien energy depleting. It also provides increased visibility of enemies and enhanced strength.
If I were to be honest, I used this ability as a last resort when ammo was low and health was in dire straits; I never really used it outside of that. It's a cool idea, but it doesn't really feel like it adds to the gameplay outside of plot necessity or a brief respite. I thought maybe it would be one of those things where if you use the alien form more you could get a different ending where you succumb to that form, or if you primarily use your human form you manage to withstand that fate...but there's only one ending that doesn't really elaborate on much. This aspect of your character is a missed opportunity that I feel should have been fleshed out. Despite the plot making it seem extremely urgent and vital that this soldier needs to find a cure, it mainly seems like a net benefit to have this form without much in the way of negative consequences, at least, not in terms of how the story goes along.
Speaking of, despite the grand spectacle of what this game presents through text and secret bonus content, the main story is delivered in a standard narration style featuring an extremely phoned in performance by David Duchovny (who seemed like a perfect fit for this game at first glance but alas), who seems bored out of his mind with this material. Marylin Manson sort of speaks his lines with what I assume is supposed to be a spooky, otherworldly tone, but feels quite wooden as well.
There are moments of pure 50s B movie camp that will definitely get those that are interested in such things into it, but these goofy, intriguing moments and the huge conspiracy stuff are delivered by gameplay that isn't too engaging and at times annoying.
There are a variety of enemy types, some more challenging than others (and some more stressful to deal with than others), and the difficulty of the game increases quite a bit near the second half, and you start to feel the length of the game...it begins to feel kind of padded out, sort of becoming a slog by consequence, and there could have been some areas that could be cut in favor of more memorable set pieces.
To elaborate, the environments, especially for the first half, aren't very memorable; mostly hallways and corridors, not very detailed, with the bigger rooms serving as firefights or areas of minor exploration...the graphics don't look the best either outside some neat initial cutscenes. The best part of the second half is the visuals, funnily enough, with more intriguing areas, but it's still not quite worth the buildup.
All in all, if I could give this game a 2.75/5, it would be more appropriate of a rating; it's not terrible, I liked its ideas, and it kept my attention, but it's held back on some levels, visuals and gameplay being the most dated aspects.
However, of interesting note is that it still sees preservation and modding in the form of Project Dreamland and most recently (12/13/21!) Area 51 Preservation Project which brings multiplayer back online (this latter mod I didn't try out because I beat this a month earlier). Since it's literally freeware in perpetuity, give it a try, mod it out and try out the multiplayer. There's fun to be had with this game, it's just a mixed bag overall.
This is some real comfy PS2 era shooter stuff right here. Needless celebrity voice cameos, and over written storylines. It's a real hoot.
Man, this game is really unlike any other FPS. I remember I used to play this game a lot as a kid because I was so obsessed with the idea of shooting up Area 51 and the aliens with it AND using mutant powers. It was like a power fetish come true. Almost two decades later and this game still satisfied that itch with the impeccable game design and world building.
Area 51 was probably one of the last few FPS games where they still kept that old school FPS vibe but with more modern shooter mechanics like unleashing your mutant side as a special ability and interacting with environments with your scanning device which amazingly does a good job at revealing some in-game lore. It felt like a Half-Life clone in the best way possible essentially.
The levels you progress through are so well fleshed out and cleverly designed. You'll have your shoot outs with mutants and alien soldiers and then you'll have some breather moments after battle just taking in some lore or do some small but quick battles before a more strenuous one comes. The game does a good job ramping up the difficulty as you progress through the game. It rarely feels like its plateauing.
Of course despite it feeling like a perfect game, it is in no way a perfect game as there are some flaws that distract me a little too much at times. The biggest suspect is the aiming/shooting of this game. Whilst I love the combat and the arsenal you have at your disposal, the aiming feels slippery even when you lower the sensitivity and when you get shot at the screen shakes too much that it becomes disorienting making it a bit of an eyesore to aim at enemies. Thankfully it wasn't game breaking for me, but it's definitely a sign of poorly aged game design. Besides, this was when console FPS games were still trying to advance the Halo formula, so I'm willing to forgive.
Another annoying flaw about this game is the voice acting, more specifically Marilyn Manson's voice acting. If you weren't aware, Area 51 has a star studded cast like David Duchovny and Powers Booth... and unfortunately Marilyn Manson. I think Midway casted Marilyn Manson just because he was hip, cool, and freaky at the time because his voice acting gave me second hand embarrassment. I know you could play the VA director for that, but honestly Manson doesn't really have an intimidatingly unique voice that others at the time thought he would have. He just sounds wimpy and pathetic in the game. David and Powers on the other hand did a very good job for some of their first time doing VA in a video game, especially David. His voice has a bit of existential dread and misery that even with campy writing still comes out great. Both David and Powers pretty much made up for Mansons slack thankfully.
I'll be real though, the story in this game is... not that great. It's not bad, but it starts to fall flat pretty quick. I'm not really sure who was the enemy or was the ally in the grand scheme of things. Like sure I'm killing aliens but I also got helped by one of the aliens??? The premise I think just got a little too much attention compared to the entirety of the game.
Even nearly 20 years later I'm VERY pleasantly surprised by how well the design for this game has aged, but then again I also acknowledge that modern FPS design has been very lethargic and simplified minus a few games here and there compared to the stuff that came out pretty much before the seventh gen of gaming. Still, with that being said I genuinely believe that if a game with the same design as Area 51 came out it would either do very well in sales or at the very minimum be a cult classic like Area 51 is. I still cannot get over the scanning device. Its such a clever innovative and immersive way to get some in-game lore without it being force fed to you. I highly encourage the viewers to scan everything you can in sight, even yourself. You'll never know what you'll discover.
I very VERY much recommend this game to the following:
-FPS fans. Trust me when I saw you will be charmed and seduced by the mechanics this game has. Let yourself adjust to the controls and eventually you'll have yourself a grand time.
-Doom and Half-Life fans. I know I just mentioned FPS fans, but playing this game as if it's like Doom where you're constantly moving around (assuming there are no snipers in the area) makes it really effective during intense combat. Half-Life because you will be forced to do some light puzzle solving and platforming which will require you to be creative with how you examine the map. Basically, you need to think in this FPS more than usual.
-Sci-Fi fans. Obviously Area 51 is a sci-fi game, but there's a lot of fun references to both grounded conspiracy theories as well as fantastical conspiracy theories mixed with the alien warfare and mutants you face.
Area 51 was probably one of the last few FPS games where they still kept that old school FPS vibe but with more modern shooter mechanics like unleashing your mutant side as a special ability and interacting with environments with your scanning device which amazingly does a good job at revealing some in-game lore. It felt like a Half-Life clone in the best way possible essentially.
The levels you progress through are so well fleshed out and cleverly designed. You'll have your shoot outs with mutants and alien soldiers and then you'll have some breather moments after battle just taking in some lore or do some small but quick battles before a more strenuous one comes. The game does a good job ramping up the difficulty as you progress through the game. It rarely feels like its plateauing.
Of course despite it feeling like a perfect game, it is in no way a perfect game as there are some flaws that distract me a little too much at times. The biggest suspect is the aiming/shooting of this game. Whilst I love the combat and the arsenal you have at your disposal, the aiming feels slippery even when you lower the sensitivity and when you get shot at the screen shakes too much that it becomes disorienting making it a bit of an eyesore to aim at enemies. Thankfully it wasn't game breaking for me, but it's definitely a sign of poorly aged game design. Besides, this was when console FPS games were still trying to advance the Halo formula, so I'm willing to forgive.
Another annoying flaw about this game is the voice acting, more specifically Marilyn Manson's voice acting. If you weren't aware, Area 51 has a star studded cast like David Duchovny and Powers Booth... and unfortunately Marilyn Manson. I think Midway casted Marilyn Manson just because he was hip, cool, and freaky at the time because his voice acting gave me second hand embarrassment. I know you could play the VA director for that, but honestly Manson doesn't really have an intimidatingly unique voice that others at the time thought he would have. He just sounds wimpy and pathetic in the game. David and Powers on the other hand did a very good job for some of their first time doing VA in a video game, especially David. His voice has a bit of existential dread and misery that even with campy writing still comes out great. Both David and Powers pretty much made up for Mansons slack thankfully.
I'll be real though, the story in this game is... not that great. It's not bad, but it starts to fall flat pretty quick. I'm not really sure who was the enemy or was the ally in the grand scheme of things. Like sure I'm killing aliens but I also got helped by one of the aliens??? The premise I think just got a little too much attention compared to the entirety of the game.
Even nearly 20 years later I'm VERY pleasantly surprised by how well the design for this game has aged, but then again I also acknowledge that modern FPS design has been very lethargic and simplified minus a few games here and there compared to the stuff that came out pretty much before the seventh gen of gaming. Still, with that being said I genuinely believe that if a game with the same design as Area 51 came out it would either do very well in sales or at the very minimum be a cult classic like Area 51 is. I still cannot get over the scanning device. Its such a clever innovative and immersive way to get some in-game lore without it being force fed to you. I highly encourage the viewers to scan everything you can in sight, even yourself. You'll never know what you'll discover.
I very VERY much recommend this game to the following:
-FPS fans. Trust me when I saw you will be charmed and seduced by the mechanics this game has. Let yourself adjust to the controls and eventually you'll have yourself a grand time.
-Doom and Half-Life fans. I know I just mentioned FPS fans, but playing this game as if it's like Doom where you're constantly moving around (assuming there are no snipers in the area) makes it really effective during intense combat. Half-Life because you will be forced to do some light puzzle solving and platforming which will require you to be creative with how you examine the map. Basically, you need to think in this FPS more than usual.
-Sci-Fi fans. Obviously Area 51 is a sci-fi game, but there's a lot of fun references to both grounded conspiracy theories as well as fantastical conspiracy theories mixed with the alien warfare and mutants you face.