ALIEN GIRL
Author:
Javier Fopiani
Publisher:
Bitmapsoft
Memory: 48K/128K Price: £2 digital, £25 physical
Released: 2020
The influence of the Alien movie franchise on popular culture is fathomless. With copycat movies, video games and books, there is simply no halt on creators being affected by this seminal Sci-Fi series. The Spectrum is no different in featuring these Alien-inspired survival horror games; in fact, CRASH reviewed Aliens: Neoplasma, awarding it an impressive 94%.
Keeping with the tone of the movies, the female protagonist that the player controls is called Ailiana, who is the first in a generation of hybrid beings comprising human and Xenoform DNA (safe copyright naming there).
She has her own agenda and wants to ascend the Xenoform throne on the planet Atlas. This will take her through four regions (only two in 48K mode) in her quest to destroy the matriarchal lineage.
The game is essentially a top-down shooter, where Ailana must blast her way through the Xenoforms and the dreaded eggs, trying to locate five smart bombs that will kill the queen on the particular level currently being played. It’s reminiscent of Gauntlet and Into the Eagle’s Nest, but with a much more industrial and grittier feel to it. The aliens are ever-spawning and continue to crawl out of holes in the ground, posing a permanent threat to our heroine. They can all be shot, but energy and bullets are limited — both of which must be conserved wisely.
Like with many games of this nature, back-tracking is strongly featured due to multiple locked doors, and keycards somehow are always stored in some faraway location.
Once all of the bombs are gathered, the throne room can then be accessed, which activates a timer in which Ailiana must dash to the start of the level before the clock runs out. Only then can she progress to the next level.
CRITICISM
• Alien Girl is one very well-presented game and is worthy of being an officially licensed tie-in. Each of
the levels varies enough in layout and design that it does not feel repetitive. In fact, the final stage isn’t even top-down — it’s sideon. From the outset, it may seem a difficult challenge, as you may feel like a trigger-happy marine and shoot without care.
This ends up in bullet depletion, and you don’t get very far. With a little practise and patience, you’ll be positioning yourself for the correct angle of attack and tip-toeing around those acid pools of blood. The graphics are all nicely detailed (perhaps not overly animated), with the different levels all having their own unique look, with little repeating assets from previous areas. To add a cherry on top of this, the game is accompanied by a blistering soundtrack. We have an all-rounder here.
Gordon King
CRITICISM
• It’s nice to finally see some outstanding Alien games being released, as the franchise has had a somewhat chequered past in terms of quality. The Spectrum now has several fantastic games under the Alien banner — Alien Girl being the most recent. In my opinion, a cross of the Spectrum’s Gauntlet and Alien Breed on the Amiga, Alien Girl, oozes atmosphere, with detailed graphics and some fantastic AY music. The hours will tick by as you play this game!
Chris Wilkins