Genesis

Alien³

I haven't had this much fun being frustrated in a long time. This game requires good reflexes, a sharp memory, and a cast iron stomach, cause if you don't rescue the hostages in time, they get chunked! Definitely a great action game you'll go back to over and over.

But in terms of pure gameplay this is far superior. Each stage is a maze of rooms connected by tubes and ladders. Your job is to rescue all the prisoners and exit before time runs out. You can switch between several weapons including a machine gun, flamethrower, grenade launcher and hand grenades. Each weapon is effective in certain situations, and the action is fast and exciting. The aliens look terrific, and I love how they scream and splatter when shot. I do have a few complaints however. First, it's never clear where the so-called "exit" is located, which can be frustrating. Next, there are times when the aliens seem impossible to avoid, so you'll take some mandatory hits. While the controls are decent overall, squatting down to fire low can be problematic. But these are minor issues. All in all, the fast pace and arcade style of Alien 3 makes the game hard to put down.

Overall, I really enjoyed this game. Yes, it's hard sometimes, but the audio and the atmosphere keep me coming back every once in a while. Alien 3 is just the kind of game that has you returning to it, even though it's not loaded with secrets to unlock. That's because it’s just so much fun to plug it in your machine and play it a little while just to blast some aliens into oblivion. Some gamers will find it too hard perhaps, but I think it's just the way the game has to be. Alien 3 can be had quite inexpensively, so grab one and enjoy the heart-pounding music while you search for the prisoners.

Definitely a solid action/platformer that fans of the movie or the genre shouldn't miss. Alien 3 marks another great title from Probe Entertainment, who have continually brought realism and believability to their games, especially in this Alien universe.