Microcosm

Moby ID: 2098
SEGA CD Specs
Included in Special Edition See Also

Description official descriptions

In the year 2051, two mega corporations battle it out for supremacy over an overcrowded, overpolluted planet. CyberTech Industries, the dominant company on the planet, is being challenged by Axiom, who blames the former for their president's death. To gain revenge, they secretly inject CyberTech's president, Anton Korsby, with a virus that threatens to take over his body, and ultimately destroy himself and CyberTech. Your mission is to enter Korsby's body, destroy the virus, and defeat the organism that controls his brain.

Microcosm is a 3D action shooter that takes place entirely within the human body. The concept was inspired by the 1966 movie Fantastic Voyage. The player pilots his way through various parts of the anatomy, blasting virii and enemy ships while collecting power-ups and a faster, stronger craft. The goal of the game is to eventually reach the brain to stop Grey M, the entity that controls Korsby's body.

Microcosm makes heavy use of full-motion video and features high-resolution fractal graphics (to simulate the walls of veins and arteries), digital music, and sound effects.

Spellings

  • マイクロコズム - Japanese spelling

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Screenshots

Promos

Credits (SEGA CD version)

51 People (48 developers, 3 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 63% (based on 46 ratings)

Players

Average score: 2.4 out of 5 (based on 37 ratings with 0 reviews)

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Trivia

Fractal graphics

According to the game manual, Microcosm is the first PC game to make use of fractal graphics technology. However, it was not the first game to use fractal graphics technology. That honor goes to either Starflight or Captain Blood, depending on who you talk to.

Music

The music composer/performer Rick Wakeman was the keyboardist for the 1970's prog rock group Yes. Psygnosis has more ties with the band, as the covers of Shadow of the Beast and Agony were designed by Roger Dean, famed for his covers for Yes's albums.

Release history

Microcosm was initially developed on the Fujitsu FM-Towns, a Japanese Intel-based computer and console with custom chipsets. The game is the first part in a "trilogy" that comprises Scavenger 4 (a.k.a. Novastorm) and MegaMorph. The latter is unknown to most Western players. MegaMorph was indeed announced for the Amiga CD32 and FM-Towns; but after the demise of Commodore in 1994, the CD32 version was shelved and the game was only released in Japan.

Awards

  • Amiga Joker
    • Issue 02/1995 – #2 Readers' Special Award for 1994
  • Computer Gaming World
    • November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) –#3 Worst Back Story of All Time

Information also contributed by Kaminari, Robert Morgan and Sciere

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Related Games

Microcosm I
Released 1979 on TRS-80
Microcosm (Collector's Edition)
Released 1994 on DOS
Ultraverse Prime / Microcosm
Released 1994 on SEGA CD
Gerry the Germ / Microcosm
Released 1986 on Commodore 64

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Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 2098
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by brickbat.

3DO added by Corn Popper. Amiga CD32 added by Martin Smith. FM Towns added by Terok Nor. SEGA CD added by quizzley7.

Additional contributors: Patrick Bregger, Rik Hideto, Infernos.

Game added August 1, 2000. Last modified February 9, 2024.