Alien Rage

Last updated

Alien Rage
Alien Rage cover.jpg
Developer(s) CI Games
Publisher(s) CI Games
Engine Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Release
  • Microsoft Windows
  • 24 September 2013
  • Xbox 360
  • 18 October 2013
  • PlayStation 3
  • 21 October 2013
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Alien Rage is a 2013 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 (through Xbox Live Arcade), and PlayStation 3 (through PlayStation Network) developed by CI Games, then known as City Interactive, using Unreal Engine 3. The game has single-player and competitive multiplayer modes. In its single player campaign, players are put in control of an elite soldier named Jack which is sent to destroy a mining facility and its aliens after they turned against and killed the humans that they had shared the facility with.

Contents

Announced as Alien Fear in April 2012, the game was renamed in May of the following year. It was released on 24 September 2013 for Windows, 18 October 2013 for the Xbox 360, and 21 October 2013 for the PlayStation 3. Alien Rage was met with mixed reviews upon release, with critics viewing the game as generic and prone to major glitches.

Gameplay

Alien Rage is a first-person shooter, in which players fight through several linear levels, killing a variety of aliens. At the end of every few levels, players fight a larger alien in a boss fight. Players score points by killing a large number of aliens in a short period of time, or by killing them in special ways, such as by using explosions or shooting them in the head. These points can be used to upgrade the player character, for example by boosting his resistance to damage or by increasing the amount of ammunition that he is able to carry. Players are able to carry two weapons at a time, and also have a pistol with unlimited ammunition. The player character can use both human- and alien-manufactured weapons in the game, and alien weapons use a cool-down period instead of having to reload. Weapons in the game include assault rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, and miniguns. [1] [2] [3] The game is intentionally difficult; its easiest difficulty level is called "challenging", and the next easiest difficulty level is called "hard". [3]

The game also offers competitive multiplayer. There are two modes – deathmatch and team deathmatch – and a small number of maps. [4] Cooperative gameplay, which was mentioned in the game's initial announcement, did not make it into the final game. [5]

Plot

Alien Rage takes place on an asteroid which humans and an alien species known as Vorus were jointly mining for Promethium, a highly efficient but extremely dangerous source of energy. After the Vorus turn on the humans and wipe the miners out for violating the agreement of not weaponizing Promethium as planet-cracking weapon, Jack, the player character, is sent to the mining facility to kill the aliens and destroy the facility. [1] [2]

Development

Alien Rage was first announced in early April 2012, under the name Alien Fear. The game was to be developed using Unreal Engine 3 by City Interactive's Bydgoszcz Studio, and would have a cooperative gameplay (co-op) mode. [6] The first screenshots from the game were released two months later, in June 2012. [7] In May 2013 the game's name was changed to Alien Rage, and two months later it was announced that the game would be released on the personal computer, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 on 24 September 2013. [8] [9] The game was eventually released on 24 September 2013 for Windows, 18 October 2013 for the Xbox 360, and 21 October 2013 for the PlayStation 3, with and ESRB rating of Mature. [10] [11] [12]

Reception

Alien Rage received average to poor reviews upon release. At Metacritic, a video game review aggregator, the Windows version of the game received an average score of 52 out of 100, based on 27 reviews, while the Xbox 360 version revived a score of 46, based on 10 reviews. [16] [17] [B]

The game was heavily criticized for its lack of originality. [3] [4] [18] [20] Daniel Shannon of GameSpot remarked that "If you have played a first-person shooter made in the last 10 years, then you have already experienced most of what Alien Rage has to offer.", and continued that "You've seen these weapons before, and you've shot these enemies before". [4] Reviewers especially took issue with the lack of creativity in level design, which Destructoid's Jim Sterling called "tedious corridors full of identical, monotonous, brainless combat encounters". [18] Hardcore Gamer's Nikola Suprak commented that several of the levels he played through were visually indistinct from one another, before saying that "level after level of redundant action and repetitive encounters ultimately drag the game down". [20] Critics also noted that the game had a number of technical issues. Sterling ran into two situations where glitches would not allow him to progress without restarting the level, [18] while Sam Turner of The Digital Fix experienced dramatic drops in frame rate during gameplay, and crashed to desktop several times. [5]

The game's multiplayer experience was received better than its single player campaign. Writing for Gaming Nexus, Jeff Kintner said that the "multiplayer is fun, if a bit repetitive". While Kintner expressed a desire for additional, objective-based, types of multiplayer, he praised the team deathmatch mode's intensity. [2] GameSpot's Daniel Shannon also commented on the limited number of multiplayer options, but went on to say that "For what it's worth, the action is fast-paced, and the maps are well designed for a balanced multiplayer experience." [4]

Notes

^A GameRankings tracks ratings for each platform separately. This rating is based on only one review, and therefore is not an aggregate score.
^B Metacritic tracks ratings for each platform separately, and does not assign aggregate scores for a platform until it receives at least four reviews specific to that platform. As Metacritic only lists one review for the PlayStation version, it has not issued an aggregate scores for that platform.

Related Research Articles

<i>Duke Nukem 3D</i> 1996 first-person shooter video game

Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter video game developed by 3D Realms. It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II, published by 3D Realms.

<i>Quake 4</i> 2005 video game

Quake 4 is a 2005 first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It is the fourth title in the Quake series, after the multiplayer Quake III Arena, and a sequel to Quake II. Raven Software collaborated with id Software, who supervised the development of the game as well as provided the id Tech 4 engine upon which it was built. The game has an increased emphasis on single-player gameplay compared to previous installments; its multiplayer mode does not support playable bots.

<i>Castle Crashers</i> 2008 2D hack-and-slash video game developed by The Behemoth

Castle Crashers is a 2D side-scrolling hack-and-slash video game developed by The Behemoth. The Xbox 360 version was released on August 27, 2008, via Xbox Live Arcade as part of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. The PlayStation 3 version was released in North America on August 31, 2010, and November 3, 2010, in Europe via the PlayStation Network. A Microsoft Windows version, exclusive to Steam, was released on September 26, 2012. The game is set in a fictional medieval universe in which a dark wizard steals a mystical crystal and captures four princesses. Four knights are charged by the king to rescue the princesses, recover the crystal, and bring the wizard to justice. The game includes music created by members of Newgrounds.

<i>Rage</i> (video game) 2011 video game

Rage is a first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, released in October 2011 for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360, and in February 2012 for OS X. It was first shown as a tech demo at the 2007 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference and was announced at the QuakeCon. Rage uses id Software's id Tech 5 game engine and is the final game released by the company under the supervision of founder John Carmack.

<i>Crysis 2</i> 2011 video game

Crysis 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek, published by Electronic Arts and released in North America, Australia and Europe in March 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Officially announced on June 1, 2009, the game is the second main installment of the Crysis series, and a sequel to the 2007 video game Crysis, and its expansion Crysis Warhead. The story was written by Richard Morgan, while Peter Watts was consulted and wrote a novel adaptation of the game. It was the first game to showcase the CryEngine 3 game engine and the first game using the engine to be released on consoles. A sequel, Crysis 3, was released in 2013. A remastered version, titled Crysis 2 Remastered and following in the steps of Crysis Remastered, was released in 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, also bundled as part of the Crysis Remastered Trilogy compilation.

<i>Crysis 3</i> 2013 video game

Crysis 3 is a 2013 first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek and published by Electronic Arts. It is the third installment in the Crysis series, and a sequel to the 2011 video game Crysis 2. The multiplayer portion of the game was developed by Crytek UK. Crysis 3's story, which serves to end the Crysis trilogy, revolves around a Nanosuit holder named Prophet and his quest for revenge against the Alpha Ceph, the leader of the Ceph alien race. Gameplay revolves around the use of the Nanosuit, which grants players a variety of abilities such as invisibility. New features introduced in Crysis 3 include a new Nanosuit ability called "Rip & Throw", a compound bow and hacking, which allows players to hack into enemies' equipment, drones, and security defenses.

<i>Star Trek DAC</i> 2009 video game

Star Trek D·A·C is a video game inspired by the 2009 Star Trek movie, developed by Naked Sky Entertainment in collaboration with Bad Robot. The title is derived from the game's three modes of play: Deathmatch, Assault, and Conquest. The game was released for the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Arcade on May 13, 2009, for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows in November 2009, and for Mac OS X on December 21, 2009.

<i>Section 8: Prejudice</i> 2011 video game

Section 8: Prejudice is a science fiction, first-person shooter video game developed by TimeGate Studios. It is the direct sequel to the 2009 game Section 8. Unlike its predecessor, Prejudice is a digital download-only title that contains more content than the previous game. It was released for Xbox 360 on April 20, 2011, for Microsoft Windows May 4, 2011, and for PlayStation 3 in North America on July 26, 2011, and in the PAL region on August 3, 2011

<i>Grand Theft Auto V</i> 2013 video game

Grand Theft Auto V is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV, and the fifteenth instalment overall. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California, the single-player story follows three protagonists—retired bank robber Michael De Santa, street gangster Franklin Clinton, and drug dealer and gunrunner Trevor Philips, and their attempts to commit heists while under pressure from a corrupt government agency and powerful criminals. Players freely roam San Andreas's open world countryside and fictional city of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles.

<i>Worms Ultimate Mayhem</i> 2011 video game

Worms Ultimate Mayhem is a 3D artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17. The game is a re-release of Worms 4: Mayhem with improved graphics. It features all-new content, story mode voice acting by Guy Harris, and other gameplay fixes such as reworked camera controls. The game features turn-based gameplay, a single-player campaign, and both local and online multiplayer. While primarily based on Worms 4: Mayhem, Ultimate Mayhem also includes content from Worms 3D, with its campaign and multiplayer maps included in the game.

<i>Cobalt</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Cobalt is an action side-scrolling video game developed by Oxeye Game Studio and published by Mojang Studios. It was released on 2 February 2016 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and the Xbox One consoles.

<i>Need for Speed: Most Wanted</i> (2012 video game) 2012 open world racing video game

Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a 2012 racing game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. Most Wanted is the nineteenth title in the Need for Speed series and was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, iOS and Android, beginning in North America in 2012. A Wii U version, under the title Need for Speed: Most Wanted U, was released in 2013. Like its predecessor, the 2010 Hot Pursuit title, the game is a revival of the original 2005 Most Wanted title.

<i>Painkiller: Hell & Damnation</i> 2012 first-person shooter video game

Painkiller: Hell & Damnation is a first-person shooter video game, both a remake of and a sequel to Painkiller, developed by The Farm 51 and published by Nordic Games. The game was released on October 31, 2012, for Microsoft Windows and for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on June 28, 2013, in Europe after suffering multiple delays. It was released in North America for Xbox 360 through Xbox Live on October 1, 2013, and for PlayStation 3 through the PlayStation Store on November 26, 2013.

<i>Happy Wars</i> 2012 tactical role-playing video game

Happy Wars is a free-to-play tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Toylogic. It was originally released for the Xbox 360 on October 12, 2012 on the Xbox Live Arcade as its first free-to-play title, and additionally for Microsoft Windows on May 28, 2014, but availability on the online marketplaces of these platforms and service to these platforms has since been discontinued as of December 17, 2018. The Xbox One version was released on April 24, 2015, and is now the only platform the game can be played on.

<i>Hellraid</i> Video game

Hellraid was a video game in development by Techland. It was scheduled to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2015, but has been put on hold since then. A mobile spin-off titled Hellraid: The Escape was published in 2014.

<i>Tropico 5</i> 2014 video game

Tropico 5 is a construction and management simulation video game developed by Haemimont Games. It was released for Microsoft Windows in May 2014, with versions for Linux, OS X and Xbox 360 released later in 2014 as well as versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One released in April 2015 and May 2016 respectively.

<i>Deadfall Adventures</i> 2013 video game

Deadfall Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by The Farm 51 and published by Nordic Games. Deadfall Adventures was released on November 15, 2013, for Windows and Xbox 360, and on October 28, 2014, for PlayStation 3 under the name of Deadfall Adventures: Heart of Atlantis. The game is set in the universe of the Allan Quatermain series, created by H. Rider Haggard.

<i>Saints Row: The Third</i> downloadable content Downloadable content for a video game

Downloadable content for Saints Row: The Third was announced before the game's November 2011 release along with a commitment from publisher THQ to support 40 weeks of content. Among smaller upgrades, three main content packs were released: Genkibowl VII, Gangstas in Space, and The Trouble with Clones. Reviewers found all three packs short—around an hour in length—and considered The Trouble with Clones the best of the bunch.

<i>Screamride</i> 2015 video game

Screamride is a construction simulator and a puzzle video game developed by Frontier Developments and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. The game was released worldwide in March 2015.

<i>Sword Coast Legends</i> 2015 video game

Sword Coast Legends is a 2015 action role-playing game. The game is set within the universe of Forgotten Realms, a campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons.

References

  1. 1 2 Lange, Cary (11 November 2013). "Review". Gaming Nexus. Gaming Nexus. Retrieved 6 March 2014.Review for Xbox 360 version
  2. 1 2 3 Kintner, Jeff (3 October 2013). "Review". Gaming Nexus. Gaming Nexus. Retrieved 6 March 2014.Review for Windows version
  3. 1 2 3 4 Stapleton, Dan (2 October 2013). "Alien Rage review". IGN. Ziff Davis Media . Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Shannon, Daniel (2 October 2013). "Alien Rage review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive . Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  5. 1 2 Turner, Sam. "Alien Rage". The Digital Fix. Poisonous Monkey Limited. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  6. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (3 April 2012). "Alien Fear announced for PSN and XBLA". VG247 . Videogaming 247 Ltd. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  7. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (8 June 2012). "Alien Fear screens show men in big suits fighting aliens". VG247. Videogaming 247 Ltd. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  8. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (18 May 2013). "City Interactive's Alien Fear has had its name changed to Alien Rage". VG247. Videogaming 247 Ltd. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  9. ↑ Cook, Dave (8 July 2013). "Alien Rage dated for PC & consoles, new trailer introduces story". VG247. Videogaming 247 Ltd. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  10. ↑ "Alien Rage - Unlimited". Steam. Valve. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Alien Rage". marketplace.xbox.com. Microsoft. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Alien Rage". us.playstation.com. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  13. ↑ "Alien Rage for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "Alien Rage for Xbox 360". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  15. ↑ "Alien Rage for PlayStation 3 - GameRankings". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Alien Rage for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  17. 1 2 "Alien Rage for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Jim, Sterling (25 September 2013). "Review: Alien Rage". Destructoid . Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  19. ↑ Lewis, Cameron (24 October 2013). "Alien Rage review". Official Xbox Magazine. Future Publishing . Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  20. 1 2 Suprak, Suprak (23 September 2013). "Review: Alien Rage". Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer, LLC. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.