by BrianC - May 12, 2005

Most of you will likely remember Area 51 showing up in arcades and movie theaters across the land. Well it�s back, not as the light-gun based shooter we all once knew and loved, but rather as a first-person shooter that in almost no way resembles its ancestor. Midway has raised the bar by adding in a decent storyline as well as some recognizable voice actors to accompany the mutated human-villains we all will remember from the original Area 51 games.

It�s all fun and games until someone gets mutated

As the title indicates, the setting is in the famous military base titled Area 51 where many UFO�s and other alien-like technologies are housed near Roswell, New Mexico. Other than the many conspiracies believed to be covered up inside this facility, nothing too exciting would be found on a normal day. The game begins after a not so normal day. After entering the game as Specialist Ethan Cole, leader of Hazmat Team Bravo, you find out that there has been an outbreak of a virus within the confines of Area 51. Talking with military personnel onsite leads you diving head-first into battle shooting mutated humans and aliens alike.

The single-player campaign consists of you gunning through corridors and the occasional big room as groups of enemies jump out at you. The enemies consist of mutated scientists, Illuminati soldiers, and your everyday aliens. There are about 10 different weapons that you can pick up to assist you in slaying those bad-guys, ranging from a pistol to duel wielded shotguns to some pretty neat alien weaponry. One of the downfalls of the fight sequences is that they become repetitive; after a while it all becomes routine. One of the ways Midway has broken up the repetitiveness is by allowing secrets that you can unlock by scanning objects and dead/mutated bodies throughout the depths of Area 51. Some of the background info and some of the secrets that you can find within Area 51 also help to liven up the game a bit. Government conspiracies, like the faked lunar landing, scary aliens, and the celebrity voice actors like Marilyn Manson and Powers Booth also add a little zest to this first-person shooter.

There is also a multiplayer mode in which players can connect through the network adapter and have intense battles with up to 16 different players. Most of the maps are taken from within Area 51 so the scenery and terrain shouldn�t be too foreign if you have played the single player campaign. If you don�t have the network adapter don�t worry, you can have up to 4 players play via split screen. With the limited weapons and maps players will find themselves still craving more after experiencing the multiplayer mode of Area 51.

Area 51: it�s what they don�t want you to see

The graphics delivered in Area 51 are great for PS2 and great for a first-person shooter. The characters, though not developed with a lot of creativity, are fairly detailed and the mutants and aliens can be pretty scary from time to time. The corridors and rooms that you enter are pretty smooth as far as the pixels and frame rate are concerned even with the changes in lighting that happen. The graphics engine used in this game do wonders for making it more enjoyable on the eyes and an overall better experience while playing.

What was that noise?!

The musical score in Area 51 was produced and composed by Nine Inch Nails�s Chris Vrenna. The sounds are realistic across the board in this game. From rifle shots to foot steps Area 51 brings forth the noise of life�well life in a top secret government facility that has been overrun by mutated scientists and aliens. Any sci-fi fan will, without hesitation, recognize the voice of Ethan Cole (and narrator of the storyline) as David Duchovny. His creepy and paranoid �X-Files� voice adds to the anxiety that builds up as players become more engulfed in the gameplay. Other sounds that help create a frantic feeling are the sounds of scratchy radios blasting the hopeless cries of almost fallen scientists and soldiers.

Just like the old days, or is it?

One of the major downfalls of this game as a first-person shooter is the lack of weapons. With only about 6 actual guns and a few different types of grenades make for a game that doesn�t vary often throughout the course of events. The alien hardware that can be found within Area 51 is fun and most gamers should get a kick out of being able to shoot plasma from a gun. Mystery and conspiracy around every corner; Midway has livened up the gameplay significantly with increased storyline and by poking at different conspiracies that are floating around.

Plasmaguns = Plasmafactor

One of the major downfalls of this game as a first-person shooter is the lack of weapons. With only about 6 actual guns and a few different types of grenades make for a game that doesn�t vary often throughout the course of events. The alien hardware that can be found within Area 51 is fun and most gamers should get a kick out of being able to shoot plasma from a gun. Mystery and conspiracy around every corner; Midway has livened up the gameplay significantly with increased storyline and by poking at different conspiracies that are floating around.

Are you ready for the truth?

I know I am. Any first-person shooter fan will find this game enjoyable, even though most of the action they will find here they most likely have already experienced before. The single-player campaign shouldn�t take the average gamer more than half of a day to complete and the multiplayer modes only add for a few more days at most of playing. If you really love first-person shooters or are into government conspiracies and cover-ups than this is the game for you. Renting it before purchasing might be a good idea if you aren�t sure about Area 51, but I know that this game was not an entire waste and will stand fairly proud within my collection of PS2 games.