Genre: Action
Perspective: 1st-person
Gameplay: Shooter
Setting: Sci-Fi / Futuristic
Published by: Electronic Arts
Developed by: Advanced Technology Group
Released: 1994
Platforms: 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, PlayStation (PSX, PS1)
In-Game Codes
Press the P button to pause, and then press B, A, C, C, A, A, then press Stop to unpause. Then pause and enter the code:
B, A, B, X - Display Player's Name
B, A, C, A, C, A, X - Display Programmers Message
A, B, A, C, A, A, B, A, X - Invincibility
A, C, A, B, A, A, C, A, A, A, X - Smart Bombs
C, A, A, B, A, C, A, X - Super Lasers
C, A, A, B, A, X - Super Lasers
Description
The theme of the struggle of mankind with extraterrestrial invaders has long stirred the minds of writers-fiction writers. Extraterrestrials came from Mars, other planets of the Solar System appeared from other galaxies and even other dimensions. Fantastically, this theme was actively solicited with each new book, showing us strange, sometimes inaccessible images of alien invaders, presenting them in the metal (Misliks Francis Karsak), then in the form of a meat (Martians), or even simply in the form of unreal substances Is the Thinking Ocean Solaris Lema or aliens of other worlds of many other science fiction writers).
Technological progress did not stand still and the wars with aliens moved smoothly onto TV screens shocking viewers with monstrous images of the inhabitants of the Star Wars universe (Chui, Jah Jar Bins, Master Yoda, Lord Sith and many others) and then smoothly switched to gaming consoles (the legendary Galaxian ... add games) Console games gradually acquired new graphic details and story lines tied to the topic of intergalactic struggle. Cinematography did not lag behind the game industry, revealing to the world all new monsters (Alien, Predator, Independence Day, Through Horizon, Fifth Element).
It should be noted that this story line was very popular and certainly could not pass unnoticed past Electronic Arts and the newest then 3DO console which allowed to bring the genre games to a new, 3D level. EA wizards have made their understanding of the invasion and struggle with it, painted their own, such a real world and technologies of the future in a project with the loud name Shock Wave: Invasion Earth 2019.
Rethinking the fantastic material and bringing it to reality allows us to see the aliens in all their glory. Terrible and mighty (tripods, submarines, spiders, command centers) and at the same time light and maneuverable (scouts and interceptors), aliens quickly master air, land and water instilling fear and destroying everything in their path. Developers with fullness used the capabilities of 32-bit technologies to draw and give life to a unique civilization of aliens. Polygonal enemies with textures stretched on them look very spectacular (in the process of combat it is difficult to notice because enemies are so quick that they simply do not have time to consider them; however, if you look closely, you can see that the enemies are not drawn - the blur is very well traced). The aliens are endowed with a strong intellect, they do not rush to you alone, the earth covers the air and far from the cover the fighters and interceptors of the enemy will not depart, they are just as earthlings are not perfect and do not be surprised if suddenly a scout or interceptor leaving your fire unexpectedly collides with the building or fall under the fire of his own cover. The technique of aliens is also imperfect, for example, the tripods are slow and slow, and the enemy air forces are many times superior to the terrestrial in speed and maneuverability are much inferior in firepower and relatively vulnerable in comparison with fighter jets.
Resistance forces can not boast of such an abundance of ground and air equipment. The resistance is mainly in the air and its main force is the surviving F-177 experimental fighters. The developers did not invent the bicycle and equipped the fighters with a standard set of high-killer weapons such as laser cannons (2019 all the same) and self-guided missiles that so often fly to milk and homing they can be called with a stretch. And that's all! There is nothing else. Moreover, there is no variety of weapons and our ship is not very manoeuvrable and can only accelerate and slow down and fly spinning so fuel, weapons and shields end up and missiles are unrealistic for normal combat operations. Well, probably the coolest twist is the on-board computer that constantly informs you about the statistics of the fight and reassigns the goals (I must say that this computer needs to be listened to as a god, for the slightest deviations from the mission's goals can lead to the operating table and doctors assiduously saving your life (after each failure you Will show the video from the operating room).
Any military actions imply a strategic component without which Shock Wave did not. Without a carefully worked out strategy of eliminating enemies, without raising the question "How?" In a few minutes you will ask the question "Why did I die" because your resources are not infinite. The fuel of accelerators ends, the batteries of shields and lasers catastrophically quickly sit down and if you do not work out the destruction strategy you will not last even to the middle of the level. (To better understand what the survival strategy is, I will give an example: It is strategically important to destroy ground troops by laser cannons and air missiles (Otherwise even the recharge docks will not save you). However, if at levels 1 and 2 of enemy scouts (air) we destroy with missiles, then at level 3 there will be so many fighters and scouts that you will not miss enough even To cleanse the first checkpoint of aliens so weak, defenseless Scouts exterminating lasers and missiles cherish for quick and shifty fighter. Before I realized it took quite a few hours of playing time.
The beginning of the 90's in the gaming industry was closely related to the streaming video, which was very popular to use in games. Electronic Arts did not disregard this aspect. Throughout the game video clips reflect the milestones of the history of the fight against the invasion, and video inserts tell of current events on combat fronts. Video in Shock Wave a lot, about 20 minutes gave us the developers and need to say they tried to glory. Shock Wave video clips are one of the best quality that you can see on 3DO, acting at the level of Hollywood and all this is made for you by the players.
Graphics
A typical example of the cowardly reporter that we see in any American film.
Separately I would like to talk about the game world, gameplay and sound.
Developers give us pouchavstvovat in battles in different parts of the world. Here you and the sultry deserts of Africa and the jungles of Peru and the night Los Angeles and many other locations of our planet. In the booklet with the game we are assured that all locations were drawn on the basis of geographical and satellite data. Well, it's hard to check it out, but I think that there is no point for distrusting such a giant as Electronic Arts.
The developers promised in the game 3D and in principle they fulfilled the promise however with a big BUT! In the movement, we are limited. The ship can not fly up or down, we will not be able to simply fly for our way is limited by a small corridor beyond which our flagship is firing the territory in order to facilitate our mission (well, according to the legend of the game it is so) However, if we understand the whole, we have a 3D space And in general, this limited freedom of movement is not so important.
The sound in the game fits perfectly into the atmosphere of flying and fighting. A light whistle of accelerators, muffled explosions, a rustle of flying enemy fighters and passing shells, all performed and sounded very high quality. The only downside is the lack of a soundtrack and a little empty voice acting during the battle (well, really a little more noise to create a more intense atmosphere would not hurt).
Strategy
The strategy of the game can vary from level to level and I will here outline a few key points:
Shoot ground troops and submarines with laser cannons and air missiles.
Enemy scouts are weak and slow aircraft that are easy to shoot with lasers are much more difficult with fighter jets - fast and maneuverable. Save the missiles for them.
Each enemy checkpoint is passed with minimal damage. If you can not pass the level, then turn on the training mode and work out the level you need without losing lives, then break into battle
Since the enemy very competently combines ground and air forces, your strategy should be based on drawing off individual units of the enemy for cover and subsequent destruction.
First, destroy the air targets (they are marked in red on the radar)
Enemy minefields (big balls) are traps. Do not waste lasers on them. Just force the minefield to pursue you. The fact is that in this field there is only one real mine. The rest - an illusion that feeds on gas (fuel of newcomers). After fleeing for you, the illusion will spend the gas and disappear. As a result, there will be one, a real mine.