Genre: Action
Perspective: 3rd-person
Gameplay: Shooter
Setting: Sci-Fi / Futuristic
Published by: Crystal Dynamics
Developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Released: 1994
Platform: 3DO Interactive Multiplayer
In the sources of everything there is always something. Unless it is something extraordinary, like the styles of music where the bow is a sledge hammer and the violin is a big anvil (based on real events). However, I do not dare to deny that some smith of the 15th century did not get pleasure from such sweet melodies. In the sources of Total Eclipse is the ancient as ZX-SPECTRUM, the arcade Space Invanders. For countless clones, each of us probably spent more than one hour of his life. Galaxian, Galaga, all these names are familiar to us from childhood, in which my friends and I reached level 82 and were happy with life, retelling the game situations in the manner of how modern teenagers retell each other stories about how they once were "At the second Dast, in guts, HardAli terra from glock to head. " The review of retro games always requires a complete immersion in the atmosphere subjectively recent but objectively - such a distant past. Drowned? We continue.
After the appearance of the Defender and the Galaxian, the genre got stuck for about 10 years. The room calculators continued to evolve toward the pocket computers, and the spacecraft only overgrew with pixels, and sometimes acquired temporary helpers, the number of enemies grew, the backs became more detailed, but in the process did not occur no cardinal developments. And here comes the light of Total Eclipse from the famous Crystal Dynamics. What does this game change in the established mechanics of the gameplay? Never mind. Just gently, carefully transfers it to three dimensions. Draws polygonal detailed landscapes, sculpts them with qualitative textures (nevertheless, replicating a small number of them on a cosmic scale, resulting in levels that sometimes look monotonous). He builds a system of a set of bonuses and power packs. Comes up several types of weapons, different in characteristics. Brings an excellent soundtrack to the honed process. The only innovation is, perhaps, the scheme for calculating and consuming the life energy of the ship (if you can say so). The fact is that for this enemy's killing we have this energy increasing, and its level is decreasing - if we hit an enemy shell, an emphasis on the terrain (frontal impact is deadly, I warned you) and just so, over time. Thus, we are literally pushed into the idea that we must constantly blow up everything that explodes. Kill or be killed. Here it is as relevant as anywhere else.
Excellent gameplay is smeared on a metaphorical game sandwich with almost British accuracy. The war in the open air is regularly replaced by it in long tunnels, where the player constantly runs the risk of crashing into the nearest wall. Our gallant ship flies forward, splitting opponents into corpuscles in the best traditions of Defender, flies through the rings with icons that give temporary immortality, life, a superfight (let's call it the "wave of death") a new kind of weapon, or improve its old look. And at the end of us, as always awaits a big and handsome boss, to which we still need to find an approach, unless of course you want to survive. All this is flavored with penetrating guitar cuts and a sweet cherry on top of the glaze, in the form of the ability to spin around its axis. And the ship is (as it is made in 2-D) is standing still, but the whole world around turns around it, adding dynamics to an already saturated picture - real 3D madness! For this feature with the rotation of developers is especially to thank. After all, now we are free to fly through the narrow gorge like Will Smith in the film "Independence Day", make stunning tricks and just play around until your head spins. In addition, closer to the end of the game, we increasingly have to exercise in the hard discipline of flying upside down or perpendicular to the ground.
And do not forget that the most important principle of the family of space shooters has remained - scrolling levels. We are free to slow down or reap the full reel, but we can not stop the space car. Especially about this you begin to regret at the last levels, on the surface of some kind of industrial planet (the name is forgotten).
In total, a daredevil who decides to go through the game, wait for the excursion to 20 levels on 4 planets. And all this has to be done in one breath, for the complexity of the second half of the game is very, very severe, and the number of lives is very limited. However, for the laziest there are cheat codes, which I will tell at the end of my article.
Yes! After all, the game has more and a plot! Which is told to us by CG videos of remarkable quality! Immediately after the black and white emblem of the publisher we are waiting for entry into the best traditions of this sci-fi trash. Captain's bridge of a huge orbital space base. On the bridge only 2 people. Captain and mere mortal. Landscape of the planet and this very base. Serenity. And suddenly the evil aliens burst into the scene (well, who else, of course our old friends are evil aliens, otherwise it can not be). The navigator informs the captain about this, the captain suggests the evil aliens to surrender. Evil aliens open fire on a huge orbital space base, which immediately comes full and unconditional kaput. On the screen appears the cosmic variation of Davy Jones, which tells us that people are very tasty. Well, in short you understand everything. And then a small but very proud ship will lay down for many hours with bundles (let Word swear desperately, but yes, it is "to lie down!"), The enemy kulak element by the above mentioned methods. It's simple. At the same time, it is practically flawless.
And you know, if you played Galaxian in order to find yourself in a serious mess and get out of it alive, then you will enjoy this process, pumped up to the limit with airs and airy somersaults. Enjoy. Airbags are not provided.
Whatever one may say, the most hardcore hardcore will not turn the language to call the game simple. Praise the developers, they provided us with secret codes.
Cheat codes
99 lives
Start the game and exit it with the button P. Leave the highlighted line Resume game (in the main menu, and not in the pause menu!).
We introduce BACABA LS LS + RS XX. A screen with a small skull will appear. We press P. We introduce the AABBCC LS LS RS RS P.
Free flight mode (without enemies, on an icy planet):
Select the Resume game line. We press BACABA LS LS + RS XX. Appears a small skull, enter LS AB LS ABXXX
Level selection
Highlight the Quit / Preview line in the main menu, hold X, enter B LS A, release X, enter B LS A B LS A.