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By 1995 the first-person shooter genre was advancing at a fast pace on the PC. Doom 2 was already out and soon the world would be acquainted with the Quake series for the first time.
It was also during this era that the tide was slowly beginning to turn on the mighty Amiga. The 1200 infused some more longevity into the name but the PC was evolving at a furious rate. Many proclaimed that the Amiga could never manage a 1st-person shooter; its hardware was inadequate, its processor chip too slow. Some software houses tried unique approaches to this problem by utilising a novel Dungeonmaster-type mode of play (the enjoyable but technically inferior Deathmask) but Team 17 embarked on a venture that few thought possible - a genuine 1st-person shooter on the Amiga, Alien Breed 3D.
The game follows in the footsteps of the popular series, only this time the player is put in the heart of the action - seeing through the eyes of the soldier for the first time.
I remember playing this game for weeks and weeks when it was first released. It brought into my bedroom a genre only those rich PC owners could previously enjoy, and I was fast to take advantage of a moment few thought would ever arrive.
The graphics were low resolution and the screen could sometimes get a little crowded, but they ran at a very playable speed and were able to produce the occasional scare and jolt during play, something few games were unable to do (with the exception of the Forbidden Forest games on the immortal C64 that is!)
The gameplay challenge curve was excellent. Every play took you that little bit closer but there were some areas that seemed almost impossible to overcome. The persistent among us were rewarded with a longlasting and thoroughly enjoyable challenge - a worthy addition the the Alien Breed saga.
By today's standards those graphics seem that little bit dated of course, but the gameplay is just as fresh. The sound was ample, adding to the action with the occasional tune immersing the player in the foreboding atmosphere. I remember paying 30 UK pounds for this at a Game store in Portsmouth High Street with my gameplaying buddy Steve Morrison, and in retrospect I can appreciate what a worthy purchase it was.
Many winter evenings were whiled away with Alien Breed 3D. If you have the means I recommend you put aside Halo2 or Doom 3 for a day and spend it immersed in one of the flagship pieces of software for the Commodore Amiga.
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A brave and successful balance of graphics and functionality on a machine few thought possible.
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Effective SFX and music add to the action.
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No one says it's easy, but Alien Breed 3D is a highly playable and satisfying title.
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| A great addition to the series and one of the few attempts (other than the Gloom series) that were successful in porting the genre to the Amiga. |
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Get Amiga Forever with pre-installed Workbench, games, applications, and much more.
It also contains the original Amiga ROM-files, 100% legally!
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