Genetic Species By Gary Storm

It could never be done, they said. Hah!

For years we've had "Doom-a-likes", something the pc world thought was their domain alone. In my mind (which can be a dangerous, mucky place to go, but anyway) the Amiga games of this ilk that have stood out have been Gloom, and Breathless. I`ve never played Nemac IV; Fears was ok, and Alien Breed 3d2 was way too hard (or am I a wooss? Don't answer that :) ).

Recently, two more "Doomers" were released. Quake, the pc port which can`t even run properly (yet) on a Playstation, and Genetic Species (GS), coded exclusively for the Amiga by Marble Eyes.

First, let`s get this out of the way....... Quake is generally better, as a game. GS is friendlier to your Amiga, though. I have an A1200T, Blizzard `030/50, 32meg ram (with no gfx card), and GS flies !

The 3D animated intro is amazing, not least in part due to the fantastic, atmospheric music that drifts over your soul like a... (end poetic mode). If you have your cd-rom connected to an external hi-fi, then you're able to enjoy the atmospheric music throughout the game. It really does add much to GS's appeal.

Marble Eyes have really made an effort to make this game the most user-friendly of it's type. Everything you'd need to change to make it a more personal interface is at the front-end. Controls, screens, sound, it's all there. It's also totally os friendly. I typed this in Ed on the workbench screen while playing the game on it's own screen.

Putting the frame-count really reinforces the programmer's knowledge of the Amiga. On my system it ran at between 10 and 16 frames per second, at near enough full-screen. On Rhino's A4000 ppc/060 with gfx card it whizzed around (full screen), at around 30fps. Wow!

Graphics-wise it's certainly the best Amiga specific one of it's ilk so far, though sadly still not up to Quake's standards. The level design is good, graphics variable enough to sustain interest, and explosions are better than Quake's in a way, as they are more realistic, whereas Quake explosions are more pixelly. Quake has more overall atmosphere though, as the enemies in GS aren't all that scary, and not as well animated.

All the staple dietary requirements are there for the testosterone drunk junkie: corridors/weapons/health/ammo/keys/doors/puzzles/enemies/death/shooting/sex Ok, it's missing sex, but it's got the next best thing - possession. You actually have the ability to 'enter' another creatures mind, and control it's body. Brilliant ! Wanted one for years. Look into my eyes, ladies :) The graphics that follow you pressing that 'probe' key are nothing short of psychedelic (man). You can also use it for looking around corners, though it takes practice.

In this case the game is set in the future, and the means of swapping bodies is done courtesy of nueral interfaces that everything has in this bio-mechanical age. You could think of yourself as an intelligent Violent Vibrator (or, uh, not). I won't go into the details of the plot, as much like a naughty movie - the 'plots' are all roughly the same: alot of grunts/groans/and firing of weapons. Look, you're the good guy, OK? You havevarious levels to complete by exploring, solving puzzles, and killing the enemy, to beat the bad guys.

As usual, you have to keep a good account of your health and ammo, as neither are particularly easy to come by. I wish the programmers had seen fit to include the option of picking up the dead enemy's ammo, to make things easier (but I'm a wooss, right ?).

Where GS is the undisputed champion though, is in it's Artificial Intelligence. How many games have you played that are simply a matter of time before you memorise the moves/locations of the enemy, and defeat them? Not so easy here, matey, as the enemy AI in GS is fine-tuned, and easily the best I've ever seen. The soldiers act as if they actually have a life to lose, and will run away if they're injured, or try and sneak up on you from another direction. They go about their business if they don't know you are there, so it's possible in some of the more expansive areas to dodge them. All the enemy types act differently to certain situations, so it's not as easy here, as it is in Doom or Quake, where the nasty-boys just rush at you blindly from their pre-set positions.

The possession factor certainly livens up the tactics, as you must solve certain quandaries by inhabiting a particular enemy, who has access to certain areas. Marble Eyes have added a whole new chapter to the story of these games with that little invention. One tactical twist is that once you enter the host, you also take on all the health (or lack of it, so don't blast them too much) and ammo that they have. A beautiful feeling is when you possess your host, the view switches to their view, and you see your previous victim fall to the ground. Poltergeists on acid, maaaaan ! One oversight is that although you are inhabiting a different body, the enemy still know it's you. Does your character have irredeemable smelly breath, or something ? Actually, that could be a good basis for an extra's pack.....Smelly-Breathed monsters from the Outer Space Curry Bar.

All in all, it's a must to buy Genetic Species, if you are in any way interested in these type of games. The graphics, sound and gameplay are great, and with four MASSIVE stages to complete, you'll definitely get your money's worth.

As if the game wasn't good enough as it is ! Marble Eyes have just announced, and released a patch, which let's you go 24 bit ! More colours than you can even see ! Grab it today !

It may not quite be Quake, but in some areas it surpasses it. If you want a truly optimised Amiga Doom-alike, GS is the best you can get. I'm sure Marble Eyes will be tweaking the graphics and adding a death-match option (maybe even play over a modem one day), and then it will get the full fishness :)