Imagine a game such as Alone in the Dark with texture-mapping, moving in a three-dimensional rendered world with a scenario worth being used for a movie. BioForge from Origin is this kind of game with even more to offer.
BioForge will take you to an alien base far away in the galaxy where you will play the role of a man who has been stripped of his memory. Using an alien technology, your enemies enhanced your body to give it superior performances and increase its strength. When you wake up, you find out you are in a cell somewhere in the base. A medical robot is nearby watching you, ready to provide you with medical treatment or at least, that's how things look.
BioForge is a game where the story unfolds piece by piece, following your discoveries in the base. You will learn about your past. Why have you been brought to this world, who are your enemies? Those questions will be answered during the game and your ultime goal is to escape the base.
The combats are an important part of the game. Of course, it is not like Mortal Kombat, but with 24 possible combat maneuvers, you can imagine that your fate will be largely determined by your ability to fight. When you fight an enemy (human or non-human), remember that you are not playing with a two-dimensional game. This means you can turn your adversary around or move to a place where you cannot be hit. These strategies can save your life more than once! Sometimes, it is even wiser to avoid combat when it is possible if your opponent looks stronger. And first of all, always use your mind before using your hands!
At the beginning of this review, we talked about Alone in the Dark and there is a reason for this. Although the scenario is totally different, there are common points between the two games. The first is that both games use a three-dimensional character moving around in a 3D world. The second is that view points switch between cameras placed in specific locations when you move in a room. These multiple camera angles give a cinematographic experience to the player who really feels like being there. If you look for differences, BioForge brings new improvements especially in graphics and sounds. BioForge uses texture-mapped graphics for characters and brings beautifully rendered 3D backgrounds to the player. The soundtrack matches the action with sounds from explosions, opening doors, distant voices, etc... on 8 channels.
What I like most about BioForge is the scenario. It brings not only the classical dilemna of a man trying to understand who he was before his memory was wiped out, but also the kind of science-fiction that is not ridiculous. There is nothing worst than a science-fiction book where everything is new with no references to our present time knowledge.
If you are looking for great graphics with a surprising scenario, mind-twisting challenges and action based gameplay, BioForge is the best you can hope for.
486 DX-33 MHz or better,
Min 8 MB memory,
MS-DOS 5.0 or later,
Hard drive required with 15Mb free disc space,
Double speed CD-ROM drive or faster,
VGA 256 color graphic card and monitor,
Microsoft Mouse or 100% compatible,
Sound Blaster, Adlib, General Midi or 100% compatible sound cards.
GRAPHICS .. 93% SOUND ..... 90% MUSIC ..... 90% GAMEPLAY .. 91% INTEREST .. 90% OVERALL ... 91%
Origin Inc.,
12940 Research Blvd.,
Austin, TX 78750.
Tel: +1 (512) 335-5200
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