Publisher: Meridian4
Developer: Black Element
System: PC
Minimum requirements: Pentium IV 2 GHz or compatible; 512 MB RAM; GeForce FX, ATI 9600 or compatible; 3 GB free hard drive space; DirectX: 9.0c; Windows XP or 2000
Genre: First-person shooter
Release date: Available now
Review by: Andrew Clark

In all types of media, there’s a common occurrence often referred to as the “me too” complex, in which the pioneer of an idea is emulated and, in some rare cases, surpassed. In video games, the first-person shooter (FPS) genre tends to be the biggest offender of this practice, leading us into all-too familiar crate filled rooms, offering the same stock of souped up weaponry and affording players a chance to see if the concept of déjà vu holds fast across entire galaxies and gaming platforms.

The makers of Alpha Prime know their influences: the corridors cast the same shadows as Doom 3, the physics react like Half-Life 2 and there’s even a bullet time effect for which the references are too numerous to mention. The setting, reminiscent of Red Faction, also speaks of a resistance to authority and one man’s attempts to stop an evil corporation from obtaining a certain valuable commodity. Yet throughout all of this rehash and tribute is an enjoyable, although superficial, experience.

Enter our disgruntled hero, Arnold, a seasoned miner who has little luck with the ladies, no patience for his fellow man and a surprising resistance to an element called hubbardium. This coveted substance is used to fuel interstellar spacecraft, which is relatively important for a game that takes place on a distant asteroid. After a misleading intro, Arnold is thrust into a web of deception, more deception, some lying and a lot of spent ammunition by way of a female acquaintance that used to be his lover. The mission is elementary: get in, save a mutual friend and find a way off the rock before you die. Sounds simple, right?

Yet something seems amiss once Arnold makes his way onto the surface. Aside from appearing uninhabited, the ship that was promised to aid in the escape is nowhere to be found, as is the person you were sent to save. Concerns are already being raised, and you haven’t even fired a bullet or blown up an exploding barrel yet! Denmark = Fishy. There is a timid Italian guy, however, plus a lot of wacked out robots with a penchant for shooting living tissue, so at least there’s something to do while you sift through the madness. Perhaps the best course of action is to pick up a nearby hammer and start hitting things until someone arrives to answer your questions?