INTRODUCTION
A quest to seek your way out of huge labyrinthine dungeons. A host of evil monsters of increasing ferocity with a taste for your blood. A hero whose main challenge is to storm around firing indiscriminately at anything that moves, perhaps pausing momentarily to snatch the odd power-up.
This hardly sounds like the basis of a ground-
fuelled action to turn the gaming world upside down.
Now, after all too long a wait, software houses are attempting to imitate that success on the Amiga, and the first of the bunch is Alternative Software with the darkly futuristic Death Mask. System puts its fire power to the test.
STORYLINE
Death Mask is set in a future in which mankind has recklessly exploited the possibilities of genetic engineering in an attempt to design desirable and useful living beings. Naturally, during experimentation many lifeforms are created that are abhorrent to their creators.
Exhibiting a typically human sense of responsibility, these 'aliens' are packed off to stay safely out of sight on other planets. Left to struggle for survival, some of these creatures developed their own societies.
You and your twin are rat mutants and members of the Death Mask, an elite military corp charged with the defense of your home planet. Now, as other aliens and their agents mount a mass invasion, your mission is to protect and survive.
PLAYABILITY
Great graphics, sensational sound and a better than average storyline thrown into the bundle - add it up and surely you get a winning title. But of course, you'll realise from that line alone that this isn't the case; the trimmings in Death Mask are good, but at heart it's just a turkey.
The irritating thing is that it was almost a very good effort. Not long ago, I'd have said a game like Doom couldn't be done on the Amiga but now I'm not so sure.
Admittedly they've used small windows to display the action, but it's all very pacey considering the level of detail. It's not limitations on the Amiga that cause the problems, but rather a combination of frustrating misjudgements in design.
To start with, the whole point of the game is that it's a shoot-'em-up. It's rather disastrous, therefore, that the collision detection is hopelessly inaccurate, allowing you to blow cobs of flesh off monsters nowhere near your gun sights.
Players should be encouraged to fight intelligently, but in Death Mask there's not much point in trying. Battles occur in narrow corridors which leave you trapped in face-to-
Each level may have a different look, but the initial interest this provokes soon fades. Up to now I've found few things to arouse my curiosity, for whereas Doom is full of surprises, Death Mask feels like you're playing a paint ball game in a dressed-up warehouse.
So far, for example, I haven't come across any stairways, lifts, secret switches or puzzles. Some of these features may well exist later on, but having played it for as long as I did without having my appetite whetted, it's not surprising if I gave up hope.
It's good that a two-player option has been included, and even better that ten arenas have been developed so that players can go head to head against each other.
Unfortunately, even the pleasure of strafing friends with cannon fire failed to compensate for flaws in the game engine. The directions you can move in are so restricted that conflicts were too often resolved on the basis of luck rather than still.
48%SOUND
More than in any other game genre, it's important that players lose themselves in the experience, and Doom proved how important audio is in allowing them to do this,. Fortunately, sound on the Amiga is impressive by any standards, and Alternative Software have done a lot to exploit its capabilities in Death Mask.
Everything sounds like it's been sampled for realism. Convincing gun-fire, pump-action loading, groaning mechanical doors and cries of pain add another dimension to your sub
The music is also exceptionally good for the style of game, with a sinister theme preparing you for the conflict before you start.
48%GRAPHICS
There's a great deal to admire about the look of this game and in some respects it's good enough to surprise even the most devoted Amiga fan. On an A1200 the movement is swift, even in two-player mode with the detail turned on high.
The backgrounds are impressive and good enough in places to give Doom a run for its money. Unfortunately, it doesn't have enough atmospheric detail, such as flickering lights and gloomy depths, to maximise the suspense.
Each level has a different appearance ranging from science labs to bio-mechanical wall-textures. Mission targets like nuclear reactors or encased embryos are equally impressive.
So far so good, but there are some problems. In Doom, the monsters look like they'd tear your head off as soon as you blink. In Death Mask, the enemy charges at you like it's got the contents of its bowels dangling in its pants; in short, they can be ludicrous rather than frightening. The 3D view is not always perfect either. This is most noticeable when you turn round, because what you see doesn't reflect the true design of the room you're in.
80%OPINION55%
Nobody would have been happier than me if this game had turned out to be as good as it looked. I've always got time for simple, break-
Unfortunately, the excitement that Death Mask superficially promises is rarely delivered. This is a great shame, because you get the feeling that it was much more than a slap dash effort on the developer's part.
Getting 3D graphics of this quality moving swiftly and smoothly must have been a challenge, and the outstanding sound lends the game impressive gravity. Ultimately, however, the gameplay was not rewarding enough to keep me coming back.
It's of little consolation to Alnternative Software, but what Death Mask shows is that the Amiga has the potential to support a good game in the Doom genre. Team 17 are currently working on a variant of their own, so let's hope they meet with greater success.