We've not had a puzzle game in Gamer for ages and ages. Well, at least not for two issues. I bet you puzzle freaks are just thirsting for a bit of a brain drain.
Puzzle games are alright with me, but what if you had a puzzle game and turned it into a 3D isometric puzzle game with lots of shooting of lasers and things that you would never see in a normal puzzle game? If only there was one like that. Hark, what do I see bounding over the hills like a breath of fresh air, but a puzzle game with the odd title of D/Generation and, look, it's got loads of lasers and stuff you wouldn't normally see in a puzzle game.
D/Generation is a NeoGen. I bet you're really confused now, so I'd better start from the beginning. You play the part of a man, a male, a bloke, a non-woman, got it? The poor little chap hasn't got a name and personally I think he should have one, so I will christen him Eric.
Eric isn't a muscle bound hero with a super weapon and neither is he a normal hero with a super weapon. Eric is just a delivery boy armed with only a simple package, but - and this is a but that will alter Eric's whole life - the package contains something that could save the whole wide world and more likely will make Eric the president or something.
Eric has to deliver the package to Singapore to a place called the Genoq Biolabs. The Genoq Biolabs produce NeoGen organisms and these NeoGens have escaped. The NeoGens haven't worked out how to get out of the labs - yet! Prior to the outbreak, some recon satellites spotted an explosion near the top of the building. This is where Derrida, the head scientist is creating the next NeoGen prototype, the D/Generation.
There are three other generations of NeoGens. The A/Generation is a bouncing red ball that smothers its target and can cloak itself by going transparent. There is the B/Generation that is a bouncing blue cylinder that crushes its target. It's extremely fast and can hide in the floor. The C/Generation is a humanoid that can disguise itself as anything, animate or inanimate. This NeoGen decapitates its targets (gulp!).
Finally there is the D/Generation. The good news is that there is only one D/Generation in existence; the bad news is that it's equipped with sophisticated neuro-holographic camouflaging. So it can disguise itself as anything. It also has a super-hardened dermal layer that acts like a sheet of armour, making it virtually indestructible.
If the D/Generation were to escape from the labs out into the real world it would threaten the life of every single person on the planet (double gulp and even a slight gasp!).
Unfortunate Eric has unknowingly walked into the building to hand in his package and the door has closed behind him. Eric finds the receptionist hiding behind her desk. She tells Eric that Derrida has been demanding the package and it is extremely important to Derrida. Eric's mission is that he must take the package to Derrida and if possible rescue any survivors that he finds along the way.
Well I suppose after all that waffle you're probably wondering whether it's any good. Well personally - and this is only my opinion - I think it is good.
D/Generation is a nice refreshing change. If you're fed up shooting wave upon wave of aliens and bored stiff of beating the hell out of enemy upon enemy, then D/Generation could well be worth a look.
The puzzles range from easy to hard. Some are obvious, some are not so obvious. As well as using your head to solve the puzzles, you have to be pretty good at waggling your joystick. There are plenty of A/B/C/
D/Generation doesn't have that certain something that makes it stand out from loads of other games, but it's a really good and very enjoyable puzzle-'em-up.