Customer Reviews

Area 51

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Those who enjoyed venturing into arcades in the past decade will no doubt remember Midway's light gun shooter Area 51; a cumbersome and buggy game where you took on hordes of aliens and mutated beasts at the famously secretive government research facility. Fast forward to today, and Midway has totally restructured Area 51 from the inside out, this time around as a straight forward FPS. The storyline relatively stays the same, you play as Ethan Cole (voiced by David Duchovny), the lone survivor of a Haz-Mat team sent to investigate strange goings on at the research facility. As you venture through the game's levels, you learn of vast government and alien conspiracies, and when you get far enough, you find yourself turning into one of them. This element adds a fun dimension to the gameplay, allowing you to melee your enemies to death and fire off parasites to infect them. In addition to this feature, the standard FPS rules apply as you pick up a bevy of weapons and grenades to take out the hideous beings roaming in the underground of Area 51. The game's storyline packs in as much conspiracy-laden material as it can, ranging from alien abductions to the Roswell incident where it all started, and as you progress you can locate hidden documents which allow you to unlock the many secrets of the game. Powers Boothe and Marilyn Manson also lend their voices in addition to Duchovny, who sadly at many spots throughout the game sounds bored as he speaks. The online multiplayer feature is what really makes Area 51 a winner, which for a PS2 game manages to provide lag-free online play, and that itself is a welcome surprise. The graphics are unbelievably sharp for a PS2 game, with some nice lighting effects as well. The biggest drawback of Area 51 is the difficulty as you progress to the lower levels of the game. The farther you get, the toughter the enemies get, and the more and more sparse health and ammo get as well. So be warned, this isn't that easy an FPS to breeze through, but the multiplayer options and the nicely designed extras and secrets make this a game worth coming back to. All on all, Area 51 is a surprisingly great and terribly underrated FPS that stands as one of the top shooters on the PS2, and if you're an FPS fan, this is worth picking up.

Well where do I start? Just like the game there are so many fun twists and turns that it's hard to pick out a good spot to start talking about this game. Anyway the storyline is your HazMat Specialist Ethan Cole, who is with HazMat Team Bravo, sent into the treacherous Area 51 compound to find out what exactly happened and why did HazMat Team Delta go missing. Once you step into the base things go from bad, to worse, then to just downright ugly and hellish.

I am a huge FPS and shooter fan, and have played the original Area 51 and Area 51: Site 4 arcade machines. When I heard Midway was coming out with a FPS Area 51 game I couldn't wait. As soon as I got it and popped it into my PS2, I was immersed from the start. The graphics are jaw-dropping and the fluidity of the character movements were just downright smooth as hell. The action is far from lax too. From the get go you're thrusted into the mayhem that the mutated inbatitants of the base throw at you. Mutants, leapers,and later on in the game Cloned Human Spec Op soldiers, come at you out of nowhere at the most unexpected moments of the game, thus making you stay on your toes and making your finger hover over the R1 button at all times. Bottom line: You just never know when something will come at you from around the corner of a hallway.

The plot and the story of the game itself is great also. Conspiracy theories, plot twists, and sudden changes in the game that will shock you will keep any gamer from putting down that controller, yes it is THAT good. I can't say much about it because I don't want to spoil anything, but I can surely say that you will always be surprised at what occurs during the game as you make your way down through the base. In Area 51 you'll always want to find out what happens next.

Of course, no FPS is complete without a set of AI controlled teammates. But sometimes those teammates hamper you more than help you. In Area 51, these teammates actually give you cover fire, shout at you where enemies are coming from, and actually shoot to kill and not just weaken enemies for you.

What about controls? Controls are a snap to learn and easy to use. Nothing too complicated here.

The voice acting is an excellent point too. David Duchovny plays the role of Ethan Cole real well, giving the gamer the impression that yes Cole may seem like a soft-spoken HazMat specialists, but can sure prove his worth during battle. And Marylin Manson compliments Edgar real well. I feel that Manson does the job right by voicing the creepy looking Edgar and giving the game a chilling feel everytime his character speaks in the game.

Overall I love this game and the action is second-to-none and I feel that this is 50 bucks well spent. If you're a FPS fan or a fan of the Area 51 series, I highly suggest you buy this game. You won't be sorry, and chances you won't leave your PS2 until you finally complete the game.

I remember playing the arcade version of area 51 when i was a kid and i loved it. Now that the game is out i was excited to get it and play it. Everything in the game is superb. the controls are easily used and the graphics are amazing. The storyline is interesting, and pieced together as you go through the game finding different secret documents that you can read later. However, this is not mandatory, so some people can essentially go through the game without knowing the story.

When I first rented Area 51 I wasn't expecting much, but when I played it, it was awesome I couldn't belive the great graphics!!!
When you watch videos after you beat a level it looks so real I really think it meets the limits of what PS2 and X-Box can deliver.

You start off being told to go down to the lower levels of Area 51 with your squad because they think something horrible has happend because the last report they got was that an alien got loose! When you get down their, aliens and mutants were runing around everywhere. Later you get infected by a mutant and you learn to control you poweres, you see heat coming off your enemys body, shoot parisites at people. The only problem is that the infection in time will kill you...

This game is a mix of Half Life and Halo, kind of. It would be a great game to buy and play over and over. Its 1-4 players, multiplayer is also very fun. The only thing that is kind of a flaud in the game is there is'nt very many wepons, but the game is still great, so go play it!

it starts out pretty confusing until the first level but then its justyou and you'r squad hiding behind a box trying not to get killed as thousands of aliens swarm you. it was better than halo in mostt ways like graphics and stuff but had no vehicles. the only bad thing about this game is that i was really hoping for a co-op mode, and there are only like 5 weapons to choose from but it was kind of scary at some parts and there are tons of plot twists so it kind of makes up for it

This game has a type of Doom 3 style to it with aliens often jumping from around corners and lots of guns. The only reason I say that is because Doom 3 and Area 51 are without a doubt, the two best alien-based games created so far.
Both games are so close to each other the only differences are that Area 51 has: online play, multiplayer, and a story with a lot more depth, and although Area 51's graphics are very masterful, Doom 3's graphics are perfected.
But of course, this is about Area 51. The game drives off of two complete different styles from the beginning to the end. In the beginning, you are sent to Area 51 with all your comrades to protect the area and uncover some unanswered questions. Then, towards the end, you become a human that can transform into an alien and you start to realize that the government absolutely sucks.
The game's setting is set in the research facility of Area 51, that in this game, holds aliens.(It was a theory that Area 51 was holding aliens during the time of the Roswell Incident in the 50's.) You need to do whatever means necessary.
With maybe about 6 guns in the entire game and a few different grenades, the gameplay does very rarely get boring,
but it turns from a tactical mission into a huge slaughter during the gameplay from when you get your alien powers.
You do get to do cool abilities and go interesting places such as:launching parasites or clawing at alien guards, going inside a UFO, or using the alien's technology and weapons.
As you progress, the more terrible lies you will uncover about the government and what's really happening.
The voice overs in the game are usually very good(especially during the big battles and they're screaming and swearing), but a complaint is that the voice of Ethan Cole during the cut-scenes shows absolutely no emotion as to what's happening and it honestly sounds like he doesn't care.
However, this is one of the best 1st person shooters ever and I would buy it even for the most skeptical gamer. It deserves at least a 4 out of 5.

This is probably the best first person shooter to come out for ps2. I like this better then both halos. Its fun, scary, challenging, and crazy cool. And o yea did i mention the graphics they are very nice, and are much better then halos graphics. I wouldnt reccomend this for little kids though, it has tons of curses and is very gory one guy gets his head ripped off and they show it. Overall i think it is an amazing game if your thinking about getting it GET IT.

This is one of the best FPS games I've ever played (Halo was the best). The only thing I don't like is that the game is kind of short. It's pretty long, but still short, I love games that take a long time to complete so it mught be just me.

The one thing i love is that the blood stays the whole time and doesn't disapear, it's so much more realistic. The gore is great. It's not overload, but when you hit something blood comes out, so it's just perfect, not too much, not too little.

THe people who do the voices are great. David duchovny sounds exactly like he would if he were actually the guy in the game, and Marilyn Mason is the creepy voice that Edgar has.

This game is also creepy. There's a lot of dark places, so you use your flashlight often. The only bad thing is when you reload in a dark place, your flashlight is hidden by your arm and you cant see if youre in a big battle. the scariest thing is when you walk around a dark corner and an enemy jumps down from the ceiling.

THis is one of the funnest games ive ever played and the storyline is creative and is intriging.
BOTTOM LINE: BUY THIS GAME!

I have long anticipated this titles release, and i wasnt dissapointed that i paid about 50 dollars for it before i even rented it. For the playstation version, which i have, it has great graphics, especially in the campaign mode. There are a few problems, some of which can be easily fixed. You are started with an inverted view, meaning you move up when you press to go down, which is easily changed in options. Next, it takes the longest time to get online because you have to go through multiple downloads and sign-ons. When you get online, there is relatively no lag, but there is an odd points system that makes little or no sense at all. There are some really interesting game modes, my favorite being the last human mode where you try not to be mutated by the "chosen one" and his victims.

The campaign however, is the best part. It isn't short by any means because i can normally beat them in most games in a few weeks. Even at easy, it is fairly challenging. It has a well thought out plot line, very well thought out. It has very well placed check points and easy combat interface. The campaign will stretch your mind and poke at your problem solving abilities as there are many places that need further examination to pass on.

There are a good diverse group of enemies, each type being harder and appearing at specific levels in the game.

My ratings

Combat interface
9/10

Storyline
10/10

Multiplayer (up to 8 players)
6/10

Music and graphics
9/10

overall
8/10

This game went by as kind of a sleeper. Didn't get much attention, but it deserved more. It's a solid, fun FPS with decent graphics (good graphics in the cut scenes), and a host of famous voice actors from David Duchovny (The X Files) to Marilyn Manson. What I liked most about the game is the alien and conspiracy lore entered into the game. Files scannable throughout the game give descriptions of the government's secrets and cover-ups and at one point you even get to explore the set of a fake moon landing. As for complaints, the game can often be too easy, though there are a few parts near the end that can have you repeating them easily six or seven times to get through. This is strange to me with the game going from mostly simple to very difficult without much middle ground. The ending is also a bit... blunt. One minute you're doing things and big stuff is happening (trying not to spoil anything here) and the next you get a quick cut scene and the credits roll. Closure is given and loose ends are mostly tied up, but it's still pretty abrupt. And another gripe--the game is pretty short. Very short, rather. I know it's a FPS, but you can get through it in four or five play sessions if they're reasonably long ones. I believe I beat it in two days. So I wouldn't recommend buying it unless you can get a good deal on it used, but it's absolutely rentable.

I know I've said some negative things about the game, but it really is good. It goes by at a good pace and offers plenty of shooting action. Though I was disappointed by the relatively small amount of useable weapons (one pistol, one shotgun, one assault rifle, one sniper rifle, two grenade types, and a couple special weapons), the weapons that are there are relatively satisfying and the 10mm Scorpion handgun is useful through the whole game, being able to drop most enemies in one to three hits.

All in all, you should play this if you're into FPSs. But only buy it if you can get it used. It's just too short to warrant a new price. But still, Area-51 is a solid and enjoyable experience with plenty of atmosphere in the second half and of course multi-player.