Broken Helix

Why is it that whenever the government calls in a specialist, the specialist ends up being in danger and has to fight for his life against the same people who called them in originally? Maybe it has to do with the fact that the secret government base. Area 51 is involved. This is the case in Broken Helix.

This "behind the player" perspective title has some action elements of Doom but mostly resembles Fade to Black in the way it controls and looks. While players control Jake Burton, they can't just run around and shoot everything. It will ruin the mission objective. For instance, when running around trying to defuse the bombs, gamers will have to crawl underneath caverns and avoid shooting scientists (where usually this is an accepted practice in games).

The missions in the game are laid out simple and plain, whether it's to diffuse bombs or escape from the buckshot-loving Marines. As the player advances in the game, the story unfolds and more disgusting levels are presented (ones with egg sacks, hybrid aliens and such). Usually, the objectives have to do with diffusing a bomb or finding a satellite link-up, though.

The levels in the game are far from being simple. Broken Helix promises non-linear action, so going down one corridor will lead to a perfect outcome while the other will make Jake Burton's job much more difficult. With a scale area of 1.600,000 square feet, the game will be a bit of a large, mutant creature itself.

At first, the enemies seem sparse and not very detailed (like the robot probes in the pictures shown). As the game progresses, the enemies become more detailed, especially the Marine characters and other mutated creatures. Broken Helix should keep most gamers busy with 40 different types of enemies.

Throughout the game a mysterious man helps Jake out with information about the double-crossing Marine soldiers and Area 51 in general. Supposedly, this man knows about the strange death of Jake's father many years ago. Jake is interested but also is weary of listening to the man. Gamers will have to play through to find the origins of this ally.

The graphics in the game are polygonal On case you haven't noticed) and have light-source shading. Most of the game is dark which makes for a faster frame rate and also does the job of making some of the levels scarier than normal. The pics shown are from an incomplete version, so they may change. The music of the game also goes well with the adventure-it changes as the player approaches an enemy or goes down various paths.

Broken Helix may seem like a pretty standard government alien cover-up game at first, but it might just be a whole lot more than that when a finished product is released, besides the fact that the game is far from complete.

Konami is going to be giving us their take on the first-person shooter genre soon. Broken Helix is a futuristic action game where the player runs through a futuristic world collecting weapons and trying to survive.

Maybe not all too original, but Konami can make it happen.

Broken Helix offers far more than your average first-person adventure game. It incorporates elements of role-playing and strategy games, thus forcing you to think before you leap into action. As Jake, the game's hero, you wander through air ducts, alien atmosphere processors, warbot assembly plants, satellite link-up stations and other futuristic locations-all viewed in third-person perspective. Your mission is to seek out and destroy alien mutants. And there's plenty to explore, too; the game contains the equivalent of 1.6 million square feet of space to get lost in. You don't have to visit all these areas first-hand, though. The various locations are equipped with security cameras so Jake can keep his eyes on the bad guys and eavesdrop on their conversations. You'll rely more on your mind than guns.

Broken Helix offers far more than your average first-person adventure game. It incorporates elements of role-playing and strategy games, thus forcing you to think before you leap into action. As Jake, the game's hero, you wander through air ducts, alien atmosphere processors, warbot assembly plants, satellite link-up stations and other futuristic locations-all viewed in third-person perspective. Your mission is to seek out and destroy alien mutants. And there's plenty to explore, too; the game contains the equivalent of 1.6 million square feet of space to get lost in. You don't have to visit all these areas first-hand, though. The various locations are equipped with security cameras so Jake can keep his eyes on the bad guys and eavesdrop on their conversations. You'll rely more on your mind than guns.

Konami is going to be giving us their take on the first-person shooter genre soon. Broken Helix is a futuristic action game where the player runs through a futuristic world collecting weapons and trying to survive.

Maybe not all too original, but Konami can make it happen.

Broken Helix is a lengthy action/adventure game built around a nicely crafted mystery story line. You play Jake, a demolitions expert sent into Area 51, the Air Force's worse-kept secret and the so-called secret UFO hideaway, where you must defuse two bombs set by a maniac. But is the mad man really mad? Is your Schwarzenegger-done escort out to kill monsters...or you? And what does this have to do with your father?

Very much like Code Name: Tenka, Helix places you and your guns in a weird sci-fi lab overrun with wacko creatures. There's more adventure than action however, with four story lines progressing together in real time.

Although this game features basic behind-the-character gunplay, the mystery-solving carries the gameplay. Your diverse challenges include defusing bombs, remote exploration, and fighting with cam-controlled robots.

The gunfighting suffers from the blahs, mainly because of an average pack of extraterrestrial mutants. The polygonal creature graphics aren't very scary nor does the animation move very aggressively. You're driven to eliminate the monsters just so that you can get on with the story.

Broken Helix's so-so action gameplay is in need of repair. Science fiction sleuths, however, may find Helix's plot twists and turns a compelling turn-on.

Graphics

Good-looking polygon-rendered story cinemas, but the alien creatures are not very imaginatively designed or scary-looking. They also attack like they've eaten dinner already.

Sound

The sounds get a good swift kick from Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness, The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr.). For example, if you get stuck, Jake's all over your case with cracks like Tmon. moron, we re gonna be here all day!" and "What is this, a staring contest?" In all, there is 95 minutes of choice voice audio, and you must listen for clues.

Control

The simple controls work fine for exploration, but they slip during a fight. You can't switch weapons or reload ammo without taking hits as you access the inventory screens. Ouch.

Fun Factor

Helix is an intriguing sci-fi story about weird alien experiments. Challengers should possess a knack for exploration and a yen for mysterysolving rather than an itchy trigger-finger.

Even from what we've seen in this preview version, Broken Helix is shaping up to be a good-looking sci-fi action/adventure game that mixes intense run-n-gun Doom-style shooter action with brain-teasing Resident Evil-like mystery solving. There's trouble at Area 51 (again), and as the hero Jake, you'll play from four perspectives, based on decisions you make early in the game. You can be Jake as a marine leader, Jake helping some sorry scientists, Jake saving an alien race, or Jake as an alien hybrid. The game provides between 13 and 16 levels and 5 endings, depending on the story track you take. Broken Helix shows great promise. One only hopes that the spirit of this preview won't be broken in the game's final cut.

Broken Helix combines Doom's first-person shooting with Resident Evil's puzzle-solving. As part of an elite Special Forces unit, you must crawl, run, jump, and blast your way through several huge levels. Not all the action involves shooting: There are several strategic mission objectives to be completed in each level, and failure to achieve any of them could mean game over! With topnotch sound effects--including voice-overs provided by Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead movie fame--and excellent light sourcing, Helix has the makings of a formidable title.