Apocalypse - I didn't remember it being that bad!

Cherno · 22 October 2019, 17:22

I am currently on a Helicopter action game spree so I remembered Apocalypse. I played it quite a bit in my youth but never finished it, though I did reach the final level in the temple a few times. What I mainly remembered were the detailed graphics and jungle setting.

When I fired it up again a few days ago, I quickly noticed that this game has quite a number a severe gameplay issues that mar the enjoyment. Namely, it is hard! A hard game is not bad per se, but in this case, it's unfairly difficult. Two main reasons:

There are these small machinegun nests that will fire at you from beyond the screen borders, and these bullets travel rapidly so there is little chance to avoid them. They drain your armor quickly and since you can only get a max amount of two lives per level, (without any health to be regained during a mission!), you will quickly run out of lives. Your only option is to inch your way forward through the whole map, flying a couple of pixels forward and then firing your machinegun while hovering up and down. With some luck, you will be able to take out the machineguns without them firing back at you. Problem with that approach (besides being completely annoying): You can and will destroy unseen buildings this way which can lead to hostages and enemies to come out, and if both are mixed together on the ground running back and forth, you might as well restart the level since you won't be able to kill the enemies while saving the hostages. Of course, you can only kill so many hostages before it's game over anyway so tough luck! This is the second reason this game doesn't play well. In the penultimate level, one building has both hostages and soldiers purposely designed to come out together just to make it frustrating.

Then there is the last level (the game has only five levels which are not very large or take long to beat) which takes place in a temple of all places. Why they would ever decide to send a Helicopter into an underground temple is beyond me, but ok. The rooms and passageways are so tiny that you have virtualy no space to maneuvre and the slightest collision with a wall or ceiling will destroy your chopper. Again, the two hostages you MUST save are mixed with enemies so you can't just strafe them with your machinegun. I really wanted to like this game even if it's short, but without using savestates it becomes next to impossible to finish even with unlimited lives due to the hostages that you will keep hitting by accident.

It's really a shame because as I wrote earlier, the production values are really nice and remind me of Cannon Fodder a lot, especially the explosions.

I give it 0 out of 5 crashed choppers!

Shatterhand · 22 October 2019, 17:29

I remember I used to love that game to bits, but I haven't played in ages.

And I never finished it, never beat the temple level indeed.

McTrinsic · 22 October 2019, 18:42

Are you talking about Fort Apocalypse?

r.cade · 22 October 2019, 18:59

I watched the long play and I don't see how you are supposed to know what background elements you can pass through vs. crash into... It all looks the same to me.

Cherno · 22 October 2019, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by r.cade

I watched the long play and I don't see how you are supposed to know what background elements you can pass through vs. crash into... It all looks the same to me.

Yeah... that's also a minor issue but you quickly get the hang of it. Another thing I don't like is how some buildings can be destroyed while otehrs that look exactly the same are just decoration. Oh... and that you actually receive damage if you hover too close to a building that blows up. C'mon, I'm in a (thinly) armored attack helicopter and that's just a wooden hut in front of me!

Interestingly, like in Desert Strike, you control an Apache helicopter but it has the inlaid rear rotor of a Comanche.

DamienD · 22 October 2019, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by McTrinsic

Are you talking about Fort Apocalypse?

That doesn't exist on the Amiga.

They are talking about this game: Apocalypse

daxb · 22 October 2019, 20:03

If the game is to hard then cheat.

http://hol.abime.net/3282/cheatcode

Predseda · 22 October 2019, 20:14

I remember I was very excited from one level demo that came with magazines and looking forward to the complete game. And how frustrated and dissapointed I was when it was released. Reminded me a bit of Walker.

Predseda · 22 October 2019, 20:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cherno

Interestingly, like in Desert Strike, you control an Apache helicopter but it has the inlaid rear rotor of a Comanche.

In Apocalypse it is more like Blackhawk.

Shatterhand · 22 October 2019, 20:22

I remember it took me a while to beat the 1st level, much more than the later ones up until the one I couldn't beat.

You really need some time to get the hang of the game and how to deal with the anti-air missiles and stuff.

But I really remember having lots of fun with the game. I really should try it again now, though I probably will be destroyed by the game very quickly, barely remember anything about it.

Had never seen that Fort Apocalypse game before, took a look on Youtube and yeah, it's the same idea I guess, but the Amiga game is a lot more modern.

Also very impressed with that being a 1982 game (Fort Apocalypse on the C64, not Apocalypse on Amiga obviously, which was released in 1994)

Anubis · 22 October 2019, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cherno

Interestingly, like in Desert Strike, you control an Apache helicopter but it has the inlaid rear rotor of a Comanche.

That looks more like Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin.

spacey · 29 October 2019, 07:36

heh yeah i gave this a try recently and the shells/missiles/whatever that fly in from off the left of the screen are utterly infuriating.

Predseda · 29 October 2019, 08:19

They come from the mountain gun, you must destroy it ASAP, coz it is fckin accurate.

Shatterhand · 29 October 2019, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Predseda

They come from the mountain gun, you must destroy it ASAP, coz it is fckin accurate.

You only start playing the game when you figure this out. If you don't it's just a big frustration trip

Anubis · 29 October 2019, 13:16

Wait a second, did we loose our touch to figure game strategy on fly?

That aging EAB population...

bunch of ol' farts!

sneckburger · 05 November 2019, 13:40

I remember this game. It's the one where even when you've been shot down the gunners carry on shooting at you. trigger happy SOB's

22 October 2019, 17:22	#1
Cherno Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Dortmund, Germany Posts: 1,054	Apocalypse - I didn't remember it being that bad! I am currently on a Helicopter action game spree so I remembered Apocalypse. I played it quite a bit in my youth but never finished it, though I did reach the final level in the temple a few times. What I mainly remembered were the detailed graphics and jungle setting. When I fired it up again a few days ago, I quickly noticed that this game has quite a number a severe gameplay issues that mar the enjoyment. Namely, it is hard! A hard game is not bad per se, but in this case, it's unfairly difficult. Two main reasons: There are these small machinegun nests that will fire at you from beyond the screen borders, and these bullets travel rapidly so there is little chance to avoid them. They drain your armor quickly and since you can only get a max amount of two lives per level, (without any health to be regained during a mission!), you will quickly run out of lives. Your only option is to inch your way forward through the whole map, flying a couple of pixels forward and then firing your machinegun while hovering up and down. With some luck, you will be able to take out the machineguns without them firing back at you. Problem with that approach (besides being completely annoying): You can and will destroy unseen buildings this way which can lead to hostages and enemies to come out, and if both are mixed together on the ground running back and forth, you might as well restart the level since you won't be able to kill the enemies while saving the hostages. Of course, you can only kill so many hostages before it's game over anyway so tough luck! This is the second reason this game doesn't play well. In the penultimate level, one building has both hostages and soldiers purposely designed to come out together just to make it frustrating. Then there is the last level (the game has only five levels which are not very large or take long to beat) which takes place in a temple of all places. Why they would ever decide to send a Helicopter into an underground temple is beyond me, but ok. The rooms and passageways are so tiny that you have virtualy no space to maneuvre and the slightest collision with a wall or ceiling will destroy your chopper. Again, the two hostages you MUST save are mixed with enemies so you can't just strafe them with your machinegun. I really wanted to like this game even if it's short, but without using savestates it becomes next to impossible to finish even with unlimited lives due to the hostages that you will keep hitting by accident. It's really a shame because as I wrote earlier, the production values are really nice and remind me of Cannon Fodder a lot, especially the explosions. I give it 0 out of 5 crashed choppers! Last edited by Cherno; 22 October 2019 at 18:41.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Zombie Apocalypse 2	Amigajay	support.Games	36	14 October 2017 12:55
X-Men: Ravages Of The Apocalypse	utri007	request.Old Rare Games	14	29 October 2016 01:37
Anyone remember "Bad Influence" on ITV?	chiark	Nostalgia & memories	87	22 September 2011 11:40
Apocalypse type game	TTSAddict	Looking for a game name ?	3	07 November 2005 15:16
Zombie Apocalypse I and II	TikTok	HOL data problems	1	09 March 2004 20:23

22 October 2019, 17:29	#2
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	I remember I used to love that game to bits, but I haven't played in ages. And I never finished it, never beat the temple level indeed.

22 October 2019, 18:42	#3
McTrinsic Registered User Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Germany Posts: 527	Are you talking about Fort Apocalypse?

22 October 2019, 18:59	#4
r.cade Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA Posts: 550	I watched the long play and I don't see how you are supposed to know what background elements you can pass through vs. crash into... It all looks the same to me.

22 October 2019, 20:03	#7
daxb Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 3,303	If the game is to hard then cheat. http://hol.abime.net/3282/cheatcode

22 October 2019, 20:14	#8
Predseda Puttymoon inhabitant Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tromaville Age: 46 Posts: 7,539	I remember I was very excited from one level demo that came with magazines and looking forward to the complete game. And how frustrated and dissapointed I was when it was released. Reminded me a bit of Walker.

22 October 2019, 20:22	#10
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	I remember it took me a while to beat the 1st level, much more than the later ones up until the one I couldn't beat. You really need some time to get the hang of the game and how to deal with the anti-air missiles and stuff. But I really remember having lots of fun with the game. I really should try it again now, though I probably will be destroyed by the game very quickly, barely remember anything about it. Had never seen that Fort Apocalypse game before, took a look on Youtube and yeah, it's the same idea I guess, but the Amiga game is a lot more modern. Also very impressed with that being a 1982 game (Fort Apocalypse on the C64, not Apocalypse on Amiga obviously, which was released in 1994)

29 October 2019, 07:36	#12
spacey Registered User Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: New Zealand Posts: 63	heh yeah i gave this a try recently and the shells/missiles/whatever that fly in from off the left of the screen are utterly infuriating.

29 October 2019, 08:19	#13
Predseda Puttymoon inhabitant Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tromaville Age: 46 Posts: 7,539	They come from the mountain gun, you must destroy it ASAP, coz it is fckin accurate.

29 October 2019, 13:16	#15
Anubis Retro Gamer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Underworld Age: 51 Posts: 4,058	Wait a second, did we loose our touch to figure game strategy on fly? That aging EAB population... bunch of ol' farts!

05 November 2019, 13:40	#16
sneckburger Registered User Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Wakefield Posts: 203	I remember this game. It's the one where even when you've been shot down the gunners carry on shooting at you. trigger happy SOB's

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)