22 October 2019, 17:22 | #1 |
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. |
22 October 2019, 17:29 | #2 |
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 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 527
|
Are you talking about Fort Apocalypse?
|
22 October 2019, 18:59 | #4 |
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, 19:02 | #5 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Dortmund, Germany
Posts: 1,054
|
Quote:
Interestingly, like in Desert Strike, you control an Apache helicopter but it has the inlaid rear rotor of a Comanche. Last edited by Cherno; 22 October 2019 at 19:11. |
|
22 October 2019, 19:31 | #6 |
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London / Sydney
Age: 47
Posts: 20,420
|
|
22 October 2019, 20:03 | #7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,304
|
If the game is to hard then cheat. http://hol.abime.net/3282/cheatcode
|
22 October 2019, 20:14 | #8 |
Puttymoon inhabitant
|
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, 20:17 | #9 |
Puttymoon inhabitant
|
|
22 October 2019, 20:22 | #10 |
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) |
22 October 2019, 20:55 | #11 | |
Retro Gamer
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Underworld
Age: 51
Posts: 4,061
|
Quote:
Last edited by Anubis; 29 October 2019 at 13:14. |
|
29 October 2019, 07:36 | #12 |
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 |
Puttymoon inhabitant
|
They come from the mountain gun, you must destroy it ASAP, coz it is fckin accurate.
|
29 October 2019, 12:59 | #14 |
Warhasneverbeensomuchfun
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil
Age: 41
Posts: 3,450
|
|
29 October 2019, 13:16 | #15 |
Retro Gamer
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Underworld
Age: 51
Posts: 4,061
|
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 |
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) | |
Thread Tools | |
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 |
|
|