

Alien Breed: Tower Assault
reviewed by Jason D'Aprile

The third and final game of the overhead shooter Alien Breed series is not only easily the best Breed yet, but proof that the Amiga (even the lowly A500) can still provide a heart-pounding, diehard arcade gaming experience. Using essentially the same graphics as seen in Alien Breed 2, Tower Assault creates a whole world to blaze through.
	Gone is the straight forward linear gameplay of most games of this type and in it's place is an incredibly complex series of pathways to explore. In Tower Assault, you start outside and then can opt to go inside immediately, or continue explorations of the bleak alien landscape. There are numerous entrances to find outside for the various towers and once inside, you still have plenty of choices as to where you can progress to. All told, there is something like 50 levels total and how you choose to explore them is left greatly up to you.
	The other main enhancement in the game is the addition of the "retreat mode." This feature allows you to shoot backwards as you run from alien encounters and it is useful beyond belief. Using the feature is also much easier if you have a two button controller, as Tower Assault makes good use of the extra button.
	As with all past Breeds, you have to find credits to buy new weapons and items, keys to open doors and ammo clips. The game hands out passwords eventually as well. Breed followers will also be happy to note that most doors in Tower Assault do not require the use of a precious key to open- only certain security doors need them( of course, on certain levels every door needs a key.). The game also features 2 player simultaneous action.
	One thing that hasn't been improved yet is the game's claustrophobic tendency for not allowing very free movement in tight spaces. Obstacles really slow your marines down( more then they should) and in two player mode, the players still have tendency to get in each other's way at times. Also, the nonhuman character's from Alien Breed 2's are gone, leaving only the two human marines( Which is just as well, since the alien marines were more gimmick then anything.).
	Even on the regular A500, Tower Assault looks incredible and sounds great as well. The game auto detects AGA machines and further enhances the visuals and audio effects. Alien Breed Tower Assault is chock full of atmospheric sounds and little graphic touches. Indeed, the whole atmosphere of the game is downright scary. There are levels in Tower Assault that will have your heart pumping with tension and effort as you race to escape or destroy the near overwhelming hordes of aliens.
	Quite frankly, there is no other game of this genre for any system that competes with the pure atmosphere and adrenaline pumping action of AB Tower Assault. Even the Chaos Engine, the other greatest game of this genre, can't compete when it comes to pure edge of your seat excitement. On the other hand, Chaos Engine's two player mode runs circles around Alien Breed's.
	Another factor to the enjoyment of Tower Assault is variety. The game has a great variety of weapons to buy and aliens to fights, but more then that, the actual levels are diverse enough to challenge virtually any gamer. There are dark levels where you need a flashlight to see and with black aliens that can only be seen by the light of their eyes. Raid through civilian levels, now covered with body parts and blood and struggle against military experiments gone haywire. In Tower Assault, as with AB2, you have to not only contend with a seemingly endless army of aliens, but with the man-made security systems as well- which can be much worse at times.
	Available on floppy, which works with both older and AGA Amigas, and on a souped up CD-32 version with cinematic sequences and added levels, Alien Breed Tower Assault is a game that action starved Amiga gamers will cherish. This is a great game filled with hours of alien bursting action. Alien Breed Tower Assault it easily one of the best examples of this game genre ever made. Next up in the Alien Breed series: Alien Breed 3D for AGA and CD-32. Finally, a Doom killer to call our own and I can't wait.
Amiga floppy version. Any Amiga, 1-2 players

