I only decided to play through the full game because a lot of reviewers had positive comments about it from playing the console version, and I am not one that is afraid of being proven wrong. I was right about the demo, but the demo is no reflection on the full game.
Area 51 has the voice talents of David Duchovny (Fox Mulder in The X-Files) who plays you (or your character's voice at least), Marilyn Manson (Rockstar) who plays an Alien named Edgar that is trying to help you and Powers Boothe (Senator Roark in Sin City) who plays your commander on the surface. The game benefits greatly from the excellent voice acting. David does short monologue entries at the start of each stage of the game and these paint a dark an sinister scene, that frankly the gameplay lacks, but the monologues are shout and done well.
You play Ethan Cole (voiced by Mr Duchovny) who is the science guy in a squad of four who get sent into hazardous combat zones. And in this mission the squad is sent to Area 51 after somekind of virus escapes from a lab and starts infecting the scientists.
I wouldn't say the plot was deep, but for a FPS it is more than what we as gamers are usually privy to. My only concern is that a lot of the plot points aren't developed. So for example at one point Ethan injects some of Edgar's Alien blood in his body and this is then forgotten despite Edgar's warnings of the consequences. I was expecting something to change in the game or for this to be backreferenced, but Edgar is never heard from again after that, so the whole sequence is unrewarding.
Gameplay wise Area 51 is just your usual run and gun affair. There are two types of grenades, a pistol, shotgun, semi-automatic, sniper-rifle, an alien weapon that charges itself so doesn't need ammo pickups and another alien weapon that can clear large areas. There is also a mutated form that you can morph in that increases your speed, gives you a strong melee attack and a yellow virus blast attack. That sounds like a lot, but it isn't because each weapon is only useful in one given situation and there aren't many enemies either, but the selection is varied and so are the levels, so the gameplay doesn't get dull at any stage during the game.
Being a scientist you have a scanner that you can use to scan alien bodies and other objects throughout the game. In each section of the game there are five special items that when scanned will unlock an item description on the games menu screen. This then allows you to read more about the item that you scanned. By unlocking these descriptions you then unlock video diaries for Dr Cray and the leader of the Illuminati.
I setout to hate this game because the demo was so bad, but I ended up likeing it. Not because of anything in particular, but it has an easy going nature about itself, the presentation isn't taken too seriously and since Area 51 is a multiplatform title that is understandable because it isn't the nicest looking title out. The game however makes up for all this with textbook FPS gameplay, varied environments and small rewards that make give the player a desire to see how the plot plays out and what secrets are locked away in the deepest levels of Area 51.
4/5
