Alpha Prime review

There’s something unsettling about an FPS that comes out of nowhere. Even the very worst FPS games tend get noticed a bit, mainly because of press releases that shyly claim “unprecedented realism” and “immersive gameplay.”

So, for a game that’s had close to zero press, it’s a surprise to report that Alpha Prime - available here isn’t, well, all that bad. The script may be Engrish-delivered with stilted ham-sodden madness, and there’s very little to rescue the game from mediocrity, but Alpha Prime looks good, plays OK and sounds - well, it sounds like an insane Italian guy.

The plot revolves around space prospectors who’ve been driven mad by the stuff they’re looking for. This “hubbardium” - take that, Scientology - could be a safe metal, or could just be a mythical creature’s bones. Refined hubbardium has the side effect of charging up a bullet-time bar, which is convenient for a modern FPS.

The other gimmick is a hacking tool for controlling doors, machines and cameras. It’s not an evolution of gameplay, and the AI is played straight on - enemies hide and fire guns. You’ve played a dozen games like it, but maybe you enjoyed them.