The following quote from Home of the Underdogs effectively sums up this game:

Interphase is an average action game from Mirrorsoft that disappointingly squanders the license of Neuromancer, classic cyberpunk novel it was based on.

Interphase is a first person shoot-em-up taking place in cyberspace (a visual simulation of the inside of a computer system). The problem is that it doesn’t know that it’s a FPS – it desperately wants to be a simulation or deep hacking game instead. But what it boils down to is that Interphase is a shoot-em-up just like Quake is a shoot-em-up. It has levels, obstacles and objectives just like any other FPS and it’s just a shame (for Interphase) that they probably forked out a hefty sum for the Neuromancer licence to produce this game.

Ok, enough of dumping on the game I think, lets be a bit more positive now because Interphase IS in fact, rather fun. As I said before the bulk of the game takes place in cyberspace with you being required to complete certain objectives – track down and destroy a bothersome piece of software or disable a security system for example. There are some quite interesting puzzles to solve in the game, thought they do get a little “samey”. The controls and interface can be a slightly awkward at times but it doesn’t affect the game too much.

All in all Interphase, while definately worth taking a look at, is nothing special. There are much better FPS’ and hacking games out there.

The words do not exist that describe just how obscenely good this game is!

System shock is a 2D/3D adventure game (think Ultima Underworld or Normality) but set in a realistic Sci-Fi environment. The initial plot is standard cyberpunk bollocks – you are a hacker who was caught gaining illegal access to the system of a major corporation (major corporations are bad dontcha know, haven’t you ever played Syndicate?) The corps. CEO gives you a choice, be cyberneticaly enhanced and work for him, or its off to prison for you.

Not having testicles for brains, you choose the former.

After a few odd-jobs you are sent to Citadel, a gigantic corporate space station managed by an artificial intelligence called SHODAN (duh duh duuuuh!) Upon awakening from cryogenic suspension you find the station in chaos. The crew is dead.. or worse (yes WORSE!) and your only clues to what is going on are fragments of the crews personal logs and emails.

Visually the game is very nice, with rich VGA (or if you’re lucky, SVGA) graphics and atmospheric 3D environments (tho the enemies and moving objects in the game are 2D sprites ala DOOM). The heads up display works well (though it will confuse the hell out of you for the first five minutes) and can be customised so that you can choose what is displayed on screen.

It’s the plot and atmosphere that really stands out in SS though. Right from the beginning you are pushed through the game by various events – log fragments, emails, messages from SHODAN (its?)self. There is a tremendous feeling of decay all around you. Computer screens show nothing but snow, control panels spark, debris covers the floors and every so often you will come across the obligatory message written in blood (wooooOOOOO!!!)

Um.. what else (thinks) well, there a few very nice features in the game. One being that you can afford to die once in a while. Once you find and activate the healing booths that are on each level you will be automatically brought back to life should something nasty get the better of you, groovy huh?

OOOOH YES.. Cyberspace! Have you ever seen that movie Lawnmower Man? yeah me too, it fricken sucked didn’t it? But anyway, y’know the 3d environments used to represent cyberspace in the movie? well.. SS has those too.. they just aren’t as pretty. Find an access point and ‘jack in’ and you will be transported to a strange world filled with tunnels and geometric shapes. You can figure the rest out yourself because that’s half the fun

I can’t really think of much else to comment on. Combat is standard fare, either shoot things, blow them up or twat them over the head, the game has um.. puzzles.. and er.. zombies and.. and .. JUST PLAY IT!

I promise you that this is one game that you can’t afford to miss.