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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Featuring online play, Area 51 is set in the U.S. government's most top-secret and secure facility located in the Nevada desert. Players take on the role of Lt. Nick Cross, a hazardous biological waste specialist sent to investigate. During his investigation, Lt. Cross stumbles across alien creatures and becomes infected with a biological mutagen that eventually transforms him into something not quite human. To save the earth and himself, Lt. Cross must fight to solve the enigma of Area 51. Features extensive Single-Player Campaign: Battle through corridors of Area 51 and attempt to discover the secrets of the extraterrestrial menace before it is too late. Engage in an epic adventure through eight massive sections of a secretive complex. Equip yourself with more than 15 types of human and alien weapons and other equipment as you explore dark corridors. An infectious mutagen gives Lt. Nick Cross alien-enhanced physical abilities but is also slowly transforming him into an alien. Find the cure before it's too late and humanity is lost. Compete against your friends via a four-player split screen and system link through numerous multiplayer game modes including Death Match. Battle online where you can easily access the many systems allowing you to find your friends and set up your own matches. [Midway]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 92
BonusStage
The enemy AI on here smokes that which is found in Bungie’s FPS masterpiece, since everything here is vicious, blood-thirsty, filled with hatred, and most of all crack shots with whatever weapons they hold.
 88
Game Chronicles
For the most part Area 51 delivered a solid, fast, fun, and very challenging action-shooter, all set within a creative human-alien hybrid setting. Who wouldn’t love the chance to get a peek inside Area 51?
86
Kombo
A fun, exciting, and intense FPS that has varied and creative environments, well-designed weapons and creatures, fantastic graphics, and fabulous sound effects.
85
Game Informer
With guns firing at full tilt, and mindless carnage taking center stage, Midway has a surefire hit on its hands. [May 2005, p.108]
85
MS Xbox World
An interesting, atmospheric, engaging and most importantly fun to play shooter despite being a little mindless at times.
84
Xbox Solution
The gameplay is fantastic, it's a solid, fast paced shooter that will give you your fix for shooting the hell out of some aliens.
83
Team Xbox
A fairly long game for its type and it should give even the most veteran FPS fans 12-15 hours of excitement. The cut-scenes alone are with the price of a theater’s admission.
82
GameZone
The levels are well designed and there’s enough action here to do the genre justice.
80
GameBiz
The sound is exceptional and sets the atmosphere and pace of the game.
80
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Sucks all these sci-fi staples together into some kind of cliche black hole that also happens to look killer and deliver serious scares and thrills. [June 2005, p.96]
80
IGN
From its chaotic beginning to its clinically insane conclusion, Area 51 provides just enough classic FPS action and technical goodness to merit a great rating and honest recommendation.
80
Yahoo! Games
Dialogue is fantastic. The script's professionally written. Foul language is common, yet used in the appropriate context. Weapons come off as carefully balanced, and won't disappoint.
80
XboxAddict
All the production quality that went in to this title would have been great, had it not been botched by David Duchovny and a story that wants to be so much, but ends up being so little.
80
Warcry
Combines some of the basic FPS elements with some of the more dramatic things that have evolved from the recent FPS titles, and has collected them into a semi-solid mass that thoroughly entertains.
80
GameShark
As well as its gameplay is executed, and with first-class presentation, ultimately Area 51 cannot quite rise above the pack of other good first-person shooters on the Xbox.
80
Extreme Gamer
A well rounded FPS which gives you just enough to keep the controller in your hand.
80
Game Over Online
A strong game, but it succeeds kind of in spite of itself. It would've been nice to see a lot more originality in the game, but Area 51 is a fun ride, regardless.
80
G4 TV
While there are problems--too cutscene-heavy, some lame objectives, and the fact that there are infinitely more zombies than little green men--Area 51 is more than enough to make a believer out of you.
79
DailyGame
A solid shooter with some fun twists.
78
Xbox World Australia
If you enjoy first-person action games, Area 51 marks a solid entry that should keep you occupied if not wholly entertained for as long as it lasts.
75
VGPub
The game is really good one time through, but to suffer through Duchovny’s trance inducing voiceover again sends a shiver down my spine.
73
TotalGames.net
While the game may be some distance from Bungie's massive shooter in terms of quality, it's well worth a look for anyone after a quick blast in a game that will remind us all that the "X-Files" was once a decent TV show.
72
GameSpot
An average shooter that doesn't offer up more than a handful of satisfying thrills throughout its single-player and multiplayer modes. You'll certainly play worse FPS games in your lifetime, but you'll also certainly play better ones, too.
70
Play Magazine
But here again, another fun idea inevitably joins what feels like a game thrown together out of genre spare parts. [May 2005, p.39]
70
GamerFeed
While this spirited update to the 1996 light gun classic isn't nearly as polished or intelligent as some of the other games in its genre, it still provides tons of hardcore alien blasting and some slick special effects. The controls are spot on.
70
Computer and Video Games
Neither scary nor particularly engrossing, Area 51 is an exercise in keeping the trigger pressed and the aliens streaming out of the screen. The truth, it is sad to say, is still out there. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]
70
Worth Playing
With "Halo 2" and "Unreal Championship 2" being available on an already FPS-abundant console, Area 51 just doesn't deliver the same way those two can, even if you are a "believer."
70
DarkStation
The series moves from the light-gun to the overly saturated FPS genre, offering decent if unspectacular gameplay.
70
Gamestyle
Fans of the genre will find plenty to enjoy, from the spooky setting to the non-stop action. Live users can also enjoy the excellent lag-free games that it offers, which certainly makes Area 51 a game to consider.
70
AceGamez
A good, solid shooter that has a lot going for it but fails to achieve greatness, lacking that often indefinable sparkle that makes for a classic.
68
Inside Gamer Online
Probably only warrant a rental, which is basically all the time you'll need to play through this game. Area 51 truly is nothing but a hoax.
68
Official Xbox Magazine
If Midway's goal was to make a first-person shooter that was as deep as the lightgun blast-'em-up arcade game of the same moniker, it's succeeded admirably. The problem is, this is 2005, and the simple run-and-gun FPS went the way of the crop circle about six years ago. [Apr 2005, p.78]
67
Gaming Age
Area 51 is the antithesis of what first person shooter fans want. It is actually a better offline title than it is online.
65
Stuff
It gets off to a promising enough start, but then it stumbles, then trips over its own feet, then chokes on its own vomit, then dies a slow, miserable death.
65
1UP
Area 51 is in no specific way a bad game, it's just an exceptionally dated game. The player's objectives aren't much more evolved than an old Doom or Turok game, and the graphic presentation isn't up to par with the genre's best.
61
XGP Gaming
One of the highlights of Area 51 is definitely the weapons. There’s a very good variety of weapons at your disposal, all of which are standard to most first-person shooters.
60
GameSpy
It feels like we've traveled these claustrophobic corridors a million times before, and there's really nothing here to make you want to put down one of the far superior shooters that can be found on the Xbox.
60
Edge Magazine
Area 51 is entirely without inspiration, an exercise in slick, crowd-pleasing cookie-cutter cliché from the Jerry Bruckheimer school of entertainment manufacture. It is absolutely not bad, almost never broken, and usually a good deal of fun. [July 2005, p.92]
60
Sydney Morning Herald
Lacking any innovation, the best this game offers has already been done.
58
Game Revolution
But the bulk of the game takes itself far too seriously, so we are forced to admit that it falls short of other serious shooters.
55
GameCritics
Incredibly high production values can't mask a central lack of compelling gameplay.
50
games(TM)
There are moments when player adrenaline levels will rise above the base level, but they are so few and far between that in the end most will decide that slogging through the copious average sections simply isn’t worth the effort. [June 2005, p.116]
50
NTSC-uk
Only a must-play title for those obsessed with alien conspiracies, or those still hungry for more first-person horror after overturning the forces of Hell in Doom 3. For everyone else, the scariest thing about this game will be how quickly the credits roll, making it one title to be bought and thoroughly enjoyed essentially only on budget or rental.
Rick gave it a7: Pete W. gave it a7: Chris M. gave it a9: Rich S. gave it a10: J C gave it a9: Jazzbo gave it a7: B-rad H. gave it a10: |
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