Alien Syndrome
This game is basically a reboot of the light gun shooter franchise "Area 51" which at the time I remember having a lot of fun with, it's true that game hasn't aged well, it's graphical presentation makes the game pritty silly looking and the pacing is kinda slow, though it's still kinda fun for noltalgic purposes.
This reboot better because it's one of the examples of reboots to franchises done the right way, putting it into the first person genere fit like a glove because it actually felt a bit more engaging.
The graphics are good I really like the design of the Area 51 facility, it really feels like you in an actual secret goverment facility, I like the use of the darkness and some of the sterility really makes the place seem forboding and facinating at the same time, where there can be danger within the next turn or in the shadows. Or even certain facinating secrets waiting to be uncovered. I like how the enimies are designed there is a decent variety of them, from some alien mutants that look uncanily similar to the alien race in the "Resistance" series. But the best one for me are the Illuminati soilders whom are these glowing masked soilders in which we never see their faces but that just adds to their menice and enigma, though personally I don't think their human their either mutants or aliens I don't know all the same their worthy opponents, from some of their a.i. and weapons they carry that could really make you double your efforts in executing them. Control is solid, even when you do some of the platforming it doesn't feel awkward it's responsive.
Doesn't seem that special, but I think what makes this stick out a bit are a couple of the features that were for their time unique like changing into a mutant where your able to claw at your alien attackers or send paricites to destroy or keep the aliens busy so you can make your kill. But you can only retain this form for so long, so use it wisely however you don't use this feature that much so I wouldn't worry. And the fact you can have use two guns at the same time, which is cool because that just doubles the firing and stopping power, you'd be able to waste you opponents quicker. But of course you can't load the second gun so this is also temporary, so make the shots count.
I also like the developing plot and story, it's interesting as you progress but I like how there are little references to the unexplained phenomina case, like the Illuminati whom are a secret society suspected of many things two of the suspisions are that there are aliens in their organizations or they had some sort of involvement with the "Area 51" cover up. And the voice acting is great from it's casting which shows that voice acting in video games can be good as long as it has the right people involved. The fact actor David Ducohnvy lent his voice this game is a perfect fit since I'm a fan of "The X-Files" but most of all it just has that noir like quality. I kinda which he did a little more voice acting for video games because it just sound great. Even like that Powers Boothe lends support as well, I like that actor to.
I don't really have any problems with it, if there is a problem is that the story isn't that memorable. Despite the pluses I gave it, for some reason it doesn't really stick with my like the stories in most other survival horror games like "Silent Hill" or "Resident Evil", it could be because the main character you don't really know so there's the lack of emotional attachment; or that the developing plot is missing a certain zest, I'm not sure.
"Area 51" is a solid first person shooter, it isn't a A rank shooter like the "Halo" or the "Resistance " series more of a B rank shooter nothing new but everything done right, and that's fine by my as long as I'm having fun. If your a fan of the sub genere, unexplained phenomina, or heck a fan of "The X-Files", then Area 51 is worth a visit.