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Trojan Volunteers - Damage Is Our Middle Name
Posted By: Steve LevinsonDate: 8/20/05 6:42 a.m.

At last we get to the truth, or do we? It seems that this alien attack isn't simply some random incursion. About a month ago (yeah, right), a mining operation on the colony discovered an alien site! Hmm, I wonder who was really here first, but more on that later. In any case, the aliens are flocking to this mining site and we aren't about to let them find whatever it is they're here for, so all we have to do is set up some thermonuclear charges to collapse the mine and seal the caves forever. What a pitty.

Again the Spoiler Guide doesn't do this level justice. This is a really cool level with three totally different environments and a very nice progression of action. The mining facility really looks like a mining facility - very nicely done. The alien cave area is very alien feeling - not unlike visiting the Pfhor ship for the first time. Lot's of green plasma - very cool. There are a couple of switches that are easily missed. At one point the player needs to jump off a ledge high over the mine area and land straight across in a small corridor where they have to flip a switch. This isn't at all clear and because the mine is so dark, it's easily overlooked. Only in map view is the corridor clear. Secondly, the player needs to activate a switch on a charge deep in the alien cave - it's pretty well hidden and also easily missed, but at least the player knows to look for it.

The music for this level is very appropriate - alien sounding at first, but building to a nice rhythm. The series of explosions at the end feel real. If the player is curious, you can indeed go back down into the mine after setting off the nuclear charges, but the entrance to the alien area is blocked - the switch in the airlock is destroyed. It would have been cooler to see evidence of an actual cave-in, but this is much simpler and at least they thought to do something. I can't begin to count the number of levels or scenarios I've played in which you do something significant, and then go back to find that nothing's changed. Being the explorer that I am, however, I still feel somewhat slighted. This sort of map begs for an end-of-play secret. How nice it would have been to go back down into the mine to find a reward.

Well, now that we've taken care of the aliens - for the time being anyway - it's time to find out what GenCorp is really up to. Get ready for Aggressive Marketing.

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