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By Lonnie on December 21st, 2001
Introduction Pretty much all we see these days on PC is either another FPS or another RTS/RPG. Codename Outbreak, The first in Virgin Interactive’s Budget line, also falls into this category. With so many great games out like, Ghost Recon, or Castle of Wolfenstien one might be reluctant to purchase this game, and who can blame you? With clichés from almost every sci-fi I can think of, Codename: Outbreak is at best average. If your looking for a good time, decent graphics, and a very strange story line. Perhaps you will enjoy this game.Presentation In today’s world, FPS’s have came across a major change. More and more becoming story driven and less focused on online play. Codename Outbreak is no different. The menu can be a bit confusing at times but you will be used to it in no time.Graphics & Sound If you are unlucky enough to not own a 3d accelerator card don’t even bother. With full acceleration this game is pretty nifty. Textures are all well done however they tend to blur out a little to soon. For a game with both first and third person perspectives the character models are fairly good. Sound effects are amazingly well thought out however you will find the voice acting terrible. Music is nothing new but keeps you in the action. Gameplay Pretty much the same as about every other story driven FPS game out there. During what appeared to be a very routine observation of the night sky, astronomers discover a new object in the Ursa Major, a constellation zone. . The subsequent computations confirmed that the comet was inbound from another galaxy. Such a rare event became a worldwide sensation in the wink of an aye. Moving at a tremendous speed the guest from another galaxy could soon be seen with a naked eye in the sky at night. However, the exultation vanished into thin air as soon as the scientists reported about probabilistic trajectory of the comet: it could collide with the Earth. After verifying the calculations, state authorities began preparing for the possible catastrophe and evacuating the cities. Humans got ready for the worst. Passing in dangerous proximity to the Earth, the comet scorched the atmosphere and hundreds of meteorites poured their fiery rain down causing death and destruction, evoking tsunamis, hurricanes and earthquakes. When ash and smoke cleared away, the survivors could see the cities lying in ruins and the meteorite-pitted lands. A sluggish reconstruction after the devastation was begun. Though meteorites lying deep in craters were not exactly dead stones - they gave birth to new life around them. The recently frequent cases of people disappearing served the first foreboding. Some time later the communication with one of the military laboratories researching meteorite samples was lost. The rescue party sent to the lab faced vigorous opposition trying to get inside. The guard killed in the skirmish was partially absorbed by an alien organism, confirming the worst apprehensions of biological contamination. Alien life forms brought by meteorites in spores spread fast. After the incubation period aliens transformed into parasite organisms capable of total subduing their prey. An infected person lost self-control and proved unable to perceive his environment. The epidemic broke out. The sites of meteorite falls were most severely infected. Whole regions and settlements were under alien control. Their organized groups raided the neighboring territories. Humans, exhausted after the catastrophe, were losing ground every day. The enemy was undetectable: today your neighbor was your friend and tomorrow he was your foe. Humans did everything in their power to study and fight the aliens. Anything to stop the epidemic. This is where you come in. Investigate and avoid hostel’s.Lasting Appeal If your a fan of Sci-fi and Tom Clancy you will likely enjoy this title, or if your like the rest of the world and sick and tired of the same generic themes you will still like this game. What can I say its likable.Conclusion Part of the Anytime Anywhere 20 Bucks Program you can find this game for about 19.99 at just about any game dealer. Definitely worth the money. | 
