6 /10 1 Votes
Designer(s) Robert Leyland Composer(s) Brian Coburn Developer Jumpin' Jack Software | 3/5 Emuparadise Artist(s) Jenny Martin Initial release date 1995 Genre First-person shooter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Similar Virgin Interactive games, Shooter games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ghen war review for the sega saturn
Ghen War (ゲン ウォー) is a first-person shooter video game for the Sega Saturn console. It was developed by Jumpin' Jack Software and published by Sega in 1995. The game centers around a member of a mining crew, with an artificial powered exoskeleton resembling a power-loader. The crew, specifically the protagonist, must fight off a once-friendly alien race known as the Ghen, who suddenly turn on the humans.
Contents
Story
The game takes place in the future, years after an armada of aliens known as the Ghen made contact with human beings. The Ghen are seeking refuge from a bloody inter-galactic war with a super race known as the Bo-Kyat.
In exchange for their aid, human beings were given major advancements in science and technology, including bionic implant devices that make them immune to all disease. The Ghen also assist humans in locating materials on other planets through the creation of the Sunstar Solar Exploration Station.
The exploration team, composed of humans led by a man named Jenners, and Ghen led by Commander Xylan, is harvesting minerals on Titan when the story begins. For reasons unknown, Xylan orders his Ghen to enter their spacecraft and take off. Boxhead, an android scientist, informs Jenner that there is "stronium" activity (a presumably fictional material, not to be confused with strontium) nearby. After hearing that the Ghen have left, Jenner orders everyone back to the ship, including the 'Lieutenant' (the protagonist), in his exoskeleton.
The human team (including their pilot Gina and wise-cracking Akira) take off in their own ship, the Da Vinci, and try to make contact with the Sunstar station. The Ghen attack and destroy the station before turning their attention to the human ship. The humans manage to escape but soon begin a mission of disabling Ghen stronium reactors and thwarting their attacks, with the help of the Lieutenant and his exoskeleton.
The Ghen subsequently blame the crew of the Da Vinci for destroying Sunstar and Titan and invading Mars, and use human figureheads under their control like Commander Braxton to try to trick them into returning to Earth for disciplinary action. The Da Vinci easily realize their deception and continue anyway, with Relay Commander Reynolds (their only contact due to the interstellar communications blackout) informing them that the starship Goliath is dry-docked on Moonbase 12. After returning from the Moon, they wire Boxhead into the ship's communication systems to send a transmission directly to Earth, only to find Reynolds has also fallen under Xylan's control. After Xylan's transmission is intercepted by Wilson, now leading an underground resistance against the Ghen, they discover the Ghen are using the implants to sedate everyone on Earth. They then head for the implant manufacturing plant in Australia to liberate the sedated humans.
The game has multiple endings, but in the best ending, the player and the crew of the Da Vinci score a major victory against the Ghen. Unfortunately, the Ghen take a few hundred captive humans with them as they retreat from the Earth. The crew of the Da Vinci are hailed as heroes, and given medals and a Ghen ship capable of lightspeed. In prison, Xylan explains they were using humanity to test their only means of stopping the Bo-Kyat, which would have made them all slaves to the Ghen's war machines, but by blindingly clinging to the notions of freedom and independence, humanity has sealed its own doom. As the crewman questioning him and the player are left to wonder which of them will be proven right, the game ends with the crew excitedly taking off in their new ship.
Gameplay
Ghen War is a 3D first-person shooter that takes place from within a powered loader, equipped with various tools / weapons which it uses to fight off the Ghen. Most of the games information and HUD are displayed along the roll-bar of the hyper-suit.
The game features 20 levels in six different locations, including Venus, Mars, Deimos, and the moon. There are also two locations on Earth: Australia and NORAD.
Among its guns and missiles, the hyper-suit has unique features such as a claw-manipulator and the ability to cast a decoy suit, which attracts enemy attention.
Ghen War featured an early example of deformable terrain. Firing your weapons into a mountain would cause the mountain to wear away, much like explosions would cause craters and other similar effects.
Audio and Visuals
The story of Ghen War is told through a series of cut-scenes, done mostly in full motion video.
The soundtrack of the game was written by Brian Coburn, and it changes dynamically to meet the action taking place within the level.
Reception
The game received a 4.87 out of 10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly. Game Revolution gave it a C+.