1 player, horizontal game
Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx
$34.95
Stereo? No

OVERVIEW:
Inspired by various science-fiction movies popular with the masses, in the near future the worldwide conglomerate known as Megacorp developed you, the Electrocop. As the only one of your kind, you have tirelessly served the public interest, and today you have been summoned with a crisis: The President's daughter has mysteriously disappeared, and is believed to be kidnapped.

Megacorp's intelligence net says that she is being held in an abandoned warehouse by a new robotic creation called the Criminal Brain. Worse, the place has been rendered impregnable with an array of traps, weapons, and computer-sealed doors. Megacorp deems that only you, with your superior design, security countermeasures, and total loyalty can breach this fortress. You have one hour to search the building, survive the dangers within, and confront this mysterious being to find the truth behind these happenings.

GAMEPLAY:
When everything is said and done, Electrocop is a real-time action-adventure game presented in a three-dimensional view. Each level of the warehouse is a maze, with drones and weapons to be destroyed and exits to be found. You are initially equipped with a laser gun, but can find more powerful weapons throughout the game. Many of the passages contain computer-locked armored doors, which are opened when the proper security code is given. Computer terminals also allow you to repair wounds, fix damaged weapons, search for security codes, or play simple video games to pass the time.

That's the entire game, and that's the problem. Electrocop is fairly limited in its gameplay; the only real adventuring aspects are in opening doors and exploring the levels. There are weapons to find and enemies to fight, but most of them can be defeated by simply firing like mad. Worse, there is little randomness to the game -- the layouts of the levels and the combinations to the doors never change, making this title very prone to memorization. Most of the time with this title will be spent constantly mapping levels and cracking codes, and as with many adventure games, once Electrocop is solved, there is little incentive to play it again.

GRAPHICS/SOUND:
Electrocop is played with a 3D perspective view, shown as a camera that tracks you everywhere. This result in some of the most eye-popping effects ever seen in a video game; you run not only left and right, but also into and out of the action, an effect unduplicated by any other video game. Quality graphics are everywhere, from the detailed, smooth-scaling graphics to the cinematic sequences at the start and the end of the game. The only problem is that your character is too large; you don't see enough to your left and right, producing a "tunnel vision" effect.

Sounds are a little more mixed, but still impressive. Actual game sounds consist of explosions, weapons fire, and assorted bells and warning klaxons, all done nicely. What steals the show, though, is the music: there are a number of high-quality soundtracks, from classical to rock, all capturing the intense tempo of the game itself. The futuristic title theme is especially catchy, and runs throughout much of the game.

SUMMARY:
This card was a brilliant concept that didn't completely clicked; the race against the clock and the real-time exploration/combat elements are hampered with uninspired gameplay and little variety. Electrocop's stunning visuals and sounds make it fun to watch, but whether you'd buy a game for its razzle-dazzle is a personal decision.

	6
	9
	9
	7.5

Rating values  10 - 8   Great! This game can't get much better.
                7 - 5   Good. Average game, could be improved. 
                4 - 2   Poor. For devotees only.               
                    1   Ick. Shoot it.