Lander (video game)

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Lander
Developer(s)	Psygnosis
Publisher(s)	Psygnosis
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release date	1999
Genre(s)	Action shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Media	CD-ROM, DVD-ROM
System requirements	166Mhz processor, 16Mb video memory with D3D or Glide support.

Lander is an action shooter game developed in-house at the Manchester office of Psygnosis for Microsoft Windows. It was released in Spring 1999 and published under the Psygnosis label shortly before the Manchester office was closed and the Psygnosis label was fully absorbed into Sony. Lander was inspired by the classic game Thrust (and to a lesser extent Lunar Lander), and featured similar gameplay of controlling a ship with realistic thrust and inertia, but with a new 3D game environment.

[edit] Gameplay

The player takes on the role of a mercenary lander pilot, looking to make his fortune. On each planet the player is able to select from a list of jobs offered by various companies.

The game features a series of missions in which the player must manoeuvre their ship, controlled by adjusting the three axis of rotation and a thrust button, over planet's surfaces and into winding mine shafts. Each mine contains a pod which must be collected using the ship's tractor beam, and which then must be brought back to the surface without suffering collision. This is particularly challenging as the mines are often claustrophobic and the pod has its own weight and inertia which must be taken into account. At the same time, the player must avoid incoming fire from the turret defence systems scattered around the levels, and keep an eye on their fuel levels. After each mission, the player can spend their payments on upgrading the ship and its components.

Although Lander had an arcade feel, controlling the ship in three axis proved quite difficult to master, often taking days for some to become confident and competent. The control system relied upon mouse movement to control tilt and roll, whilst the keyboard controlled the yaw. Due to this unique control system and unlike the earlier games it was inspired by, Lander was never particularly popular outside of a small loyal fan base.

Critically, the game was badly received by most critics, but had occasional highly positive reviews by those who had found the control system to be rewarding rather than frustrating.

[edit] Trivia

Lander was the first Psygnosis game to be released on the DVD format, making it the first game in the UK to come out on the new medium^{[citation needed]}.

Upon completion of the Lander demo one can read a R.I.P. note and well-wishings from the US Psygnosis section regarding the closing of the UK Psygnosis section.