Shockwave Assault

Shockwave Assault

Developer(s)	Electronic Arts
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Platform(s)	3DO Interactive Multiplayer, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC, Macintosh
Release date(s)	3DO ^NA 1994 PlayStation ^NA December 5, 1995 ^EU February 1996 Saturn ^NA 1996 ^EU 1996 PC ^NA June 1, 1997 ^EU 1997
Genre(s)	Flight Combat
Mode(s)	Single-player

Shockwave Assault, also released as simply Shockwave, is a science fiction flight combat shooting game for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC and the Macintosh. The player takes on control of a futuristic plane to defeat many extraterrestrial ships and tripods. The plane's main weapons are lasers and rockets. The game includes two discs. The first disc takes place on earth where the player must liberate the planet from the alien invaders. The second disc takes place on Mars. The game received a 3DO-exclusive sequel, Shockwave 2: Beyond the Gate.

Shockwave was a pack-in game for the Goldstar 3DO.^[1]

Plot

The year is 2019 and the alien invasion is here. In a surprise attack, the aliens decimate Earth's military forces. Mankind's only hope is the surviving orbital space carrier Omaha and its squadron of F-177 pilots. As the young and unexperienced member of the squadron, it is the protagonist's job to drive the aliens from the planet.^[2]

Gameplay

Most of Shock Wave takes place in the cockpit of a F-177 fighter. The fighter is armed with a rapid fire laser which consumes energy and a limited number of homing missiles. The ship automatically levels off when it stops turning. The thrusters consume fuel, but give the ship a useful burst of speed. The shield is depleted as the ship runs into things or is hit by enemy fire. Each of these resources can be replenished by flying under the refueling drones that are located at fixed locations in each mission.^[3]

The player must fight through ten missions, each with a boss at the end. The levels take place at various places around the Earth, and the terrain is modeled appropriately (Egypt has desert terrain, Peru has jungles, etc.). At the start of each mission the player is briefed on what to expect, and throughout the level, the on board computer gives additional information that changes depending on the player's performance.^[3]

Ports and sequels

The cover of the 3DO version, under its original title of Shockwave

The game received an expansion, Shock Wave: Operation JumpGate, on the 3DO. Both the original Shockwave and the expansion were combined under the title Shockwave Assault for Windows, Mac OS, Apple Pippin, PlayStation, and Saturn. It also received a 3DO-exclusive sequel, Shock Wave 2: Beyond the Gate.

Reception

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the 3DO version a 7.75 out of 10, criticizing the over-sensitive controls but praising the texture-mapped graphics and off-rails gameplay. They made particular note of the game's use of full motion video, saying that in sharp contrast to previous FMV-heavy games, the quality was sharp, the acting was good, and the overall use of FMV was "more of an addition to the game instead of the whole emphasis."^[4] GamePro was more critical, stating that FMVs would preempt the HUD display even in situations where the radar is needed, and the inability to alter altitude makes it feel "like you're flying in a box." However, they agreed that the texture-mapped graphics and FMV cutscenes are impressive, and concluded, "Shock Wave's tough adversaries and first-rate graphics make it a decent 3DO shooter."^[5]

References