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Genre: Arcade/Action

Format: 1 CD

Developer: de Software

Publisher: Freeverse

Minimum System Requirements: 333MHz G3, Mac OS 8.6 or Mac OS X, 56MB RAM, 350MB hard disc space

Review Computer: 867MHz G4, Mac OS X v10.3, 640MB RAM, ATI RADEON 8500

Network Feature: GameSmith or LAN

Price: $19.95

ESRB Rating: N/A

Availability: Now

First of all, understand this; I'm a sucker for this type of game. I'll guess it's because I was right around 12-years-old when arcade games really started to hit it big, so I was the right age for it. Back then, arcade games were simple to get the hang of. You didn't have to master the controls, you just had to master the game. That's where the fun was.

You don't get a lot of that in computer games these days, and I'm okay with that. Shelling out $50 on a game is a bit different than dropping 25 cents into a machine, so you want the game to last quite a while. The more difficult it is, the more enjoyment you ultimately get out of it. However, I still love it when I can load a game on my machine and start playing right away.

Such is the case with Freeverse Software's Active Lancer. It's a scrolling action game of the type we've seen dozens of times before. If Xevious, 1941 and Raiden are a bit too far removed from your Macintosh, then think of Ambrosia Software's Mars Attacks or Deimos Rising and you'll know pretty much what this game is. The screen scrolls down and you shoot up and the multitude of enemies who come down at you. You also bomb both stationary and mobile ground units. Along the way, you can get power-ups that allow you to switch to more powerful weapons and repair your shields.

Now, I firmly believe that there's nothing wrong with updating games like this. Freeverse themselves have done it quite well, turning the basic gameplay of Time Pilot into the wonderful WingNuts (which has a sequel on the way). With Wingnuts, though, Freeverse added their wit and sense of style to the game, which helped separate it from its influences. With Active Lancer, we get an update and little more.

What are the differences? Well, you're not in a space-ship or airplane, you're in a winged flight suit. This would mean nothing, except that you get your choice of three different characters with different skills in their flight suits: one's more agile, one has better defense, and one's well rounded. Pick the one that best complements your game play style and have at it.

You can also lock on to ground units, which I don't believe we've seen before. Just over your cursor over the target for a second and you'll lock on for a sure hit. This is difficult when you're being assaulted by enemy air and ground fire, but it's very effective when you can pull it off. Plus, by locking on, you can pull out of the way and the lock remains, allowing you to destroy whatever's ahead of you and then drop the bombs. Just make sure you get that full lock before you fire, or else your bombs will be pretty much useless. Similarly, in a more common feature, you can charge up your air to air weapons for a more powerful attack.

Another cool new feature is the Rage Gauge. As you continue your attack, this gauge fills up, allowing you to pretty much go berserk when it fills. Your weapons become more deadly, your character increases flight speed, and shields regenerate more quickly for a short time. Very helpful, considering the difficulty of this game.

In that aspect, Active Lancer is a bit like Deimos Rising...it's just too hard to play in single player mode. There's an easy level, but it won't allow you to advance beyond level nine (there are a total of fifteen levels). There's also a practice mode in which you can start from every third level (1, 4, 7, etc.) provided you've reached that point. For instance, if you've completed level 7, you can start at 1, 4 or 7. If you've completed level 6, you can start at 1 and 4. This allows you to improve your skills, which you'll definitely need to do. Practice mode also provides you with power-up points so you can practice with different power-ups to see what'll suit you best. I never even attempted the hardest level. I doubt I ever will, no matter how much I practice. Making all of this worse is the lack of gamepad support (in the OS X version, anyway). It's possible to play games like this with the keyboard, but I have violent enemies to whom I wouldn't subject such torture. Well, not without the v1.0.1 update, anyway. If you don't already have that, download it. It makes gameplay a bit easier and adds more power-ups.

Also to make things easier, Freeverse has included a multiplayer component. Networked computers can play over their LAN, and you can also connect to Freeverse's GameSmith for some internet play. It can be difficult to find other players, however, so your best bet is to have a friend get the game as well and then set up times to go online and play. Two people can also play on the same computer, but you'll have to share a keyboard. The only thing worse than playing a game like this on a keyboard is having to share that keyboard with another player. de software has told me they're working on game pad support for OS X, and we'll certainly revisit this review once that's made available.

The game progresses thusly. It opens with a rather long cinematic intro, which is better than you'd expect in a game like this, but it tries too hard to be funny at times...the humor doesn't work (rare for a Freeverse game) and it doesn't really fit the game. After this, you select your difficulty level and lancer, then you're off. There are five stages of three levels each, and at the end of each stage is a boss ship. After you kill the boss, you can use the points you've accumulated to upgrade your lancer or even purchase more lives. The upgrades are quite necessary for survival in the later levels, so make sure you destroy as much as you can so you can buy more stuff.

I wonder, though, what kind of military only offers better equipment only to those who kill a lot? "Sorry, Private Hiner, you only killed 35 enemies today. That's just good enough for another flak jacket. Another 20 and we could've given you a med-kit and a bigger gun. Good luck! Army of one!"

Active Lancer looks great, but you don't get a lot of time to enjoy it. The action's intense, with only brief respites for you to catch your breath and take in the scenery. The enemy ships may have had some interesting designs, but I was too busy trying to kill them to pause and admire them. It's easier to appreciate the audio of the game, with a nice soundtrack that enhances the action and with some excellent weapons and explosion audio effects. You can tell how intense the action is just by hearing someone else play it in another room. Of course, his screams of frustration as the game kicks his butt will be a good clue as well.

Active Lancer's a good game in a sea of similar good games. It's also slightly different in the same way that any other game of this type is slightly different. If you're on a LAN or have a good internet connection, the multiplayer options are Active Lancer's best feature. If you're using human hands instead of secret, government-financed and researched robot fingers, the lack of game pad support is Active Lancer's worst feature.

So, there's stuff here to like, and there's stuff here to not like. Problem is, we can say that about too many games, and thus, too many games end up just being average. Active Lancer is right there, being average with them. I'll play it, and I'll enjoy it, but I'd be just as happy saving up my quarters for a nice round of Xevious.