Theseus Return of the Hero: (31.4Mb)
Despite all the human efforts to resist monster invasion, the blood-thirsty creatures keep occupying new territories. Theseus, the hero of this game, arrived in a small European town and got into the very middle of such a battle. Of course Theseus immediately joins the fight against the aliens.
I was really surprised when I saw that this was free. So much so that I contacted the developer just to check, partly because I’ve come across several games that were purportedly for free (e.g. Emergency: Fight for Life), but were in actual fact still commercial, plus I’d only bought it a couple of years ago via Reflexive arcade, so I suspected the worst. Anyway, I received a quick reply confirming that it was indeed now freeware. They also added that they would be adding two more of their games to the free lists very soon. I know for certain that one was a previous giveaway, and both games are good quality games, which will be added to the growing list of free games myself and Wizzard of Oz are posting on a daily basis. (I’m keeping them back for a while though as there is only a limited supply of very good free games) I’ve posted images from Google and a four minute video of game play (accompanied by the title track of Black Sabbaths first ever album – Black Sabbath), both of which give a very good idea as to what to expect. It’s certainly a good quality game (IMO), that is well worth downloading, especially if you don’t have any of this genre. (Though if you’re not into run and shoot games that require little though, then this is probably not for you – though RIP {see below} may be more suitable as I seem to remember there is some thinking involved in that game). Here’s the download link for today’s game:
Theseus: Return of the Hero:
http://www.sigma-team.net/games/action/theseus-return-of-the-hero.html
There’s also a couple of games of this type, (one of which was previously given away on the game giveaway site) called RIP3 and Crimson Road, which you can download from Gametop.
Crimson Road:
http://www.gametop.com/download-free-games/crimson-road/
RIP3:
http://www.gametop.com/download-free-games/rip3/
Please be aware that games from Gametop do open up your browser when you turn your game off, but there is no comeback from this. Once you’ve turned the browser off; that’s it - though some of the later games do ask if you want a toolbar installed and even ask if you want Gametop set as your home page. These can easily be avoided though by un-checking the appropriate boxes when you first install the game. thereafter you'll just get the opened browser when shutting the game down.
I don’t intend using Gametop as the primary source of games when posting games for this weekday project, but if there is a game that’s similar to one that I’m posting like there is today, then I may include a download link to one or two of their games.
System Requirements:
Pentium II 400 MHz processor
Direct3D compatible 3D graphics card with 16 MB RAM
64 MB System RAM
DirectSound compatible sound card
Mouse compatible device
Basics:
- 10 missions, mostly taking place in open spaces
- lots of playing locations: forest, village, highway, city battles etc
- 6 types of weapons
- ability to upgrade the main character
- inventory shop where you can buy newest equipment between missions.
Cheats:
I though I’d add the following cheats for those who find the game hard. To enable cheat codes is necessary to type letters on the keyboard during the game. In ‘Survive’ mode the codes do not work.
In game mode:
cheate - complete level.
cheath - gives 1000 hp.
cheatw - gives all weapons.
cheata - + 1000 ammo
In the shop:
cheatm - + 50 000 money.
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Reviews and audiovisual material
The following is an excellent review by Michael Scarpelli:
In nearly all aspects, Theseus is identical to Alien Shooter. The game follows a new hero more commando clad than SWAT clad this time around ”who explores largely outdoor environments, for a change of pace. The storyline is as superfluous as Alien Shooter's as well. There has been an alien invasion and, clearly, someone needs to mop things up and make it safe for mankind again. That person is you, dear gamer.
Theseus then drops you in the thick of things with whatever weapons and character modifications (to health, strength, speed and accuracy) you can find or purchase along the course of your journey. Missions are as basic as the storyline, either dictating that the gamer simply fight their way to the exit. Bonus missions exist in the form of civilian rescues or target demolitions, but that's about it. Sigma-Team is not interested in cluttering the pure madness that is Alien Shooter style gameplay with distractions.
For those not familiar with the madness, I'll give you a breakdown. Theseus will have you facing off against hundreds of enemies at a time and thousands in every level. The body parts and blood of your alien foes will cover the ground and become the carpet you walk upon and you will forever remain one man in this fight against the horde. This is not your normal isometric shooter, oh no. By pushing the battles to an insane level of excess, Sigma-Team manages to make playing Theseus feel as if the gamer is playing a tricked out version of some more boring game. It's just like a code for Insane Enemies? and Crazy Ammo? got entered into a normal game ”and that's where Theseus kicks off.
The game is a blast to play (pun!), looks great (you won't believe the amount of enemies surging on your screen at once) and has a quirky soundtrack that is groovy to fight against aliens to. However, the game from start to end is woefully short. I was able to march through the entire adventure, spanning 10 levels, in under five hours. There is a survival mode, but that simply drops the player into a single small environment and sees how long they can last against increasingly tricky opponents.
Graphics: +
The graphics in Theseus are solid. The model renders are good, if not breathtaking. The environments are well done, but can be a bit busy, making it hard to see items and other relevant things from time to time. The enemies are where the game shines. It really is a sight to see your little commando squaring off against a gigantic swarm of enemies that are exploding every which way as you unleash fiery death. It's a lot of fun.Sound: +
The music in Theseus is pretty good as well. It's not the driving, thumping techno bit of work that Alien Shooter brought to the table, but it's a fitting, guitar-heavy macho ominous soundtrack for the kind of heavy action game that it is. It would have been nice to get some creature noises, but with the number of in-game baddies, that would have been a chore to pull off properly.Gameplay: +
The gameplay is very clean and very simple. Aiming and orientation is done with the mouse and movement with the arrow keys. This scheme can take some getting used to, but becomes second nature very quickly. The simplicity of the game and of the gameplay is what makes the short playing time somewhat of a boon: it would get old if the game went on too long. In two levels there are mounted weapons the player can use instead of their usual selection of six weapons, but they're used to minimal effect, especially since they aren't mobile, requiring that the gamer sit there and just take punishment from the enemy.Value: -
Theseus is a lot of fun packed into a very short time frame. This makes the game difficult to recommend universally. Gamers look for a quick escape and a little stress relieving alien destruction will really dig Theseus. However, anyone looking for the depth and replayability of a puzzle game will not find it here. Also, with Alien Shooter 2 on the way and boasting more levels, more weapons and more everything Theseus starts to look a little anemic.Concept: -
Theseus is an old idea done well. But so was Alien Shooter. Sigma-Team is going to get dinged for a few points here because their franchise hasn't really grown. It's almost as if Theseus was a tech test for the rain and nighttime effects used in the largely outdoor adventure that is Theseus. It even takes away features, like a second selectable character, that are present in Alien Shooter.Fun: +
The game is certainly a lot of fun. Check your brain at the door and get ready for some adrenaline fueled reflex twitching. Click that mouse and don't stop and carve your way to victory through almost endless enemies.Overall: "TRY"
I'm leaning heavily towards the BUY end of my TRY recommendation here. The very short playtime is my only sizable knock against this solid title. It's consistent to the series, so longtime fans won't be surprised or disappointed, but newcomers should beware the playtime. Also, can the game be recommended over Alien Shooter itself? It's hard to say, but I preferred the indoor environments of Alien Shooter. The many offices and doorways led to more interesting level design and more ways to evade the enemy. In the end Theseus is a solid addition to a library, but may not be the ideal first piece in a collection.
Reference: http://www.gametunnel.com/gamespace.php?id=250&tab=3 accessed 25th November 08
You can read several (14) mini reviews by the community via Reflexive by following the link below:
http://www.reflexive.com/index.php?PAGE=game_detail&AID=488
Video:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vIx3iz_d1Oo
Images:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=theseus%3A+Return+of+the+Hero&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2
Download Link:
http://www.sigma-team.net/games/action/theseus-return-of-the-hero.html
