Abuse

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: 1996
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Platform Shooter
• Similar Games: Blackthorne (IBM PC Compatible), Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis), Gunstar Heroes (Sega Game Gear)

Game Description

The year is 2009, and Nick Vrenna has just been sent to a secret underground prison where horrible and illegal genetic experiments have been taking place, a la Alan Blake. Blake has just found the human gene, known as Abuse, which causes aggression and hostility. You assume the role of Vrenna, and must escape. That is the easy part. Bad news: the prisoners have turned into alien monsters, so of course, you will have to blast your way out. In the grand tradition of 2D action platformers, Abuse has it all. Everything from dark, side-scrolling prison levels filled with perplex puzzles, switches, and alien monsters, to a massive assortment of special items and weapons.

Review: Overall

Crack Dot Com's Abuse is an action packed 2D platformer where assume the role of Nick Vrenna, a one-man-army, who has escaped captivity during a prison riot. You must find Alan Blake, a mad scientist who has discovered the secret behind human aggression, and intends to use it. The people that have received the gene have turned into organic aliens. You know what you must do: kill the monsters and stop Blake.

The game takes place in the dark, secret, massive underground prison. There are many levels to tackle before you reach the command center and put an end to Blake's wrongdoing. On each level, you must find the teleporter that takes you to the next level while you face many monsters and robots. Monsters range from prisoners turned mutant, to mechanical baddies such as the Juggers and Fliers. Thankfully, you will not have to take them down with your bare hands. Abuse supplies a massive weapons arsenal to chose from, such as, the heat seeking rocket launcher, napalm rifle, and a death saber. Some weapons have no effect on certain enemies, while some shred them apart. It is up to you to discover monster weaknesses and immunities. Certain weapons can also be used to blast through walls, and special abilities, such as, anti-gravity boots, give Vrenna the ability to fly. The visuals in Abuse are adequate. The 2D sprite based graphics are very dark, eerie, and sometimes just plain scary. Good light sourcing has also been included, which helps with the DARK rooms. The sound is also well done. The ambient music makes for a scarier gameplay experience, as does the monster sounds, which can be a tad too startling and scary at times. Controlling Abuse is a dream. Used your mouse to aim your weapons and the keyboard to move or change weapons. Gameplay feels a little more realistic with this setting, and gives the player an overall better feel for the game.

Crack Dot Com has also added a few neat little features, such as map editing, and networking. With the map editor, you can create the level of your dreams, a simple process. Just click and drag the textures onto the work screen. You can also take your skills on the Internet and battle people worldwide.

Abuse is a great game. While it is a bit difficult at times, it is an amazing amount of fun that features top notch gameplay. Anyone looking for an all out slaughter fest with some puzzle solving, could not go wrong picking up a copy.

Review: Enjoyment

At times, the game may seem unbalanced due to the amazing amount of enemies. Some puzzles are vague and hard to figure out.

Review: Graphics

The 2D graphics are dark and eerie, although not very advanced, but characters and enemies are well animated, and light sourcing adds more realism.

Review: Sound

The ambient music adds an extra layer of darkness, with monster sound effects that will scare and startle.

Review: Replay Value

The game is an amazing amount of fun with multiplayer and level designer features keeping you coming back for more.

Review: Documentation

The manual is very basic, explaining items and weapons found throughout the game.