Something tells me that whatever path forward there is lies in the weird basement. So instead of continuing on the level I was, I return there. Not sure how these floors work and where this fits in the grand scheme of things. This is trying to be realistic, after all, in level design, even if it is failing. I'm noticing barrels and crates on the floor, ones that look like they should be explosive, but they don't damage ones nearby, so if they are, they're the lamest ones possible.
I find another teleporter...thing. This is definitely a new level, its got a pink ceiling. And there are humans now. I wasn't actually expecting that. I just assumed the entire game was robot and mutant city. He's a scanned person, probably a developer, which I guess puts this as the first FPS with one of those. If he was in the original, that puts this as a fairly early title. Not the first obviously, A-10 Tank Killer was earlier, and I'm sure others had that bit too. As an enemy, they're fairly quick on the draw, which considering the controls isn't really great.
But new enemies aside, I'm just not really finding anything. I eventually find a teleport that takes me back to the regular level. There doesn't seem to be an elevator nor any computers. While eventually you can orient yourself around these levels, you tend to miss big gaps, especially since turning is slow and the underlying graphical engine doesn't work half the time. Either the walls are hiding a door or they're accidentally removing a wall. Eventually, on the first extra-level, I finally find a computer. Huzzah, that wasn't annoying or anything at all! Now the trek back to the elevator. Which takes a surprisingly long time, its been so long I've forgotten where the damn thing is.
Part of the problem with the walls disappearing as you turn is I suspect the AI can see it just as much as me. Sounds, alarms going off with no clear source. Or they're caused by markings on the floor. Okay, whatever. The new passcode allowed me to reach level 1...which has nothing there. Either I need something here or the developers are having a laugh. Yeah, great job. Level 2, outside of having the worst color scheme yet, blending into the far away walls, its also a bit lazy. None of these levels were ever going to be truly great, since...well you have eyes, but effort was usually made so far. Seems like the only goal on this level is to go into a different elevator then into level 2.
Back on level 1, its business as usual, but things are getting harder, not for the reasons you'd think. Recharge items are failing to be of use while medikits are non-existent. Power is running low, even with recharging items and the items I assumed were ammo are not. I don't know what they are. The game is throwing a deluge of cameras at me draining away a vital resource from more important encounters. Though knowing this game, I suspect the opposite was intended, that the cameras are important and the enemies are not. As I die once again on this level, that thought ticks me off. This level is just compounding all the thoughts I've had about this game.
Reloading at the beginning of this section, I can't find my way back very easily. That's a problem. I thought I was in a section just inside two different passcode doors, but no, it seems like it was leading to something important. There's nothing outside, at least I can't find anything outside. Trying again just produces the same result, I get killed. I don't particularly feel like playing it some more to see if I'm right. Let's finish this off with a short mini-statement.
Checking my earlier review of the PC version reveals that my thoughts haven't changed much. Its still looks the same, perhaps with a slightly smaller screen. Speed is still an issue, slowdown whenever a sprite consuming the entire screen here, sporadic in DOS. Same weapons, same enemies. I think there are less complex underlying systems here, but I don't know if that's true. The only change is in the controls. The game itself controls worse, owing to the console controls, but the inventory system is actually understandable. I could use items; Something I couldn't in the PC version. I strongly suspect if I wanted to put the effort in now, I could actually solve that issue there. This is sort of like a simplified control scheme before you use the real controls.
None of that is really useful. This doesn't really make the game better, just playable. By default I guess that makes this the best version of Corporation, but that doesn't mean much.
This Session: 40 minutes
Final Time: 3 hours
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