DESCRIPTION

The PC port of the arcade game Area 51 is a 2D shooter in which mutants have run rampant through Area 51, the clandestine government facility where UFOs are secretly kept and it's up to the player to put this uprising down.

Originally meant for use with a light gun, players use the mouse or keyboard on the PC to control a target. By clicking when the cross hairs are over the target, players fire their weapon at the targeted enemy or item and periodically need to reload by clicking off the screen. While all of this is going on, digitized 2D enemies fire rockets, missiles, bullets and stranger things at the player, hoping to deplete his or her energy until they perish.

Visuals are provided by 3D full motion video characters who pop up on 2D rendered backgrounds to attack the player. By shooting these targets players gain points. Other on-screen targets yield special bonuses and power up items, such as enhanced weaponry. The game is divided into stages where players must simply survive to advance and reach the end which may prove to be harder than it sounds. ~ Scott Steinberg, All Game Guide