DESCRIPTION

A war is raging across the galaxy and you are in the unenviable position of having to stop it. As a member of Planet Terran's Council of Peace, it is your duty to put an end to the Bion resistance on Planet Fury. Years ago the Bions were created as the perfect warriors; free from the limitations of the human body, they possessed superior strength and were unusually aggressive.

This group of bionic warriors proved too difficult to keep in line, and Terran was nearly eliminated as a result. With a taste of violence and an appetite for destruction, the Bions were dismantled in the year 2832 by the Coalition. Yet some survived. Terran's Coalition then formed the Council of Peace to ensure the safety of the planet. This is where you come in.

Microsoft Fury³ is a 3D shooter that has you piloting a futuristic ship in a series of 24 missions across eight unique planets. Before embarking on a mission, you'll receive intelligence reports on key targets to neutralize to complete your objectives. After three successful missions on a planet, you'll be transported to the next, until your eventual confrontation on Fury.

The game is played from one of three views: cockpit view, chase view or outside view. Three different instrument displays are also available that allow you to determine how much or how little you see on the screen. For faster play, a panoramic format offers a letterbox view with the displays appearing along the top bar.

As in most games in the genre, a number of power-ups are available that will temporarily give you an advantage over the enemy. The five power-ups include Shields Boost, Shields Restored, Invincibility, Invisibility, and Turbo Thrust. Acquiring power-ups is a matter of flying through them once they are identified by your on-board computer.

To help you navigate the 3D worlds, a compass is available as well as a distance indicator that shows you how close you are to the necessary targets. Of course, you won't be able to fly right to them without running across some resistance.

Shoot down enemy fighters or ground targets using your default ServoKinetic Laser, or find and use one of six additional weapons that range from Dispersion Cannons to the mighty F3 — a bomb that will destroy every target within its range.

Microsoft Fury³ offers six degrees of freedom to benefit joysticks such as Microsoft's own SideWinder 3D Pro. If your joystick has a hat, you'll be able to use it to survey the surroundings as you make your way across each planet's surface and through its hidden tunnels. Pilots who need a breather in between missions will be able to save their progress at any point during the game except while in a tunnel. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide