Total Recall

Copyright : Ocean Software | Reviewed by : Malc Jennings

Arnie stars in another of the many computer games for the Amstrad, CPC and ZX Spectrum and yet again it?s another great game.

The scenario is Quaid, after a terrifying visit to "Rekall" and a very unsuccessful memory implant discovers that his life has been nothing but a lie. His past is fiction and his true identity is shrouded in mystery. A mystery whose solution lies on the Red Planet of Mars.

The film was great but what about the computer conversions? Amstrad Action said "A mega license! very well executed and fun to play...a game no Arnie fan can afford to be without." with a score of 91% the game can?t be bad now can it? lets find out for ourselves as the CPC Zoners take a look at the game.

Graphics

Total Recall is one of the most engaging arcade style platform games to come from any movie license and it?s not all platform action either, you get to ride the crazy Johnny Cab later in the game to escape from the bad guys - it truly is gret fun indeed.

The graphics are very well drawn from the very start of the game, colour is just superb and it?s not something you would expect to see on an old computer like the Amstrad. The levels have been very well designed and there are plenty of tricks, gadgets and enemies to take a look at while you are playing the game. Arnie looks great, the bad guys look even better although after a while they seem to look pretty much the same - still it?s very good indeed.

Sound

Sound is again great as we get to hear a remix of the movie soundtrack at the start/options screen and get plenty of thuds, whizzes, bangs, clicks and wallops in the game itself. I very much doubt that the game could have had a better soundtrack on 8-bit machines and fully believe that Ocean Software put a lot of effort into this one.

Gameplay

Gameplay is addictive and fun, the design of the levels and the puzzles you will need to solve before being able to leave a certain area of the game will make you come back for more and more. The controls are very responsive and easy to use, the game isn?t too difficult and there is nothing that would frustrate the serious gamer. However it may be worth mentioning that you only get one life to complete the game with so if you run out of energy your back at square one with your name in the high score table.