Game Review

Graphics (n.) The use of animation and visual effects to stimulate the senses	vvv (Good)	The Terror barely crosses that line between an average-looking shooter and a good-looking shooter, mainly because of the extra attention made in the various explosion, ship, and enemy ship tiles. While the enemies and ship themselves don't have separate animation frames, the number of enemies on the screen, along with the number of animated explosions that take place on the screen at the same time, is a graphic marvel for QB. All of the bombardment also takes place above a background that scrolls down vertically, finishing what overall is a good job from the Stars Development team.
Sound/Music (n.) The smooth blend of atmospheric sounds and original harmonies	N/A	There's something fishy going on in your mission, but you won't be able to hear a word of it since The Terror doesn't come with any sound effects or music.
Gameplay (n.) The precision of control and involvement of character within its universe	vvvv (Very Good)	The Terror is a nine-level, top-down, straightforward spaceshooter where you get to fly a rebel spacecraft. In each level, asteroids and enemy aircraft fall from the sky, often bringing with them plenty of firepower that you'll have to dodge or shoot down. Decisions have to be split-second to survive; the vast number of enemies that will attack you in the later levels will often force you more into evasion than trying to face each enemy head-on. As the background scrolls toward you, destructible objects can be blown up by your weapon for extra points. Shields also materialize every now and then, which is needed to refill your energy bar. But the best bonus of all is the weapon power-up, to which your ship can carry up to seven different weapons. Pick up these icons, then press enter to switch to each new weapon you've acquired. One little bonus that makes The Terror feel like two games in one is the game's unique use of two game modes. The first game mode, story mode, allows you to watch some in-game demos between each game level, to help reason out why the game is called The Terror. The benefit of this mode is that the game automatically saves which levels you've beaten, so you're not required to beat those same levels again when you play the Terror some other time. The second game mode, arcade mode, lets you skip all the cinema between levels and lets you play the game straight through. You won't be able to choose your starting level, but arcade mode is the only mode that records high scores. This makes arcade mode the perfect way to test your endurance.
Story (n.) The creativity and presentation of the game's critical plot	vvvv (Very Good)	The biggest surprise! No other QB shooter comes with a story mode that features cut-scenes between each game level, complete with dialogue and a top-down view. The plotline is also a little familiar and doesn't feature any particularly sharp twists, but having it nestled between game levels of a spaceshooter is a lot like having an in-flight movie.
Replay Value (n.) The timelessness of the gamer's delight, such that the experience can be repeated again and again	vv (Average)	Although the gameplay is very good, The Terror would have been a lot more addictive if it featured some arcade-style sound effects. The sheer number of game levels vary in graphics enough so that the eyes are occupied, but without a good soundtrack to back it up or some explosion and weapon sound effects to complement the action, a lot of the intensity that could have been in the Terror was lost.
Challenge (v.) To strike the mental nerve in such a way as to stimulate human thought and reflexes	vvv (Good)	Good. Many spaceshooters try to be creative in terms of challenge, requiring you to either evade in some new way, or acquire weapons that shoot in different angles. The Terror doesn't allow you to do either of these things-- the game pretty much gives you weapons that shoot in only one direction, fills the screen with enemies that shoot the opposite direction, and lets out a big "Good Luck!" for anyone who can dodge all that enemy fire or take out the enemy spaceships.
Fun Factor (n.) The overall entertainment value as maintained throughout the adventure	vvv (Good)	QB spaceshooters now have one more choice when it comes to their arcade spaceshooting fix, and the Terror is a fairly good choice because it has something to offer for every type of videogame fan. People who play shooters for the weapons have up to seven weapons to choose from, and if you want even more of a challenge you can always try to solve the game without changing weapons. Even QBRPG fans might spend some time with The Terror because of the game's Story Mode. That, plus the ability to either select your level through the story mode or go for the high score via arcade mode, make The Terror a worthy addition to anyone's arcade game collection. The Terror Reviewed by Vance Velez
Players	1 player	Genre: Arcade/Shooting Game
Rating		To solve: 1 hour Final Rating: 19/35

Download

To download The Terror (186KB), click here. wIf you're unzipping this program in DOS, you may have to use the -d option. wTo play The Terror, unzip the file and run "TERROR.EXE".

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The Highs: A challenging space romp full of old-school enemy formations, several weapons to use, and tons of enemy fire to dodge.
The Lows: The lack of sound and music will leave you humming your favorite tunes or popping in a CD while playing the game.

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