[VAR] It Came from the Desert

[Staubhold]

 

It Came from the Desert is a 1989 action-adventure game by Cinemaware. It was originally released for the Amiga, then ported to MS-DOS. Two console versions, for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (unreleased) and TurboGrafx-16, are distinctly different from the versions released for computer platforms, in terms of gameplay and presentation.

 

Like most of Cinemaware's titles, It Came From the Desert takes its inspiration from Hollywood. This game is inspired by dozens of 1950s "B" movies, especially the 1954 mutant-ant classic Them!.

It Came From The Desert is one of Cinemaware's finest creations that will challenge both your brain and your brawn, since it is a mixture between arcade and adventure.

 

Amiga Longplay

 

 

As the town's resident geologist, your goal is to discover the source of all the strange occurances happening in Lizard Breath. Gameplay centers around choosing what you want to do by selecting an option on the multiple choice screens that pop up. There are several buildings in town, as well as farms, mines, an airport, and even a drive-in theatre.

 

Once your investigation begins, you soon realize there are large, mutant ants roaming around the outskirts of town. These ants are dangerous, and you must fight them to survive with a handgun, an apparently infinite amount of grenades, and bug spray used in airborne attack.

 

It Came From the Desert can be considered real-time. Waiting, sleeping (at home or in a hospital bed) and driving around consumes time. As it turns out, the player has a fixed amount of in-game days (15 days, ending with June 15) to succeed.

If the player fails by this date, the ants will mate and spread, which results in a gloomy ending. To reach a good ending, the player must locate the ant colony and kill the queen ant.

 

While play might seem limited at first, there are dozens (possibly hundreds) of variations in the game, depending on the choices you make. Not only that, but there are many opportunities to find yourself in a fight, either with the ants, or with some of the not-so-friendly folk of Lizard Breath. You can wind up in a knife fight, or being chased across the desert by several hundred giant ants, or even playing chicken on the highway with the local greaser punks. With great graphics, rocking soundtrack, and tons of atmosphere, this is a must play for all action/adventure fans.

 

I loved the game back in the days and had several playthroughs.

[Mʀ. Sтᴇαl-Yoᴜя-Wαεfυ]

Someone turned Them! into a video game! I wish someone with talent would redo it into a series. Best giant insect war story still today. Aliens is close 2nd.