Alien is the first game we played in Break the Code +, in their brand new outlet in One Utama. The story goes like this: Crew of a spaceship has been infected with a virus, and also attacked by aliens at the same time. We are to infiltrate the spaceship, and to save the situation by … ok I’m not going to spoil your game. But yes, the greatest thing about this game is that we get to determine how would we like to end the game. Different options will grant you access to solve separate puzzles, you will not know what are the puzzles until you’ve made your choice, so choose wisely!
This is the second game I’ve played that offers a choice of end game (the other being Project Fallout by Breakout). I do think this is a really cool element that bring excitement up one notch during the game. The game master briefed us about the choices we had to make before the game starts, so I also wonder if the game will be more exciting if they keep mum about it.. I do hope that in the future, game designers would incorporate more choices in-game so players can decide on the direction of the game. We can move on from the more linear game narratives that we usually have now. So, I would give a thumbs up for the team at Break the Code plus for creating something different from the usual again (they do push the boundaries with their games, see our review on Ghost Bomber, an outdoor escape game hunt, and the uber fun wall-clamping Indiana Jones).
Other aspects of the room worth noting: Puzzles are not too challenging, mainly of matching things, and some time spent hunting for items. We can see how the puzzles would be appropriate for young minds, as we do observe that Break the Code is frequented by many families with kids. One of the last puzzle (depending on your choice of end game) was certainly fun, and really need some teamwork to solve. The aesthetics of the room is sufficient to convey the right ambience in a space ship. You’ll get to see alien lifeforms, lots of electronics and dashboards, and a strange stonepiece possibly from the alien’s civilisation. When we played the room, it’s still fairly new, so there were some minor hiccups, such as the background music not playing. We have provided the feedback to the Break the Code’s team, as we do think a good background music and sounds at appropriate moments will really liven up a game.
Overall, we had a good time in this game. We don’t expect really challenging or well thought out puzzles from Break the Code’s games, but rest assured that there will lots of fun details to keep the game engaging.
Alien: Project Genesis
Pros
- Alternative endings
- Variety of puzzles
- Fun for all ages
Cons
- No background sounds
- Puzzles may be too easy for seasoned escapers