Monday 18 April 2022

Operation Carnage (DOS)

It's the 5th birthday of my blog already, huh? Then i have to write something specially good. Maybe some of you complaint "But, Werdito. You review video games that already good and recommended". Well, yes and no. I reviewed any video games that interesting to me with occasion of bad one likes Riot (PSX), or Gadget Twins (Genesis) because once in a while i have whim to review (interesting) bad video games so you don't have to play it. Anyway today's special video game is Midnight Synergy's Operation Carnage (1996).

Judging by the look of a lone soldier who partially covered by the title. You can guess the premise of the game. Yes, it's another game about soldier that have to mop baddies with accompany of no one but with his guns. But before someone out there complaint that this game should be in 17 August special review, i like to tell you that the game is not conventional warfare. It's sci-fi because of plasma gun and alien enemies. I have to admit that i always get this game mixed up with Midway's Total Carnage because both game has word "Carnage" and young Werdito only can remember that word.

What's the backstory? There's like 5-6 pages of it in main menu so let me summarize it for you. There's confederation of alien races called The Alliance offer partnership to human race, providing high technology and protection to atrocious Krellian race. After humankind spoiled by The Alliance's technology, they turns against us with no resistance like at all. Also the news about Krellian is nothing but big lie. There's some underground resistance formed against The Alliance. We play as the resistance's nameless soldier that manage to infiltrate The Alliance's fortress using a teleport machine and about to strike at the heart of The Alliance.  

 

Here's the control scheme. Sadly, i don't know how to reconfigure this setting. But i used to play classic Doom using arrow keys and "control" key to fire weapon. So this should be no big deal.

 

So here i am inside The alliance's mighty fortress and shooting black drone(?). This is top down shooter. Your objective in each room is simple: kill all enemies and survive the onslaught. But not that Onslaught. When i'm shooting, i hold the gun forward one handed as opposed to standard aim from hip. Looks cocky but it's useful. When i'm not firing my gun, my pose is the usual carry the gun by the hip. But when i'm firing where i hold my gun one handed forward, my hitspot becomes lean to direction where i'm firing which mean it becomes slimmer as opposed to wide when i'm not firing my gun.   

 

Some enemies drop item when destroyed. This spiky thing is Mega Bomb which when picked up will clear all enemies in the screen. You probably think of Williams' Smash TV and that's highly understandable. This game has lot thing in common with the famous arena shooter: Horde of enemies that slowly come after you, screen-clearing bomb item, various items and weapons, and clearing room from enemies to advance. The obvious difference is Smash TV has more flexibility on aiming and the player's character die in one hit. While Operation Carnage has the usual shoot on facing direction but the player's character become more adaptive to dodging bullets thanks to his thinner pose plus he has health meter as you can see on the center bottom hud. Note that cannon is actually machine gun which has unlimited ammo thus you never stuck with using rifle's stock as impromptu weapon.   

 

It's said that The Alliance has advanced technology but they still rely on mindless grunts that do nothing but slowly walk to me. There's also turret on the wall because it's natural that Alien Fortress have lots of turret installed on its walls.

 

Then i'm against tank and helicopters. But don't worry! My machine gun is strong enough to pierce their armor. Much like my gun in Cabal that powerful enough to obliterate any armored combat vehicles.

 

Picking up a jerry can of gasoline, bestows me with flamethrower! Pyro_laughevil02.wav

Fire weapon deal significantly more damage than standard gun but has limited range. Therefore it's perfect for room with narrow corridor like this. I also picked up "Triple" power up that makes my weapon fired in usual 3-way. Very good.

After clearing more room, i encounter boss which is wide flying machine thingy. Its shoot some bullets and blow fire from the center. So i do "Fight fire with fire" in most literal sense by using flamethrower against it. The thing with flamethrower not only is close-range weapon but also can absorbs enemy's projectile. So being pyromaniac in this game is not as stupid as you thought. Pyro_positivevocalization01.wav

 

Everytime you finish a level sector, there's intermission filled with character's monologue like in Gunforce, but with longer narration also with scene of smoking enemy's corpses. Soldier_cheers05.wav

 

Look at those stupid aliens walk through my bullet barrage and instantly turns into blood explosion. I never say that the game is shy to show some violent graphic. I happen to pick up "killer satellite" power up which produce an option that constantly shooting bullets while spinning around me. Heavy_sf13_influx_big04.wav

 

It's unusual for me to see indoor train but the Mr. Soldier here says about supply line so it's justified. A line of supply truck is more chaotic to control than well arranged supply train line. There's power up called -uhh- "Power" that empower your weapon. The machine gun fires bullets at twice rate. Flamethrower get increased range, bigger projectile, and deal more damage. And lastly Plasma gun becomes death ray! I forget to tell you about plasma gun but there will be the time.

 

The boss train also has death ray coming from its main cannon. Luckily the ray doesn't last too long that it becomes unavoidable. Shoot the cannon and the shiny orbs on the train then it will soon blow up. Nuff said.

 

The game becomes more difficult with lava pool/void pit involved. There's invisible wall that prevent you to fall down but it makes the space where you can dodge things, become significantly limited. On less miserable note, enemy drop extra life there. It's that that circle icon with pink ankh symbol. I just find out within this second through internet browsing that ankh symbol represent life. Medic_sf12_badmagic05.wav

 

This is very dastard. I can only move north and south to dodge their bullets...at first glance that is. I can take cover on small wall near either entrance or exit. To go further in this game, you have to exploit this tiny cover.  

 

Flight zone inside of fortress? That seems bad idea. Strangely those green spaceship can go through the wall harmlessly. But they can't get pass this firewall of mine harmlessly! Pyro_laughevil03.wav

 

I didn't expect the boss is like rip off of big alien in Contra. By "expect", i mean i don't remember. I'm pretty sure young Werdito get pretty far in this game pass beyond this point, i just don't remember this boss somehow. My memory from childhood is not good to say the least. But, i remember exactly the final boss of Gundeck/Vice Project Doom. So it's not entirely bad, i guess. So the alien boss here is pretty easy to deal with. First you have to destroy all of their grape purple vital orbs around here...   

 

...then shoot the boss in the head. Once they takes so many damage, their head blows into glorious blood splatter! Good job, me!

 

To bee or not to bee. That is the question. :p

Take aside of the lame pun, these galactic bees are pretty formidable foes. Or maybe they're galactic wasps. I get mixed them up sometime. I'm not qualified as competent space marine. 

 

Because of that pipes and floor tiles, i assume we're in boiler room of the fortress or at least the basement. Also, it's filled with (alien) spiders! They're faster than those walking doofus. Luckily, i have scatterbomb (activated by pressing space bar) that unleash a pack of small bomb nearby me. Not as powerful as Mega Bomb but it's strong against swarm of enemies like this. You can see the number of scatterbomb you have on the upper left hud under the live reserve (represented with extra life icon). It looks like eyeball with red pupil. No matter how similar It's to pupil, it's not. It's some sort of detonation trigger or whatnot.  

 

This room is filled with wasp hives and i get my flamethrower ready. Take this you, flying beast!

 

Soldier_jeers07.wav. I lost my live in that blasted room. It's entirely my fault. I was having sleep deprivation and my performance is noticeably reduced with the occasion yawning or even dozing off. Plus the repetitive nature of the game doesn't do me a favor. But i ensure that i'm having blast playing this game despite so. Anyway, the game gives me 3 continues. I hope i can reach the final boss, at least.

 

This sector is so filthy. It's infested by insects! Lots of them! Lucky (or unlucky) for them, i'm more than happy to be pest control in this part. I picked up "shield" power up which produce 3 options that surrounds me and kill anyone that dare to give me bad touch. The option is kind of like "Killer satellite" that don't shoot any bullet but there's 3 of them!

 

Of course, the sector's boss is giant mechanical wasp. Health and safety inspector want to have words with the manager of this fortress. But fret not! I can destroy this miserable creature with no problem! I forget to tell you that everytime the boss get hit the hud flashes white thus explaining why the hud is white there.   

Maze level? Spy_sf12_badmagic04.wav

 

And it's filled with insects too. Wonderful [Fortress-sized sarcasm]

I think this is where young Werdito stop playing because -you know- maze level. I'm not a fans of it.

There's blood spots around here. Gross!

 

Wait! Had i been here before? So this what he means by maze level. No wonder, young Werdito ends his journey here. There's no way telling that i go to the wrong door except i go to the same room that i've been before. There's no special sound effect like in Twisted Tales of Spike McFang, for example.  

 

Oh shoot! I go to this same room, again. Soldier_sf13_magic_reac01.wav

 

This room looks new. I make some progress, most likely. It begs question why there's fossil inside a high tech fortress. There must be dark mystery around this part. These purple orb is so far the most annoying enemies. They fly and shoot faster than the chopper. On top of that, they are very durable. But lucky for me, i have this death laser weapon.  

 

Finally, i get to the level boss. It's trilobite with purple antennas. The weakpoint is its body when it's uncovered to fire bullets at me. Pretty lame, i would say. I like to talk about another weapon: plasma. The ammo is a tube of electric pink cell that you can see in previous screenshot. It's definitely step up from the standard gun and can be used in practically any situation. Perhaps the drawback of the weapon is it drains ammo faster than the flamethrower.

 

So we're back to room with toilet's tiles, huh? Well, it's bit better than that dark bloody maze. Just bit, mind you!

 

This room has ED-209 knock-offs. They may look not imposing at first. But you have to keep a sharp eye to their tiny blue projectiles that homing at you. They also hurt you really bad if they hit you.      

 

The sector's boss is another alien that merged with wall, which is obviously taken inspiration from Contra's boss. But it has big gimmick: it will thrust spiked beam in 4 possible segment's locations. But thankfully, they will only come out 3 at most thus you can have some safe area. Shoot the orbs and then the head, as per usual.

 

Oh no! We're back to cavern part filled with bones again! I can tell that the game requires more variety on stage design. Not mandatory but feels necessary nonetheless. This is where i died a lot not only because of sleep deprivation but also these flying enemies. The difficulty curve is sensible on early part with the mindless grunts that can only come after you slowly and hoping to catch up on you with their sheer number. But when these dozen of space wasp and purple orb involved, the game become nigh frustrating. They and their bullets can fly through those bones, but i can't. It's like in first segment of Super Ghouls n Ghosts where Arthur projectile's can't get passed pillar while the zombies can walk through it. I should also mention that dying will reset the enemies and your arsenal. The machine gun isn't adequate to deal with them at least not fast enough. Thus you have to resort to scatterbomb. But note that these enemies will more than happy to shoot their bullet from safe distance while the scatterbomb range is pretty limited.   

 

Then i'm out of continue but the game gives me password for that section. But tell you what? I will use the password for the furthest sector to speed things up. You can scroll text below to see it.

The password is: PROPHET

But thing don't go so easy. I mean look that drones already shooting dozens bullet at me. I can use that small cover there but when they come really close to me. I'm practically doomed! Or i can use the scatterbomb. My bad! :p

 

This room is filled by ED-209 knock-offs but even more than in previous moment. There's hole in the center platform so my area to dodge projectiles become even more limited! You can try to avoid those blue homing projectile by using that alcove near either entrance or exit..

 

After passing through some room, i meet dead end! Several space ship flyby and shooting at me! Again. Using alcove on entrance seems best bet to take cover.

 

Oh look! It's their proud mother! For final boss, it's too lame. It's just powered up version of the first boss, honestly. With addition of less room for me to maneuver. Much like using live reserve, using password also reset my arsenal to machine gun only. Thus this boss battle goes very rough. Once again that small alcove can save your life from those bullets. Use it well.  

 

After the grueling battle, i win and presented with this early CG where the fortress let loose a wide shockwave and later burst into wall of flame. The alliance is defeated!

 

Then there's pages of epilogue text. This is anticlimactic, reminds me of the ending in Saint Sword. Which is a shame. The point is: our hero manages to get back to the hideout via teleport portal unscathed. With the main fortress destroyed, making other the alliance's fortress across the earth surface destroyed too. Human can rebuild their civilization and we plan to seek and destroy the home world of The Alliance. That's some bloody ambition. But who know that the alliance will invade our earth again? It seems they try to hook up the sequel but i think there's none of that. 

Then i put my name on high scores. Naturally, using password resets the score to 0. So no wonder my score is so low below "worm" and "weakling". I feel really embarrassed. At least i finish the game...Alright, fine! I will use that "Ultimatum" password and encounter the level's boss.

 

It's giant enemy crab! Ok, we can wrap things up now.

 

Midnight Synergy's Operation Carnage (1996) is fairly amazing game that i still endorse to this day. It's not perfect game though. My biggest complaint is how small the character's sprite especially if you compare it to Smash TV. The weapon variety also lackluster: unlimited machine gun, plasma rifle, and flamethrower. There should be rocket launcher or shotgun. The gun aim also has problem for how inflexible it is. Unless you have "Triple" power up, your aim is stuck at 8 cardinal direction, one at the time. The sector feels too long to finish. Then there's arsenal stock reset when you use password. I have this same problem with Asteroid-clone game on DOS named Piranha. Take aside of those problem, the game is more than serviceable and fun. The strafing is more than just to lock your aim but also makes you dodge projectiles better. The game has continue and password system. Using the password will also refresh the continues. In that regard the game is very generous with continues and feels like want you to finish the game with no holds barred. Even though you can only get into high score only when you finish the game. Which means it has replayability value if you want to seek high score. The power up items are various and useful. My complaint is how random the item drop is and the health refill item is throbbing cartoon heart that can be mistaken as blood pool. The former problem can be solved with chest or other destroyable object with fixed content. While the latter problem can be solved with replacing heart icon with the usual medkit icon. The game can get use with armor power up like in The Lost World. The scatterbomb is very helpful especially if you're surrounded with melee enemies or you only have the stock gun. Speaking of it, the machine gun alone is quite powerful for most enemies. The story is far more elaborated than the gameplay, sadly. The music is quite good and noticeable. The sound effect is astounding for small DOS game. I should also mention there's cool voice over on some occasion. Like "Carnage!" when finishing a sector, or "Gotcha!" when you die.

 

Operation Carnage (1996) is not the best top-down shooter in the gaming history but it's still the top-grade one especially on DOS. It also shapes up my childhood plus i always have soft spot for any top-down shooter game which is fast-paced and simple shooter action. Give it a go! Or play it to makes you aware that not all space aliens invade us with direct approach. There's this one that disguise themselves as ally only to betray us at the right moment.

I never get tired to say thank you for reading my article. I very appreciate your attendance in this blogger. Also i like to apologize that i publish this article pretty late (it's supposed to come out in 10th April) because suddenly they decide to put work on me more than ever. It also effect the post on near future but fret not. I'm still more than happy to write more article. It only takes more time to come out than before, that's all.