Highway Encounter

Copyright : Vortex Software | Reviewed by : Ritchardo

The feared Alien aggressors are attempting to invade the Earth. Only the strength of the Vortons can repel their marauding runs and send them back to their own Empire with their tails between their legs to think again.

It is up to you as controller of the Vortons to manoeuvre their great weapon, the Lasertron, through a series of hazards and obstacles to the central point of the invading fleet.

Graphics

The game plays in black and white with the only splashes of colour coming from a nifty loading screen and the green scenery on either side of the highway. The mode one graphics allow the programmer to add more detail to the objects and characters in the game, an opportunity that has not been missed. Look for the movement of the aliens in particular, disarmingly simple but so effective.

Similar to the famed â??Filmationâ?? technique employed by Ultimate at the time, Highway Encounter is much slicker and faster than Knight Lore and Alien8 as your Vorton can quickly reach top speeds and turn on a hairpin.

Very slick and polished, Highway Encounterâ??s graphics not only look good but work well in the context of the game. Everything seems cold and futuristic â?? just what youâ??d expect from a game that contains no humans at allâ?¦

Sound

A little disappointing, the game has only the standard explosions and blasting noises. A bit of a missed opportunity and a real letdown when everything else about the game is so polished.

Gameplay

A diabolically difficult game, Highway Encounter is tricky in the extreme and will take hours of practicing before you can even hope to reach the furthest flung zones.

The main reason for this is the control method that, again, borrows heavily from Ultimateâ??s isometric adventures. One key rotates clockwise, another anti-clockwise and a third speeds up while another slows down. The clockwise control certainly adds longevity to the game as, as with all games of this type, itâ??s easy to panic when surrounded by aliens on all sides and blasting for dear life.

A rare arcade game in that intelligence and strategy play as much a part, if not more than gung-ho shooting action.

Hard to master but irresistible to the attempts, Highway Encounter is another classic slice of 8-bit gaming that takes a simple concept and just does it really well. Heartily recommended.