Attic of the Underdogs

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Review by Underdogs:

Undoubtedly 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.

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. Since time ticks away quickly at one minute per second of real time, quick decision is key to success.

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. Knowledge of the movie "Them!" will help you kill the ants, but if you haven't seen the movie, don't despair -- you get hints when talking to the townsfolk.

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. Recommended! And better yet, Cinemaware has released the game as freeware in 2001, so go support one of the most underrated developers today :)

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