Dreamland. Groom Lake. Homey Airport. All aliases for the infamous military base popularly known as Area 51. While it was only officially acknowledged by the US government in 2013, Area 51 has fascinated conspiracy theorists everywhere since the 1950s with wild reports of UFOs, advanced technological marvels and horrific experiments being conducted in the seemingly peaceful Nevada desert. With all the recent memes regarding the “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” Facebook event, I was soon reminded of that one time when videogames took us where no civilian has gone before through an underrated first-person-shooter.
This story begins back in 2005, when you’d be hard-pressed to find an FPS title that wasn’t somehow related to World-War II. Back then, I didn’t really mind, as I was sort of a history buff growing up and it always felt strangely compelling to go back in time to fight the Axis. However, one of the few things I loved more than history was conspiracy theories (though the two often go hand-in-hand), so imagine my surprise when I visited the local game store and came across a mysterious little case prominently featuring a stern-looking Grey Alien on the cover as it proudly announced that “the conspiracy is no longer a theory”. The game, of course, was Midway’s Area 51.
While it’s technically a remake of the homonymous arcade shooter from 1995, Midway’s take on the franchise had few connections to the original title, taking its cues from both real-life rumors surrounding the notorious base and its references in popular culture as they attempted to craft a unique experience. This led to the development of a blockbuster shooter that also doubles as a goldmine of conspiracy theory material for tin-foil hat enthusiasts everywhere.
The game’s star-studded cast was also noteworthy at the time, with the military specialist protagonist Ethan Cole being brought to life by none other than The X-Files‘ David Duchovny. While his deadpan delivery and gritty internal monologue added a much-needed dose of (arguably unintentional) humor and heart to the game, Duchovny would also be joined by veteran character actors like Ian Abercrombie and Powers Boothe as he ventured into a locked down Area 51, dealing with otherworldly horrors along the way.
Of course, I haven’t even mentioned the strangest cast member yet, as Cole eventually stumbles upon a survivor of the original 1947 Roswell crash played by Marilyn friggin’ Manson! Codenamed “Edgar”, this injured extraterrestrial sympathizes with your cause and guides the player through telepathic commands as you continue your journey through the hellish base. Add in enemy soldiers working for the Illuminati and viral infections that basically give you super-powers and you have one hell of a fun time on your hands, with the game alternating between traditional squad-based shooting and full-blown horror segments.
Area 51 doesn’t quite reinvent the gameplay wheel (and it does feature several frustrating sequences), but the squad-based moments are consistently intense, the weapons are satisfying to use and I particularly enjoy how you’re eventually infected by the very virus you’ve been sent to contain, temporarily transforming the player into a bloodthirsty monster with a disgusting (albeit useful) set of mutant powers.
Funnily enough, the game actually reminds me a lot of Half-Life: Opposing Force, that award-winning expansion pack where you play as one of the soldiers sent to cleanse the Black Mesa Facility (which was already a clever analog for Area 51) of all aliens and witnesses. I can’t honestly sit here and claim that Area 51 was as ground-breaking as Half-Life, but both games are hellbent on extracting as much tension as possible from a single interesting location, almost turning it into a character in and of itself in an attempt to create a memorable gaming experience. Half-Life may be the superior game, but you’ve got to hand it to Midway for crafting a fun experience for the Conspiracy Theory freaks out there.
Beyond fiendish pacts with alien races and deadly plots to establish a New World Order, the game is also chock-full of references to popular culture. Once you get the hang of using Cole’s scanning device on characters and environments, you’ll be rewarded with horrific little tidbits regarding the base’s past, not to mention occasional nods to classic sci-fi flicks and even other games. However, one of my favorite Easter-eggs lies in a secret chamber filled with sharks with frickin’ lasers on their heads in a silly homage to Austin Powers.
In fairness, there are many other standout moments here, like when you ascend onto the movie set where Stanley Kubrick allegedly faked the moon landing (hilariously accompanied by a rendition of Thus Spoke Zarathustra), or when you finally catch a glimpse of Grey Aliens performing gruesome medical procedures on unwilling human specimens. Area 51 might not break the mold with its gameplay formula, and it could be argued that the story doesn’t take full advantage of the cast and setting, but moments like these are proof that this is still an incredibly entertaining romp through one of America’s most fabled locations.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so, as back in 2007 comic-book legend Grant Morrison (Happy!, Doom Patrol) was hired to adapt the game’s story into a screenplay. Sadly, the project ultimately fell through and it doesn’t seem like we’ll be seeing this game-turned-movie any time soon. It’s a huge shame, since I would have to loved to see them bring back Duchovny and Manson in a live-action production. That same year, however, the game was also followed up by a nearly unrelated “sequel” called Blacksite: Area 51, though that title failed to reach the heights of its predecessor and wasn’t well-regarded commercially or critically.
Unfortunately for gamers with an urge to unearth government secrets, Area 51 is now considered abandonware, as Midway Games closed its doors nearly a decade ago and the game never even made its way onto Steam (though it was released on Windows platforms alongside consoles). There are reports of a single dedicated fan remastering the game to work on modern computers, but at this point I doubt the game will ever see another official release. That being said, if you ever manage to track down a copy and are willing to overlook a handful of minor flaws, I believe you’ll find a memorable shooter that’s sure to entice conspiracy theorists of all ages. Plus, it’s great practice for folks who plan on storming the base in September, so why not revisit this forgotten gem?