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 SPACE STATION OBLIVION

 SPACE STATION OBLIVION is a graphics-oriented arcade/adventure published by
Incentive Software, Ltd. (UK) and distributed by Epyx from its "Masters
Collection." The game offers a mysterious, deserted world to explore, excellent
3-D graphics, ground and air vehicles, a save game option, and mouse and
keyboard control. (This review is based on the Atari ST version.)

 In addition to a neat plot, an eighteen-sector world, and one of the better
cockpit depictions, OBLIVION boasts some of the best-looking, solidly-modele
three-dimensional graphics around. All the structures in the game are thick and
beefy, and scrolling movements are smooth and very fast. SPACE STATION OBLIVION
is a wicked, great-looking game that's a blast to play.

 When Earth self-destructed, humans made Planet Evath their new home. Energy
problems caused by the shortage of Rubicon crystals, followed them to Evath, as
did crime and criminals. The criminals were eventually exiled to Mitral, a moon
of Evath. Now called Ketars, the criminals built eighteen platformed sectors on
Mitral, beneath which large amounts of natural gases have accumulated. Pressure
built within Mitral, the Ketars have fled, and the impending explosion will
destroy both Mitral and Evath.

 Being a member of the Drilling Federation (a collection of the wisest and
strongest Evathians), you have been selected to journey to Mitral to place
drilling rigs into each of the eighteen sectors, release the trapped gases, and
thus save the planet.

 This is much easier to write about than it is to do. The Ketars left behind
security mechanisms, such as laser beacons, land mines, force fields, orbiting
scanners, and switches. Although the platform that makes up a sector is
self-contained, it is also connected to the other sectors, which actually makes
one large platform. You can fall off the edge -- even when flying the
reconnaissance jet -- and become stranded on Mitral's surface. Rubicon crystals,
which recharge your energy and shield, are not always what they seem to be due
to alterations the Ketars made on them. Only one of the drilling spots is
marked. As if all this weren't enough, you have a mere four hours to do the job
and save the human race.

 The excavation probe is a Rubicon crystal-powered, tank-like surface vehicle
equipped with a dual-action laser and alloy plating. The probe travels forward
and backward; it can be turned left and right, tilted, rotated 180-degrees, and
raised or lowered on its tracks. Speed can be increased by either manipulating
the size of the steps it takes with each movement, or the angles at which it
turns.

 The Atari ST screen display consists of the cockpit of the excavation probe
(made up of a viewing window through which you see the structures of the current
sector), and a general control console: transport indicator (probe or jet),
movement/attack indicator, compass, angle of turns, and step size of each
movement. There are energy, shield, and vertical extension, along with height
indicators, X-Y coordinates, and a message display.

 OBLIVION can be controlled with mouse and keyboard, or the keyboard only.
Although clicking on the directional arrows, turn angle, step size, vertical
extension indicators, or the drilling rig icon will perform the associated
tasks, you'll still have to use the keyboard for other functions. When using the
keyboard by itself, the arrow keys effect movement; all other actions can be
initiated with the keystrokes listed and explained on the Command Card.

 The letter "I" brings up the Information Readout, which tells the name of the
current sector you're in, status of the drilling rig, gas trapped beneath the
sector, how much you've managed to release, and the number of safe sectors.

 Also on the control console are disk-drive icons which are used to save (on a
previously formatted disk) and reload games in progress. The program disk is
copy-protected; you'll need 512K and a color monitor.

 SPACE STATION OBLIVION looks great on the ST. The 3-D structures move with
great speed and smoothness and do not suffer from screen flicker or breakup. The
back of the game package states that scaling and perspectives appear in
"revolutionary" 3-D. No matter how you say it, OBLIVION is something to see, and
I recommend it highly.

 SPACE STATION OBLIVION is published by Incentive Software Ltd. (UK) and
distributed by Epyx.

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