Very,veryfew games have managed to nail the gist and feel ofHalf-Lifeso compellingly asADACAhas. The really interesting bit, though, is that this little-known low-poly first-person shooter – arguablyHalf-Life’s best copycat – has just received its Episode Three, believe it or not.
It’s fairly apparent that neitherHalf-Life 2: Episode 3norHalf-Life 3properare on the horizon right now. WhileHalf-Life: Alyxand the wide variety of mods andbonus materials from Valveare a good way to keep the general vibe of the franchise alive,ADACAaccomplishes a similar job while still successfully eking out its own dedicated niche. The fact that it’s just received its very own Episode Three is quite funny in its own right, on top of being a compelling piece of new content.
ADACA’s campaign mode is now content-complete with Episode Three
Episode Three is, essentially,ADACA’s final big content pack. The developer, SirisTheDragon, has confirmed that their plans forADACA’s future now consist of minor patches and hotfixes, where needed, and that players now have access to the game’s full suite of content.
In moment-to-moment gameplay,ADACAfeels like a compelling mixture ofHalf-LifeandHalo, though it certainly leans more heavily towards the former. It’s a linear, albeit free-form single-player adventure that sends the protagonist through several platoons’ worth of mind-washed soldiers, mutated monstrosities, and mysterious cultists. The atmosphere and the feel of the admittedly low-poly world ofADACAare unmistakably similar to Valve’s seminal hit, but the game has plenty of its own compelling ideas.
For example, though the three-episode campaign is plenty exciting in its own right,ADACA’s Zone Patrol mode is even more interesting. Here, the game takes more cues from games such asSTALKER, tasking players with exploration, survival, and meticulous collection of resources in an increasingly hostile environment. In that sense, you’re getting two games wrapped up into one title, and as long as you can get overADACA’s visual style, you’re in for a good time.
