Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Incoming: The Final Conflict delivers a relentless barrage of high-octane action, pitting you against an alien armada hell-bent on Earth’s destruction. From the outset, players are thrust into a variety of combat scenarios that range from static turret defense to full-throttle air assaults. The learning curve is friendly: early arcade-style missions ease you in by having you lock onto waves of incoming bogeys, while later stages demand quick reflexes and keen situational awareness as enemy forces multiply and diversify.

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The game’s true strength lies in its vehicle variety. One moment you’re stationed at an immobile turret, carefully conserving ammunition as alien scout ships streak overhead; the next, you’re piloting a heavy hovertank across the Arctic tundra, chasing down insectoid walkers. Helicopter missions offer a satisfying blend of air-to-ground combat, complete with swaying flight physics, while the Harrier jump-jet levels introduce vertical takeoff and landing mechanics that make dogfights feel fresh and exhilarating. Unlocking and flying a captured alien fighter adds an extra twist—your newfound plasma cannons and cloaking abilities temporarily turn the tables on the invaders, just when you thought you’d mastered every weapon in your arsenal.

Beyond pure shooting, the “action” and “action-tactics” modes provide a taste of squad-based strategy. These modes let you direct friendly units—tanks, support helicopters, even ground troops—while carrying out your primary objectives. It’s a welcome change of pace that offers brief strategic depth, although the AI can occasionally be unpredictable, leaving you scrambling to rescue a flanked ally or recapture a lost ground position. Still, these missions inject enough variety to prevent the gameplay loop from feeling monotonous.

Controls are intuitive across all vehicle types, with customizable key bindings ensuring you can tailor the experience to your preferred playstyle. Target acquisition is responsive, and despite the fast-paced action, you rarely feel frustrated by the interface. The pacing is generally brisk, with cutscenes and mission briefings providing just enough downtime to catch your breath before the next onslaught begins. In sum, Incoming: The Final Conflict nails that classic arcade-shooter feel while offering enough mission variety and vehicle switching to keep adrenaline junkies fully engaged.

Graphics

Visually, Incoming: The Final Conflict is a testament to late-90s 3D shooter design, boasting colorful, boldly textured environments and high-contrast alien models that pop against earthly backdrops. From the claustrophobic corridors of the moonbase under siege to the sprawling Arctic ice fields, each locale is distinct and teeming with atmospheric details. Dirt and scorch marks on the turret barrels, flickering neon lights in the frozen research outposts, and shimmering plasma trails all contribute to a cohesive sense of place.

The polygon count may feel modest by modern standards, but clever use of dynamic lighting and particle effects goes a long way in elevating the spectacle. Explosions bloom with vibrant flashes and debris, while smoke and dust trails linger in the air long enough to make every firefight feel weighty. Enemy units—whether swarming fighters or hulking alien walkers—feature enough visual variety that you instantly recognize and prioritize threats on screen.

Frame rates remain solid on recommended hardware, even when dozens of projectiles streak across the sky. Draw distances are generous; you can spot incoming alien waves on the horizon and prepare your defenses accordingly. HUD elements are crisp and unobtrusive: crosshairs, health bars, and radar overlays display essential information without cluttering your view. While there’s no ultra-realistic shader work or ray-traced reflections here, the art style embraces its arcade roots and never tries to be something it’s not.

Sound design complements the visuals nicely, although it isn’t overwhelming. Weapon fire crackles sharply, engines roar with satisfying rumble, and alien screeches cut through the din to keep your senses on edge. A pulsing electronic soundtrack underscores the impending invasion at every turn, while mission-specific audio cues—like incoming missile sirens or distant radio chatter—add a layer of immersion that amplifies the tension.

Story

The narrative framework of Incoming: The Final Conflict is straightforward but effective: Earth has been caught off-guard by a sudden extraterrestrial offensive, striking everything from international moonbases to remote Arctic installations. You play a frontline pilot entrusted with defending key installations, delaying the alien advance until humanity can mount a counterstrike. It’s a classic underdog tale, blending global stakes with personal heroism.

Storytelling is conveyed primarily through pre-mission briefings, interstitial cutscenes, and the occasional radio transmission during missions. These snippets provide context—revealing that the tracking station under construction is Earth’s last hope, or that intel suggests an alien stronghold on the lunar surface. While character development is minimal and the dialogue can veer into clichéd territory (“Incoming aliens! Incoming aliens!” becomes a mantra), it fuels the momentum and keeps players invested in the next objective.

What the plot lacks in depth, it makes up for in pacing and consistency. You never find yourself pulled out of the action by overly long exposition, and mission goals evolve naturally from the geographical progression of the alien threat. By the time you launch the climactic assault on the moon, you’ve built a palpable sense of anticipation—the fate of Earth literally hangs in the balance. It’s not Shakespeare, but it scratches that sci-fi itch and gives every mission a clear purpose.

Overall Experience

Incoming: The Final Conflict shines as an action-packed shooter that balances variety, intensity, and straightforward fun. Its arcade-style roots ensure that each mission delivers a quick jolt of adrenaline, whether you’re mowing down insectoid walkers with your tank or locking onto alien fighters in zero gravity. The multiple gameplay modes—arcade, action, and action-tactics—offer enough diversity to keep veteran players coming back for new challenges.

Replay value is bolstered by hidden unlockables and higher difficulty tiers, which introduce tougher enemies and stricter ammo constraints. Once you’ve mastered the campaign, tackling these modes can feel like a brand-new gauntlet. While there’s no competitive multiplayer, the single-player experience is robust enough to stand on its own, and the mission variety ensures you’re rarely repeating the same gameplay loop.

For fans of classic 3D shooters, Incoming: The Final Conflict is a satisfying throwback that still feels engaging today. Its strengths—diverse vehicles, responsive controls, and explosive action—outweigh minor shortcomings in narrative depth or ultra-modern visuals. If you’re looking for a no-nonsense, high-energy ride through alien-infested skies and battlefields, this title is well worth adding to your collection.

Whether you’re a longtime admirer of late-90s shooters or a newcomer eager for an action-first experience, Incoming delivers. Strap into any turret, tank, helicopter, or alien craft, and prepare for a wild defense of Earth—and beyond. The final conflict awaits, and victory demands both sharp aim and strategic thinking.

Retro Replay Score

7.1/10