Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Alpha Prime delivers a solid first-person shooter experience, blending frantic gunplay with tactical moments of exploration and resource management. You slip into the boots of Arnold, armed initially with a simple axe and gradually outfitted with an arsenal that ranges from a pump-action shotgun to high-powered rocket launchers and a devastating flame thrower. The core combat loop emphasizes strategic use of weapons against a mix of infected miners, rogue security forces, and patrolling robots with positron-driven AI brains.

What sets the gameplay apart is the integration of hubbardium as both a narrative element and a mechanical twist. Scattered deposits of this “liquid metal” allow Arnold to inject himself and briefly slow down time, giving you the upper hand in tense firefights or narrow escape routes. This ability is balanced by limited availability—forcing you to decide whether to conserve hubbardium for critical encounters or to blast through hordes at the risk of running dry when you need it most.

Beyond combat, Alpha Prime incorporates environmental puzzles and a hacking tool that can override security doors, disable turrets, or reroute power. Sections that send you onto the surface of the asteroid demand careful oxygen management, echoing the survival tension of titles like DOOM³ but substituting air bottles for fixed refill stations. This adds an extra layer of immersion and pacing, ensuring that each corridor feels alive and every outdoor excursion carries genuine risk.

Graphics

The visual design of Alpha Prime successfully conveys a cold, industrial atmosphere deep within the heart of an asteroid. The mineral-streaked walls, slick with veins of glowing hubbardium, emit an eerie light that contrasts beautifully against the metallic sheen of the base’s corridors. Texture work on machinery, pipes, and mining equipment is detailed enough to feel lived-in, while grime, rust, and damage scars reinforce the sense of long-abandoned facilities.

Particle effects shine during combat—shell casings scatter realistically, muzzle flashes reflect off nearby surfaces, and combustible pockets of gas or hubbardium ignite with spectacular bursts. Lighting plays a crucial role: emergency strobes, failing light fixtures, and the ever-present bioluminescent glow of hubbardium combine to cast dynamic shadows and highlight environmental hazards, from deep chasms to collapsing walkways.

While the asteroid’s surface segments introduce a desolate beauty—rocky plains, distant vistas of space, and oppressive low gravity—the majority of the experience unfolds indoors. Here, frame rates remain stable even when dozens of enemies swarm, thanks to solid optimization. Occasional texture pop-in can occur at long draw distances, but it rarely detracts from the overall immersion.

Story

Alpha Prime opens with a compelling premise: a once-promising hub-based mining colony, sealed off by a corporate federation after workers and machines begin to succumb to the hallucinogenic effects of hubbardium. Illegal prospectors return, turning the substance into a powerful new drug, until a massive vein’s radiation drives everyone mad. This setup provides a strong narrative hook that underpins the game’s oppressive atmosphere.

The personal stakes come into focus when Warren, boyfriend to Livia and former friend of Arnold, sends out a distress call from the besieged complex. You assume Arnold’s role, guided by Livia, as you traverse the labyrinthine base to rescue Warren and unravel the corporate cover-up. Dialogue and voice performances deliver the drama with earnest intensity, even as events veer into predictable sci-fi tropes of corporate greed and bio-mechanical horror.

Environmental storytelling fills in the gaps—log entries, flickering security cameras, and graffiti-like warnings scrawled by desperate miners reveal the slow descent into chaos. There are moments of genuine suspense, particularly in the darker corridors where infected robots wander with unsettling jerks, and revelations about the true nature of hubbardium’s effect on positron brains offer a chilling commentary on unchecked technological ambition.

Overall Experience

Playing Alpha Prime feels like a journey through a futuristic, corporate-run dystopia, where every turn may conceal a firefight, a hidden hubbardium vein, or a heartbreaking echo of past miners. The pacing strikes a good balance between high-octane combat and quieter exploration, though some backtracking through similar corridors can feel repetitive. Still, the variety of enemy types, coupled with time-slow and hacking mechanics, keeps encounters engaging throughout its roughly 10-hour campaign.

Sound design and music heighten the tension—clanking machinery, distant alarms, and radio chatter remind you that the asteroid teems with unseen threats. The score swells during boss-style encounters, adding cinematic flair without ever overpowering ambient noises that keep you on edge. Controls are responsive, with customizable keybinds and a clear HUD that tracks ammo, health, oxygen levels, and hubbardium reserves.

For fans of classic ego-shooters who appreciate a strong sci-fi backdrop and resource-driven abilities, Alpha Prime offers a memorable ride. It may not reinvent the genre, but its combination of time-manipulation powers, hacking puzzles, and a foreboding story about corporate overreach makes it a worthwhile pick—especially at a budget-friendly price. Whether you’re in it for the narrative thrills or the pulse-pounding action, Alpha Prime stands as a solid addition to any FPS enthusiast’s library.

Retro Replay Score

6.2/10