''MorphX'' (also known as ''The Swarm'' or simply ''Swarm'') is an

action-adventure video game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...

developed by

Targem Games Targem Games is a Russian video game developer, based in Yekaterinburg, Russia, geographically in Siberia. Established in 2002, the company has created nine PC games of various genres. The company received several awards at the Russian Game Devel ...

and published by Buka Entertainment in Russia and

505 Games 505 Games S.p.A. is an Italian video game publisher based in Milan. It was founded in 2006 as a subsidiary of Milan-based Digital Bros. History 505 Games was founded in 2006 in Milan as a subsidiary of Digital Bros. The company found its earl ...

in the west. A

light gun shooter Light gun shooter, also called light gun game or simply gun game, is a shooter video game genre in which the primary design element is to simulate a shooting gallery by having the player aiming and discharging a gun-shaped controller at a scre ...

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...

adaptation was released in 2013 by

Global VR Global VR is company based in San Jose, California, that makes arcade games. The company once manufactured virtual reality stands as well. It has also developed electronic kiosks and offers development services for mobile platforms. History ...

Synopsis

In 2008,

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

was invaded by the alien swarm. Within the year, they had complete control of earth and had wiped out most of mankind. During 2009, the Swarm directed its effort to locate and wipe out the few remaining pockets of resistance. The year is now 2011, and mankind is still fighting to survive. Meanwhile, sightings of strange humanoid creatures are reported, their purpose unknown. Some believe they are the products of experiments the swarm has done on humans, while some believe it's the first of a new generation of swarm adapted to life on Earth. In 2012, one of mankind's last bastions dubbed "The Laboratory", resides beneath the ruins of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. There the survivors work tirelessly to stop this new threat.

Gameplay

''MorphX'' is a

science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...

action-adventure The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

played from a

third-person perspective Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...

. The player can gain abnormal abilities by killing different aliens, and absorbing their genetic material to acquires their specific traits.

Development

Lead developer "JSinx" told ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' that the development team were inspired to set the game in their home city of Moscow as there "are many tales about the end of the world in movies, literature and videogames, but there's no famous story set in Moscow. Moscow is a big, beautiful city that is very recognizable; we imagined our own tale about the end of the world and it was natural for us to set it in Moscow -- being a background that we know well and that would also be refreshing for players."

Reception

''MorphX'' received "generally unfavourable" reviews according to video game

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

. ''

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

'''s 4/10 review stated that "there are enough innovative ideas here with the alien metamorphosis mechanics that could have made this an inventive, captivating shooter", but lamented "design screwups

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

are so blatant that they get in the way of enjoying the weird stuff with alien genes and mutant powers".

References

2008 video games Action games Action-adventure games Alien invasions in video games Science fiction video games Third-person shooters Video games about extraterrestrial life Video games developed in Russia Windows games Xbox 360 games 505 Games games Single-player video games Video games set in 2012 Video games set in the 2010s Targem Games games Buka Entertainment games Global VR games {{Videogame-stub