Have you wondered how Doom may play from a top-down perspective? With Loaded, the latest title developed by Gremlin Graphics of Zool fame, that is precisely what you are in for. Brace for violent horror the likes of which has yet to be presented in such a magnificently bloody fashion. This gore-fest features six psychotic killers to choose from, all of whom managed to obtain powerful blasters to blast out of a dense prison planet. Each has their own distinct personality, like the charming, flame-thrower toting Butch or Cap'n Hands, the unholy cybernetic pirate. The instruction manual succinctly lays it out for you: "If it moves, blast it until it DOESN'T move. This goes for guard, inmates, other mercs..." Wow!

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Running wild through the corridors of this high-security structure is classic, arcade-shootin' fun. Tackle waves of baddies from guards to zombies and utilize the well-implemented Doom-ish controls to fire, strafe, or even zoom in and out of the map. Face a different mission with each sector of the facility, such as discovering a warp or an escape route. Loaded's graphics and special effects are all showcased to harness the power of the PlayStation. Scrolling is buttery-smooth, the detailed atmosphere is delightfully dingy, and you can use certain weapons like missiles to illuminate passageways. Too many explosions or enemies can cause some nasty slowdown, however. Finally, in the sound department, the title track is solid - we wish it lasted the full game.

Printed in Issue #32, December 1995