Xenomorph - Pandora RRP œ24.99
             (A mouse-controlled RPG on 3 disks) 

                    Reviewed by Alan Beer

From the first time you switch on, you'll notice the similarities
between Xenomorph and Dungeon Master but set in space (that is if
you've played DM? If not, shame on you.)

You start the game just after you have manually landed your ship,
the Mombassa Oak, at your destination, the mining colony Atargatis.
This is all due to your ship's computer packing up. Now your main
problem is to repair your computer but where is everyone? You've
guessed it, they're all dead. Well, that is now the least of your
problems, you start off with only a pair of boxer shorts and a 
credit card.

As you work your way through the colony looking for circuit chips
to repair your ship's computer, you will find different objects
laying around eg a motion detector which detects movement of up to
approx 60ft around you, also ID cards, food, weapons, grenades and
many more, all of which you are going to need. The other thing
you're going to need is a graphpaper pad, because each level is
very large and if you don't map your progress you're not going get
anywhere - I tried it and it's hopeless, you just end up going
around and around. 

By the way, there are 15 levels. Each has its own style of
graphics, aliens and robots but more of that later. In the walls
of the corridors and some of the rooms you will also find brown
panels which, when opened, reveal such things as coffee percolators,
computer consoles and food, all of which need a credit card. You
are going to need to keep notes of where these machines are
because, as with most RPGs, you have to keep your health and
stamina up. The higher your stamina, the faster the game moves.
Saying that, you can get about with no food and water for some
time but you move very slowly.

There are plenty of aliens to blast to bits. They come in all
shapes and sizes. Some pop out of eggs of some kind and some
hatch from cocoons and there's one that pops out of a ..... well,
that's for you to find out!

Movement is all done via the mouse and is very easy to use. The
left button is for your actions ie picking up an object and by
pressing the right mouse button you enter your back pack. This 
is when the small part of the screen that holds your statistics
is changed into the view you had on the main screen, so you can
still see what is going on as you look in your back pack. One of
the good things about this is if something does sneak up on you,
you can click on your 20mm Super Magnum and blow it away without
leaving your back pack.

The sound, well there's not much sound, much the same as DM, only
gunshots and grunts when you're attacked and that sort of stuff.
The graphics are well drawn and very colourful, the animation is
fairly smooth and the screen scrolls as you turn.

To round it up there's lots to do and if you enjoy mapping this
is going to keep you busy for some time. This game is huge but
I would say it's not as hard as DM, just a lot more ground to
cover. 

The only hassle I found was that when you go from level to level
you have to swap the disks twice. One tip is to save when you get
into a new level and not before you enter it. This way you cut
down on disk-swapping when you get killed or if you stop the game
and reload later.

Marks out of 100 - I would say 90.