Helium, a game being created by Rocketship, is a super stylish minimalistic sci-fi First Person Shooter that offers compelling gameplay and challenging combat as you explore a deadly and mysterious alien planet.
You awaken on a completely desolate and unknown planet, scared and all alone. You’re surrounded by walls as tall as your eyes can see on every side with a single path lying in front of you. The only way you can go is forward, but the eery nature of the colourless landscape sends shivers down your spine. You begin to follow the path, as there is no other way to go. All of a sudden an object materializes out of nowhere just north of your position. Human curiosity gets the better of you as you walk slowly towards the object. Before you get a chance to investigate it another object begins to materializes in front you, but this time it comes straight at you at frightening speeds. Without hesitation you pick up the object in front of you. It seems to be some sort of Laser Pistol, but a lot more slender to the weapons you are used to. Without thought you open fire on the unknown entity flying towards you. As you shoot it, it darts from left to right making it almost impossible to hit it. It gets close enough to hurt you, feeling the energy pulsating of the enemy as it approaches. You continue to open fire and it finally disperses in a flash of smoke and light. The only thoughts that remain in your mind are “What was that thing?”, “Where are you?” and “What happened to the rest of the crew?”.
Still very early in development, Helium is shaping up to be an absolutely stunning, FPS experience that will leave you feeling a sense of fear and awe. The game’s minimalistic visual style is absolutely beautiful, making the hostile landscape feel void of feeling – made even more creepy by the muted sounds. The gunplay mechanics are smooth and super responsive, however the enemies can be hard to take down due to their random movements and pain inducing attacks that can take you out in a blink of an eye. Another great addition are the ammo pickups – ammo is in limited supply, but you can scrape by by liberating trees, or by looting your own dead corpses. The enemies can be daunting at first, but once you get a hand on how they act you can dispatch them with a hail of laser rounds.
Helium is one of those games will grab you, and pull you further and further in. This isn’t just because of its visual design or gun play, it’s because of the mystery behind what happened for you to end up on this planet, and what happened to the crew you were with. Helium is a must try for any budding FPS enthusiast or someone who wants a different experience in the FPS genre. A stylish and cerebral shooter.
NOTE: The menu has a lot of flickering between black and white. As such people who suffer from seizures may want to stay away from this one.
Download the Helium Alpha Demo Here (Win and Mac)