Maximum Force is a light gun shooter arcade game developed by Mesa Logic for Atari Games in 1997. In 1998, Atari Games re-released the game as part of one machine called Area 51/Maximum Force Duo that also included Area 51, and later ported the game to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

The Story Behind Maximum Force

The game made its world debut on January 21, 1997 at the Amusement Trades Exhibition International show in London. Maximum Force is a light gun shooter arcade game developed by Mesa Logic for Atari Games in 1997. In 1998, Atari Games re-released the game as part of one machine called Area 51/Maximum Force Duo that also included Area 51, and later ported the game to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

Like its predecessor Area 51, Maximum Force uses digitized video stored on an on-board hard disk, and red gibs into which every enemy blows apart when shot, in exactly the same way. While enemies, innocents, and explosions are 2D digitized video sprites, the levels and vehicles are pre-rendered in 3D. Released into markets increasingly dominated by games with polygon graphics, Maximum Force was a critical failure, with many citing generic and dated gameplay, unrealistic death animations, and short length, but a commercial success.

How Maximum Force Plays

Shooting windows, barrels, cars, and other objects increases the player's score. These areas are under siege by terrorists and the player must kill the terrorists before they take aim and fire at the player character. Players can have a maximum of seven lives in the home versions.

Like its predecessor Area 51, Maximum Force uses digitized video stored on an on-board hard disk, and red gibs into which every enemy blows apart when shot, in exactly the same way. Like in Area 51, shooting certain objects in an area will transport the player to a secret bonus zone, most often a shooting exercise, for extra points. The first two zones can be played in any order.

Why Players Still Load It Up

The only problem with having this graphics system is the way the enemies are killed - the big splodge of red cartoon blood ..." However, many critics also remarked that the 30-minute length, while decent by arcade standards, was unacceptably short for a home console game, and that the lack of alternate routes to choose from leaves Maximum Force with little replay value. Jeff Gerstmann commented in GameSpot that it "simply falls short. Most reviews assessed the game as overall bland compared to the alternatives, with IGN stating that "Maximum Force isn't as bad as Revolution X or some of the other ones floating around, but it's no Time Crisis either." Game Informer was more positive, describing it as a fun and replayable game which had been converted faithfully to both the PlayStation and the Saturn, but likewise concluded that it was outshone by competitors like Time Crisis.

In 1998, Atari Games re-released the game as part of one machine called Area 51/Maximum Force Duo that also included Area 51, and later ported the game to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Critics overwhelmingly remarked that digitized light gun shooting was overfamiliar or even outdated, though some added that Maximum Force was superior to most games in that style, including Area 51. While enemies, innocents, and explosions are 2D digitized video sprites, the levels and vehicles are pre-rendered in 3D.

Maximum Force — Frequently Asked Questions