Hostage: Rescue Mission - In-depth Written Amiga Review With Pics
Hostage: Rescue Mission/Hostages
Amiga, 1989 (Original Atari ST 1988)
Infograms/Mindscape
$44.95
*Alphabetical list of writings
My father never seemed to be that much of a fan of the traditional side scrolling game. Rarely would you find him on our NES or Genesis, and when you did he'd be playing a card game, or a sports game, perhaps a simulation. He'd be playing the types of games you'd more often see on a computer, not a console. When it came to our Amiga, he spent no shortage of time on that machine, happily in front of those same types of games. When you did find his hands on one of those side scrollers, they would largely be unique computer games that would bare only minor resemblance to their console brethren. Hostages comes to mind as one of those select few games I remember my dad playing that bore some resemblance to what I was playing on the consoles, but at the same time was nothing like them.
Hostages was a French design originally released in 1988 for the Atari ST. It seems to have been slated for release on the Amiga soon after in the same year, but magazine research reveals delays that pushed it to 1989. America would receive a slight tweak in the form of a name change. The "s" was dropped in "Hostages", the new title being "Hostage: Rescue Mission", and some consoles would change the name further. A slick manual that seems exclusive to America came with the game, a twenty-eight page "top secret" briefing booklet, an example of those extra "feelies" that were all so common with computer games.
My father never seemed to be that much of a fan of the traditional side scrolling game. Rarely would you find him on our NES or Genesis, and when you did he'd be playing a card game, or a sports game, perhaps a simulation. He'd be playing the types of games you'd more often see on a computer, not a console. When it came to our Amiga, he spent no shortage of time on that machine, happily in front of those same types of games. When you did find his hands on one of those side scrollers, they would largely be unique computer games that would bare only minor resemblance to their console brethren. Hostages comes to mind as one of those select few games I remember my dad playing that bore some resemblance to what I was playing on the consoles, but at the same time was nothing like them.
Hostages was a French design originally released in 1988 for the Atari ST. It seems to have been slated for release on the Amiga soon after in the same year, but magazine research reveals delays that pushed it to 1989. America would receive a slight tweak in the form of a name change. The "s" was dropped in "Hostages", the new title being "Hostage: Rescue Mission", and some consoles would change the name further. A slick manual that seems exclusive to America came with the game, a twenty-eight page "top secret" briefing booklet, an example of those extra "feelies" that were all so common with computer games.
^Fifteen difficulty settings, the first stage
Hostages is made up of three separate play areas, only the first of which would actually qualify as a side scroller. It seems the best overall placement for this game would be as a tactical shooter, in context with the later levels, even the first level can fit loosely into that very odd genre itself. Your first step is to place three snipers at specific locations in this side scrolling level. In your way are many moving spotlights seeking you out in order to fill your body with lead. Despite holding a gun yourself, you won't be able to use it at this point, you're on pure defense. Roll, crawl, or jump away from the lights, hide yourself anyway you can.
^Death, hiding in windows and doors, final placementsA stealth sidescroller? I wish that concept could have been more prominent in video games back then. There is something fun and unique about avoiding the spotlights, seeking out coverage anyway you can, barrel rolling your way toward the end of the level. You have choices here as well; There's no demand that you place your snipers at all three separate vantage points.Your snipers just have to be at "a" vantage point. Pile them all up at the nearest location if desired, but that will mean you'll have less shooting angles on the next stage.
^Send in the calvary, busting some windowsI said the sidescrolling area connects with the overall theme of "tactical shooter" because in that section you're strategically placing snipers around a building where terrorists have taken hostages. Once placed, gameplay takes an utterly different turn on the second level. At this point, reminiscent of some of the most popular games of the last twenty years, we set up our scopes and shoot away. Found occasionally lurking near a window are indistinguished shadows. Will you pull the trigger? The building inside is made up largely of terrorists, and exactly four hostages. Chances are high that any of the shadows seen in a window are something you'd rather not have around. You could use this opportunity to make the final section of the game considerably easier. However, you might also take out one of the people you were sent here to save.
The only tips I figured out for this section are that the hostages won't move on their own. If you notice two or more figures in the window, there could be an innocent amongst that group. Single figures are more likely, though not guaranteed, to be terrorists. You're playing the odds when it comes to the sniper section. The only way to know for sure what the snipers are looking at is to send in your team members into the building itself, confirm who's in the front of the window, and then switch back to the sniper. At any time in this area you can switch between up to six of your party members, provided some of them have not been killed. Three of the members are your snipers from the first level, while the other three have been sent in via helicopter to infiltrate the building by breaking through a window.
^First and third person shooter, notice the bullets the game keeps track of
Upon smashing through a window and entering a building, gameplay changes yet again to a combination of first and third person shooter. There are several ways to go about this final area. The most direct way is to stay with the original character that enters the building, and either kill every terrorist on the three floors of the building, or rescue all four hostages by taking them to the only room that doesn't have any windows. You can also get more tactical and have all three of your building assault team be inside the building at the same time. Station someone in a corner hallway while another member goes room to room. Should a terrorist enter the same room as one of your men, that members name will start flashing and you can switch to them.
It can be quite difficult dealing with a terrorist that is with one of the hostages. You could pay close attention to the map on screen and switch back to one your snipers when a safe shot lines up. Though difficult at first, I was able to figure out certain patterns of thinking with the A.I. such that I was eventually able to ignore the snipers for the most part and clear out the building with one member inside. While dodging bullets, take a look around inside of the many rooms and notice just how detailed the interior can be at times. There are heating units, plants, bookshelves, tool boxes, paintings, and electrical outlets, amongst other things. 3-D games of the 1990's couldn't hope to achieve this level of detail in individual rooms.
^Various end screensProvided you're playing on any difficulty setting other than the easiest, the game will end with various text screens noting your overall performance. The only way to get the "best" ending is to make sure all of your team members survive while saving the hostages. But any way you cut it you are going to get that final screen. At this point you can start over from the sniper section and attempt to better yourself. Hostages features fifteen levels of difficulty. Originally the game would give out a password once completing certain difficulty settings in order to allow you passage to others, though there are game cracks which remove this restriction. Having defeated the game on the most difficult setting available, there's nothing other than your own satisfaction to be gained from doing so, though I will say I felt satisfied.
Reviews of the era largely felt the game was good to great, amongst both American and British perspectives. One reviewer noted his extreme distaste for the subject matter multiple times in his review, but still stated it was a good game "if you're okay with the subject matter". He felt it was cashing in on "recent" events and that no game should be made on the topic of terrorism. There are countless examples of games depicting moments in history that were not the greatest, and that does not mean we can't enjoy playing them, and that in some small way we're better people for them, not worse. Despite his concerns that the game was cashing in on recent events at the time, the game was actually inspired by a 1980 raid against the Iranian embassy by the French National Gendarmerie (equivalent of the FBI), eight years prior to the games release, and their expertise was consulted while developing the game. Hardy a cash in title if you ask me. I would say it's quite noteworthy in history for both its topic matter as well as its unique gameplay that is sure to have gone on to inspire games afterward.
While not a game you're likely to come back to all that often, I firmly believe you'll enjoy what time you do spend with this one. I hope you'll check out my video review, where I show off the unique manual up close, as well as read bits of several magazine reviews from the time, as well as get into many areas not covered here (like the excellent Amiga soundtrack).
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