Past futures
D/Generation drops you into the not-too-distant future of 2021. Wait, what? Never mind, we're a courier sent on a routine jet-pack delivery to Genoq Biolabs in Singapore. Of course, nothing goes to plan for Steve the delivery man, as the building went into lockdown the moment I arrived. The automated security systems have gone haywire and have activated their lethal defence systems, malfunctioning equipment and genetically engineered nasties. What was meant to be a simple delivery quickly becomes a fight for survival, along with the small matter of rescuing the unfortunate staff trapped inside. If possible, I shall try. Honest.
From the moment I jetpacked in, I knew this was going to be something special. The objective is simple in theory: explore each floor, disable the threatening security systems, rescue survivors, and work your way through the building. In practice, every room is a carefully designed puzzle with switches, doors, laser barriers, teleporters, security turrets, hostile creatures and the occasional terrified employee.
This game is futuristically very cool, just look at these opening screens...
Just like Colt Seavers, we've jetpack-jetted in to complete our usual courier duties...
The moment we arrive, the entire building goes into lockdown. Typical, eh!
The future is nothing like we thought
Within an instant, we’ve transformed from a humble courier into John McClane. The world we're trapped in is beautifully presented in isometric form, a style that's been a favourite of mine since the days of Knight Lore, Nightshade, and Fairlight. Each location acts as a self-contained challenge, with problems to solve and enemies to kill. Don't worry, you’re (soon) armed with a laser gun, but this isn’t a run-and-gunner.
What really makes D/Generation shine isn’t the viewpoint or the futuristic setting; it’s the puzzle design. The game is unapologetically brutal and rarely intuitive. Early on, you’re still learning how the game "thinks", and even something as simple as rescuing the receptionist on the first floor becomes a valuable lesson in careful timing. That rotating turret looks impossible to pass, until you realise there must be a switch. From that moment on, you start approaching every room with caution rather than confidence.
The joystick controls take the longest to master, which is often the case with isometric games (the numeric keyboard is much better). Trying to dive into a safe corner, only to snag on a bit of scenery, creates a terrifying moment of panic as a turret continues moving towards your location! Learning to make quick, precise dashes to switches is essential, and once that clicks, many rooms start to reveal their logic.
Each room is a separate puzzle, but later levels often connect rooms in some cunning way, forcing you to return to progress. Flipping certain switches in a particular order, finding a key, using teleporters, or even positioning yourself to shoot (and activate) a remote switch. Progression through the building is steady, with each new floor introducing fresh hazards and new combinations of old ones.
Rescuing survivors isn’t for kindness; it rewards you with extra lives. Just be careful not to shoot one by accident! Pressing ENTER lets you talk to them, and it’s always worth a shot, as you never know what valuable information they might have. The "U" key shows available weapons. You have a laser, but it’s insufficient against some enemies, so search for other items. The "S" key displays your status, which is helpful.
Also, look out for the enemy. These are called Neogens: one is a red balloon that bounces around the room, and if it sees you, it goes transparent before attacking, so shoot it!! Another is a blue spring-like cylinder that can attack surprisingly fast. Each room has its own range of dangers; success depends entirely on planning ahead. Rush in blindly, and you’ll be rewarded with death. And you'll look like a right plonker!
A tremendously challenging game for all the right reasons. Let's see some screenshots...
This is the first tough screen, which has a key and another item (partially hidden).
Once armed, you can defend yourself against the red-balloon enemies lol.
Aesthetics
The isometric style isn’t new and might only appeal to fellow oldies from the 80s, but it works exceptionally well. The palette, with its futuristic and Blade Runner-esque tone, is particularly striking. The attention to detail, from the computers and office equipment to other elements, is superb. Steve Leney, one of the creators behind these pixels, is also responsible for Knightmare (ugh, a terrible game, but it looked gorgeous). The only things that look dodgy are us and the characters we're rescuing; it's like I've drawn them lol
The intro features a nice chiptune that sets the scene for our jetpack landing. In-game, the effects are good: laser fire, ricochets, switches, etc. This is exactly what you want; any music would be distracting.
Right, let's see a couple more screenshots before the gripping conclusion...
Yikes, how can I get by the laser and rescue that guy?
Oh dear, I seem to have got myself stuck in a room with no way out!
CryptO'pinion
When I first booted this up, I loved the presentation, but I wasn't sure about the controls or how to solve puzzles. Boy, am I glad I stuck with it. To say I've enjoyed D/Generation would be a massive understatement. Almost every room is a unique challenge, with later floors often being integrated in some way. Everything is linked with a methodical solution that involves as much thought as it does joystick dexterity.
The constant need to study, plan and beat a room is what keeps D/Generation engaging. It never feels random. However, mistakes are punished harshly, and progress often comes through careful experimentation rather than instinct. One of the most shockingly addictive games I have ever featured. An easy 95%.
- Floppy images can be downloaded from Atari Legend.
- Hard drive versions can be downloaded from D-Bug and 8BitChip.
- Atari Greenlog has a superb video of the opening rooms.
Many screens require fast action. Walk onto that pink teleporter, and you'll see!
Hitting the Return key chats to the staff. Sometimes it's worthwhile...
Ah, a key. But it's behind three walls of laser beams bouncing back and forth...
The start of the next level is a killer - be quick!!
Argh, I see the (yellow) exit, but I need to head back to get the security key.
One of the hardest rooms in the entire game!! You'll see...
Easy for us to dodge the lasers, but not so much for the guy we're about to rescue.
Getting by the turret is easy, but then you have two security nasties to contend with.
You knew this was coming, right? Well deserved, a brilliant game!
