Freeware Game Pick: The Hive (Vanni del Moral)

In The Hive you play as Alex Rig, a reporter who was investigating a missing persons case when he discovers a heavily-fortified research facility while snooping around for clues. Similar to Iji, Prince of Persia and Flashback, Alex will be doing a lot of climbing up platforms and crawling through air vents to find ammunition or health-replenishing items that he can keep in his inventory for later use.

The taser he carries is effective enough against guards at close range, but only rifles and shotguns can protect him from being overwhelmed by chasing mutants that are more resilient to bullet damage. Both the protagonist's health and his weapons can be upgraded in small increments, provided that you manage to locate the special items required to level up their stats.

The controls might feel clunky and unresponsive at first, but if you give the game a chance to impress it could even suprise you with its high production values in just about every other area. This 2D platformer was created by Vanni del Moral as his entry for submission to the YoYo Games' 'Discovery' competition. Download The Hive here. (Windows, 4.78MB)

QUANTA COMPUTER RESEARCH IN MOTION ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS SAIC