Area 51 invades PCs

Area 51 is now available for PCs, Midway announced today. While Xbox and PlayStation 2 owners have been reveling in close encounters of the third kind since April, the PC version has taken a bit longer due to some delays. All versions of Area 51 were developed by Midway Studios - Austin, which was previously known as Inevitable Entertainment before Midway purchased it late last year.

Gamers will play as Ethan Cole, a member of the hazardous materials division of the Special Forces. Upon arriving to investigate a potentially deadly viral outbreak, Cole and his team find things amiss in Area 51. Guards just aren't acting right, conspiracies are aplenty, and--oh, yeah--nasty aliens carrying a virus with mind-control capabilities are killing everything in sight. Luckily for Cole, his blood is immune to the ill effects of the virus...but not to its groovy positive powers.

The PC version supports up to 16 players and offers several multiplayer modes, including capture the flag and "infection." The game also features the voice acting of The X-Files star David Duchovny and rock star Marilyn Manson.

Gamers who'd like to try their hands at blasting a few ETs before plunking down the dough can download the 746MB single-player demo from GameSpot DLX now.

Area 51 is rated M for Mature and sells for $29.99. For more information on the game, check out the full review of the Xbox version.