Maximum Force is Atari Games' follow-up to the alien-infested gun game, Area 51. In this installment, the aliens are gone, and you're part of an antiterrorist group. You (and a friend) must go through three levels, each of which is chock-full of bad guys just waiting to have their caps peeled back.
If you've played Area 51, you'll pick up Maximum Force right away. With the exception of the levels themselves, the game is identical, right down to many of the power-ups. Also, a lot more bonus levels have been tossed in. So many, in fact, that they become a real nuisance and interrupt gameplay way too frequently. The Sega Stunner is the best choice here; using the controller to play the game is a futile effort, and playing the game with a gun that has an autofire feature causes so many screen flashes you'll think you're in an '80s dance club.
The graphics are fine, but the Saturn's poor FMV abilities really show through here, as the video looks quite blocky, especially when compared with the PlayStation version. The sound effects and music do a nice job of setting the tone, but considering most of the sound effects were lifted directly from Area 51, this isn't much of a surprise.
Playing Maximum Force is a one-time deal. Once you've finished it (anyone can do it the first time through), there's no point in continuing to play. Compared with other gun games, Maximum Force simply falls short. Gamers will be better served by picking up Virtua Cop 2 or even Die Hard Trilogy.
