Armorines: Project S.W.A.R.M. is a
first-person shooter with some
on-rails segments. The game features five different environments taking place on earth and in space and has two characters to choose from: Tony Lewis and Myra Lane. Each character has a different starting weapon. Tony uses a slower but stronger gun than Myra, while Myra uses a faster machine gun-like weapon, which causes less damage. Additional weapons can be picked up throughout the game. The weapons available depend on which character the player chooses to play as. Each character features 3 weapons, while there are 5 special weapons. Each one of the special weapons is exclusive to a specific environment and can be powered up 3 times in its respective environment.[3]
Armorines includes a co-op campaign and a multiplayer versus mode. The versus mode can accommodate up to 4 players, while the co-op mode supports 2 players.[4] The Versus mode has 4 gameplay types:
Deathmatch: Playable by 2-4 players. This game mode's objective is to get the most kills. The game can have a target amount of kills or have a timer set.
Racewars: Playable by 2-4 players. In this game mode player can choose to play as any of the alien bug species, each one possessing different attributes and abilities. The objective in this game mode is get the most kills. The game can have a target amount of kills or have a timer set.
Capture the Flag: This is a team based game for 2-4 players. The objective is to steal the other teams flag and return it to your base,
King of the Hill: Playable by 2-4 players. The player must find the score zone, marked by a large flag, and stay inside of it to score points.
Plot
A group of marines fitted with advanced futuristic suits of armor protect Earth from an invasion of extraterrestrial, spider-like beings. The marines protect the Earth by killing the spiders with their weapons. The game features 2 protagonists and playable characters, Tony Lewis and Myra Lane. Each character has a different load-out equipped with their Armorine suit. They are Armorines, a highly advanced, highly classified virtually indestructible fighting force equipped to survive the terrifying might of a nuclear conflict.[5]
The Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 versions received mixed reviews, while the PlayStation version received unfavourable reviews, according to the
review aggregation website
GameRankings.[7][8][9] Doug Trueman of NextGen gave both the N64 and PlayStation versions negative reviews in two separate issues, first calling the former "a great step backward from Turok 2. If you're desperate to kill bugs, buy a can of
Raid instead" (#62, February 2000);[30] and later saying of the latter, "Like the plot of so many science-fiction horror flicks, this was a good idea gone horribly wrong" (#69, September 2000).[31] In Japan, where the latter was ported and published by Acclaim Japan on 13 July 2000, Famitsu gave it a score of 21 out of 40.[19]
The Enforcer of GamePro said of the Nintendo 64 version, "If you're looking for the best corridor shooter on the N64 right now, Armorines is it. The frenetic action, challenging missions, and creepy graphics will keep you blasting away through those cold winter nights."[35][c] However, Hyper gave the same console version 67%, saying, "Armorines had potential, but somehow it's been spoiled."[36]
Notes
^Four critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Nintendo 64 version each a score of 5/10, 4.5/10, 6/10, and 3/10.
^Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the PlayStation version each a score of 4/10, 3.5/10, and 3/10.
^GamePro gave the Nintendo 64 version three 4/5 scores for graphics, sound, and control, and 4.5/5 for fun factor.
^Funk, Joe; Hager, Dean; Smith, Shawn (August 2000).
"Armorines [Project S.W.A.R.M.] (PS)"(PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 133. Ziff Davis. p. 148.
Archived(PDF) from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
^"Armorines: Project SWARM (N64)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 128. Nintendo of America. January 2000. p. 143.
Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2023.