Æon Flux (video game)

Infobox VG| title = Æon Flux


developer = Terminal Reality
publisher = Majesco Games
designer =
engine =
released = November 15, 2005
genre = Action-adventure
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: Teen (13+)
platforms = PlayStation 2, Xbox
input = Gamepad

"Æon Flux" is the video game adaptation of the 2005 science fiction film of the same name, with elements of the "Æon Flux" cartoon series. The game was released on November 15, 2005 in North America for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox gaming consoles. The development cycle of the Aeon Flux game was ten months, a relatively short time for a non-sequel console game.

Plot summary

The game is set in the year 2415, after disease has wiped out the majority of the Earth's population except for one walled and protected city-state, Bregna. The city is ruled by the congress of scientists who discovered the vaccine for the disease. When Æon Flux, the player character and top operative in the underground "Monican" rebellion, is sent on a mission to kill a government leader (Trevor Goodchild) she uncovers a world of secrets which make her doubt her mission and question everything she thought she knew.

The game's storyline attempts to bridge the gap between the TV series and the film, and account for various discrepancies, such as the appearance of the jungle outside Bregna and the differences between the movie version of Trevor Goodchild and the original.

Reception

On January 31, 2006, the G4 television network's video game review show "X-Play" featured a review of the "Æon Flux" movie-based video game. The segment featured "X-Play" co-host Morgan Webb dressed in a black outfit and wig resembling the original "Liquid Television"-style Æon Flux character. Performing from the perspective of Æon herself, Webb comments on portions of the game throughout its review; the review ends with an extremely discouraged Webb/Æon concluding that "I finally get my own video game after 15 years, and it gets 3 out of 5." — "X-Play"'s rating for an "average" game.

History

This was not the first attempt at an "Æon Flux"-based video game, but the first successful one. Disregarding a very short-lived effort by a now defunct start-up development studio, there were two other serious attempts at creating an "Æon Flux" video game prior to the 2005 release.

First attempt

A game based on the original animated series was announced on April 9, 1996 for the PlayStation and Windows 95. The game, which was loosely based on "The Demiurge" episode, was being developed by Cryo Interactive and published by Viacom New Media. The game first made an appearance at E3 that same year, and commercial advertising was even included in the 1996 VHS release of the animated series.

Viacom New Media would merge with Virgin Interactive midway through the game's development. The merger would ultimately lead to the cancellation of Viacom's in-development games and subsequently leave Cryo without the rights to use the "Æon Flux" property. The game's assets weren't lost however, but were reworked into the 1997 title "Pax Corpus", having been stripped of all copyrighted association with "Æon Flux". "Pax Corpus" does retain many obvious similarities to the original animated series. Specifically, parts of the plot are similar to "The Demiurge," and many design details bear a striking resemblance to examples found in the show. A good example of this is that the female protagonist of the game wears a purple and black outfit not unlike Æon's.

GameSpot has more information on the [http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/vg_graveyard/sony.html cancelled 1996 title] by Cryo Interactive.

econd attempt

Another failed attempt would be made by The Collective, sometime around the year 2000, and was to be published by GT Interactive. It was using a then-current version of the Unreal engine, and appeared to be a 3D third-person action title similar to The Collective's previous title, "". Again however, at some point during development, the game was cancelled and the project vanished.

Reviews

*GamePro - 3.5/5
*Gamespot - 7.2/10 (good)
*IGN - 7.8/10
*UnderGroundOnline - C+
*X-Play - 3/5

External links

*moby game|id=/aeon-flux|name="Æon Flux"
*GameSpot|id=927234|name="Æon Flux" (PS2)
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/g/xbox/aeon_flux/overview.php "Æon Flux" (Xbox)] at Rotten Tomatoes
*GameFAQs|id=927234|name="Æon Flux" (PS2)
* [http://www.aeonflux.org/ AeonFlux.Org] chronicles the previous attempts, and includes early screenshots of both unreleased games.