[MrFlibble]

Since several Chinese "Doom clones" have been discussed here recently I thought I'd mention this game too.

A while ago my attention was caught by a shareware version (technically, a two level demo) of a DOS FPS game called Alien Cabal. It's your typical sprite-based 2.5D fare, with a more realistic approach to level design (check out the video below) and an alien conspiracy plot. However, as it came out in late 1997, there's probably no wonder the game became obscure.

Here's some video footage (courtesy of Marphy Black):


Back then I Googled a bit and found a website called Old School DOS which claimed that the game went freeware, and offered the full version for download:

Quote

The final part of the update is the change in the download for Alien Cabal. The creator of the game has emailed me to inform that he is generously offering the full version for download, so the download link on the game page is now the full version. Not only that, but the download includes the Windows version, which looks better and runs without any extra programs. Big thanks to the maker.

However, I was not able to verify this, and the download does not include any kind of free release statement, license or such.

Recently though, I have found an archived copy of the games official website (http://www.aliencabal.com/), nearly completely preserved by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. And it turns out that starting from late July 2000, the full version of the game was available from the main page of the site:

Quote

Download Full DOS Version 1.2 and DirectX Version (12.9MB)

(Requires Pentium 100MHz, 16MB Ram, 60MB Hard disk space )

The Wayback Machine has not preserved the file properly (only about one megabyte or so was stored), but its name and size match exactly the version available at Old School DOS.

This full version package includes both DOS and Windows versions of the game, updated to v1.2, and the game editor. What's more, from the archived copy of the official website it is possible to get the game update to v2.00 (Ver200.zip) for both the Windows version and the level editor.

Curiously, there was no free release announcement on the site. But the game apparently did not enjoy much commercial success, so the developers might have decided to make it free to incite more interest in it.

Also there's an interesting message preserved by Google Groups which lends some additional credibility to the Old School DOS maintainer's statement cited above. Greg Taylor, one of the developers, offered another user to send a free copy of the game (link). The message was posted on My 28, 1998.

[Lunick]

You're not authorised!

[Striker]

I used to have this on a disc full of DOS and Windows game demos. iirc, it was "Arcade 100-in-1 vol. 3". I couldn't get the sound to work at the time, and the nauseatingly low FOV turned me off of playing it longer than 15 minutes. Had it not been for the terrible FOV, I probably could have enjoyed it.

Reminds me of how Marathon is- I can't stand to play it without a modded FOV.

[MrBlackCat]

I got the full version... boxed.
I can't remember playing it though... just the demo when it came out... but when I get ready, I've got it.

Mr.BlackCat

[zykov eddy]

If you guys are interested in rare, forgotten FPS, there's also some on video game consoles.

Probably the most rare is Atlantis: The Last Resort for Philips CD-i. Yes, this console is capable of running a 2.5D FPS with music and sounds effects. For example, Doom for Atari Jaguar has no music, simply because the console failed to render the game and play music at the same time.

Atlantis is very rare and there's only one gameplay video on youtube. It's also impossible to play this game on amulator. I've played it on the real CD-i, and it's actually quite decent. It's very playable, the graphics are nice and music kicks ass.

[Marphy Black]

In a development I would never have predicted, the source code for VEdit, the level editor for Alien Cabal, has been released:
https://github.com/C...ien-Cabal-VEdit

[Lunick]

So who's gonna make a... uh... level for Alien Cabal

[Radar]

Pascal Rouaud of course.