The Hidden (video game)

The Hidden is a multiplayer total conversion for the popular Half-Life 2 computer game. The gameplay revolves around the retrieval of an escaped research subject where the subject is highly agile, incredibly strong, and nearly completely invisible. The first beta version was released on June 13, 2005 and its latest release was September 8, 2007.

Plot

In the early 1950s, during the post war boom in military research, human genetics experiments were taking their first, tentative steps. A team of scientists working at an Infinitum Research (IR) laboratory discovered some remarkable phenomena resulting from DNA manipulation of subjects. Many subjects lost their lives or were driven insane by the irresponsible and immoral experiments that followed.

By the mid-1990s, the failure rate on the experiments had reached a point where Infinitum Research felt it could move the studies forward by introducing combinations of DNA alterations into a single subject. One of these alterations allowed for the biological light refraction. Using this research, IR scientists intended to develop the ultimate covert military agent. Early in the new millennium, experiments on Subject #617 led to massive genetic trauma, leaving the subject in a reduced mental state and suffering from a number of genetic anomalies.

Shortly after the error and before the issue could be resolved, the subject escaped from the research laboratory. An elite section of the internal security force, the Infinitum Research Intercept Squad (IRIS), has now been deployed to retrieve the subject and contain any issues resulting from his escape. Meanwhile, the experiment has been shut down and all funding recalled. Infinitum Research denies all knowledge of any such genetic experiments but is happy to discuss the company's progress in the cloning of healthy human organs.

Gameplay

Hidden is played by rounds. Each player selects one of the nine IRIS characters; each character is visually distinct, but does not have differing abilities that affect gameplay. A player may choose to play as two classes: Assault and Support. The main difference between Assault and Support is that Support can replenish teammates' ammo. The player also chooses a main weapon, a side arm, and an item. Each round, a player is selected automatically to be the Hidden, usually based on how much damage they dealt to the Hidden in previous rounds. All the other players play as the IRIS, whose goal is to work as a team to hunt down the Hidden and contain it. After the time limit hits, or either side kills the other, the round will end, and a new Hidden may be selected (depending both on who won the previous round, and on the server's settings).

The Hidden

As the Hidden, the player is given several extra abilities not available to the IRIS; The Hidden is nearly invisible, with only a little distortion of the background indicating his presence, sticking to walls, and the ability to detect enemies' auras from a distance. Other abilities include pouncing and cannibalizing corpses of slain enemies to replenish health.

Reception

The Hidden has received a positive reception and has won several awards. In 2005:s Mod of 2005-competion, The Hidden won the Editors Choice-award for the best multiplayer and a year later it won an award for its excellent and oppressive atmosphere in the same competition. In 2006 the game took part in Independent Games Festival. The game got to the finals but after a tight competition it lost to the Dystopia mod.

References

• Official Site

External links

• Official website