Steel Harbinger

Steel Harbinger
Developer(s)	Mindscape Group
Publisher(s)	Mindscape Group
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Genre(s)	Multi-directional shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Steel Harbinger is a video game for the PlayStation, released on September 30, 1996.

Story

In the year 2069 North America is shaken by war. Canada and Mexico are combating the United States. Not long after the start of the war, alien pods rain down from space onto North America, sprouting metallic tentacles upon landing. The tentacles attack humans and animals, transforming them instantly into monstrous alien biomechanisms (half organic compound, half machine) bent on destroying any human life they encounter.

Dr. Bowen, a scientist, studies one of these pods in an attempt to learn about the alien species. The pod breaks out of control and attacks his daughter, Miranda Bowen (played by actress Wendi Kenya). Miranda escapes, but is still infected by the tentacles. Thus she transforms into Steel Harbinger: a half human, half biomechanical alien, and humanity's last hope for survival. Miranda must battle her way through Kansas, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Houston, Cape Canaveral, Washington, the Antarctic, an alien planetoid, and the Moon in an effort to save the Earth.

Gameplay

Steel Harbinger is a Shoot 'em up game. The game features modern and futuristic weaponry, including handguns, the US M16 rifle, rocket launchers, energy rifles, the Canadian Icarus beam, and more. As a half-alien, Miranda's biology is different from that of a normal human. Miranda can be fatally wounded by saline water as falling into it will rapidly deplete health. To replenish lost health, Miranda is able to consume body parts from slain aliens. The primary objective is to activate a military satellite that will protect from falling alien tentacle pods. Other objectives involve killing aliens and saving human survivors.

Production credits

• Game Credits
  • Bill Stanton—Original Concept
  • Peter Lipson, Brian Greenstone & Jeff Davies—Programming
  • Scott Harper, Duncan Knarr, Ken Brose, Dean Lee, Cheryl Blaha & Bill Stanton—Art
  • Mark Flitman—Executive Producer
  • Linda Norton—Associate Producer
• Cinematic Sequence Credits
  • Timothy Armstrong—director
  • Joe Matulich—producer;
  • Angela Ford—associate producer
  • Bill Zarchy—director of photography

Reception

The game received a score of 7.2/10 at GameSpot.