Absolute Zero (video game)

Lore & Background

Absolute Zero is set in the 24th century on the frozen Jovian moon of Europa, where mankind has established a colony to extract water for fusion reactors. When one of the mining facilities accidentally discovers members of a long-buried alien race, the creatures awaken to slaughter all the miners and destroy the colony's capital city. Using only the minimal defensive equipment located on the colony, the player must thwart the attack until help arrives. Gameplay consists of 3D space combat action, mostly on the moon's surface, with a twist: the player does not play a specific character or campaign, but instead is placed in the shoes of different characters with each new mission. Each tries to survive using 7 different vehicles, from starfighters to recon scouts to ground-based turrets. A 3DO Interactive Multiplayer version was planned but never released.

Reader's Guide

The game was received with generally positive reviews. GameSpot commented: 'The story is well-conceived and fresh, following the lives of 24th century humans who have finally mastered cold fusion, and buzz around the solar system like busy bees.' The game's significance lies in its unique mission structure, where players experience the story through multiple characters rather than a single protagonist, and its setting on Europa, a moon of Jupiter. The variety of 7 vehicles, including starfighters, recon scouts, and ground-based turrets, offered diverse gameplay within the 30 missions. The planned but unreleased 3DO version indicates interest in expanding the game to other platforms, though it never materialized. Its legacy is as a mid-1990s PC title that combined flight sim and first-person shooter elements with a narrative about human survival against an alien threat.

Did You Know?

• The game is set on the frozen Jovian moon Europa in the 24th century.
• The game was published by Domark, and in some regions by Spectrum Holobyte.