The Malignant Gore - Horror game released for the ZX Spectrum

What do you get if you mix the shooting style of that classic Codemasters game Ghost Hunters, with a blend of a puzzle platformer and the movie 'The Thing'? Most likely you'll end up with this fine looking game released by Sanctum Games ' The Malignant Gore'. This game is not your typical platformer or puzzler, as in The Malignant Gore you not only need to put a stop to a biological entity that is consuming life as we know it, but you also need to help a scientist blinded by panic to input the self destruct sequence to hopefully destroy MG101 for good!

Beware gamers and all that hope the game will ease you into a challenge, as The Malignant Gore is a right tough ol' beast. Right from the second level you'll be having to do it again and again, as manning the gun turrets you must not only guide your survivor through contaminated rooms of the Omicron Shadow Facility. But there's only 6 bullets, and your man has to reach the exit while avoiding being consumed by the entity itself, or the creepy tenticles flapping about the level.

So what do I think of this game from my short playthrough? Don't get me wrong I love the idea behind the game, especially that it is a game blended in with some of my favourite game types on the Amstrad/ZX and classic horror movies. But for me the challenge is way to high even from the very early levels which I feel many will struggle with, especially if you're not very good at puzzle games. For example on one such level, you have to manage the direction arrows pointing your guy in the right direction as he moves, while also destroying organisms in the way AND hoping your character doesn't end up as a gory mass from the main organism in the center of the screen.

So yes a game that's worth playing, but for me it's too difficult even after using the limited Temporal Sphere to restart the stage ;)

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