Three things philosophically wrong here.
Firstly the name. Microcosm. The dictionary definition is as follows:
A small, representative system having analogies to a larger system in constitution, configuration, or development: “He sees the auto industry as a microcosm of the U.S. itself” (William J. Hampton).
or if you prefer:
a miniature model of something
Neither of which describe terribly well what the game Microcosm is about.
Might I suggest Microbism:
the state of being infested with microbes
Considering the game has you as the pilot of micro sized craft, traversing the internal systems of some chap. Fighting and shooting at enemies that seem to take their design cues from micro-organisms?
Of cause it's too late for my suggestions.
This was, in its day, touted as one the most important games to be released ever. It was another CD only game. Thanks entirely to the fact that it comprises of streamed from CD pre-rendered backgrounds. Overlaid with an handful of sprites and a tickle and a promise of a game.
Of cause, UK magazines of 1994 drooled over the 5 minute pre-rendered introduction and worked themselves into a lather about the possibilities. Yes - Psygnosis' marketing machine had hit the button labelled 'Over drive' and stamped hard on the peddle. Meanwhile the Psygnosis game play development department was in a lay-by enjoying a sandwich and a nice cup of tea.
The possibility the press tried not to think too hard about was that Microcosm might turn out to be the Shadow of the Beast for the nineteen-nineties. Disappointingly and predictably - it was.
Although accusing Microcosm of what Shadow of the beast was accused of, namely being style over content, is a bit of a stretch too. Mostly because it has little style either.
It's difficult to quite fathom where Psygnosis were going with Microcosm. They had a story, in part lifted from the 1980s movie, Inner Space. It has elements of sinister corporations (Axion) and nefarious characters and stressed scientists. All set in a Blade Runner style setting. Yet it goes no where. The story fades into a distant, yet really well rendered memory, once the game starts.
Your craft is injected into the human host and you swarm your way through the 7 levels blasting microbes to where ever microbes go when they get blasted.
It's not fun. There is no inertia. The craft moves like a mouse pointer. You can upgrade your weapons from weedy and pointless to super and over-powerful, making light work of end of level bosses. There is no interactivity in the route you take. Because of the way the game is designed, the lack of movement and the psychotic enemy craft, you'll find being shot is all too easy. It is too hard to dodge bullets and ultimately you'll resign yourself that being shot in Microcosm is the norm - then you'll die. Your craft takes no visual damage, only the health bar steadily decreases. Until you are dead. Then you, if you can be bothered, start again.
In fact all the same criticisms squared at Novastorm (Scavenger 4) can be squared at Microcosm except the Microcosm music is awful. The relationship between the games being that both were made by Psygnosis.
So why, and this is third thing, the second thing lost in the ramble above, do I remember Microcosm so fondly?
Maybe it was the hysteria Microcosm received before it was released. It's gonna be good. It's gonna be good. It's gonna be good. It's gonna be good. It is on 3DO. It is on Sega CD. It is on CD32. It's gonna be good.
Then it wasn't.
Perhaps some deep psychological part of me still believes 'It's gonna be good'.
Pretty rare on the 3DO too!
3DO Kid.
Man the updates never stop!! Keep up the good work. As the kids these days say "Keep on Pimpin'' whatever that means.
it's weird how at 23 years of age i already find myself hating teenagers. They must be just getting worse with all the no spank and no discipline parents out there.