Alien Arena

<h2 id="gameplay">Gameplay</h2>
The game features an internal server browser for finding other players online, and the external Galaxy program performs the same function without having to launch the game, akin to <a href="/facts/The_All-Seeing_Eye/99GE7B5e">The All-Seeing Eye</a>. It also serves as an <a href="/facts/Internet_Relay_Chat/oDr3VN9q">IRC</a> <a href="/facts/Client_(computing)/u0wlVsWI">client</a> for chat between players. The game uses modified Quake II physics. Most Quake II <a href="/facts/Trickjump/jqmP5L7S">trickjumps</a>, such as <a href="/facts/Strafejumping/rnAF8Yrt">strafejumping</a>, will work in Alien Arena. However, dodging, which isn't found in Quake II, has also been added to the game.

<h2 id="development">Development</h2>
Although it had been in development since 2003, Alien Arena was first released as a <a href="/facts/Software_release_life_cycle/z4Q4RElA">beta</a> in August 2004, with the title CodeRED: Alien Arena. The first stable version was released in October. Two <a href="/facts/Single-player/tXoWyFJh">single-player</a>, <a href="/facts/Campaign_(role-playing_games)/TgRuKKoy">campaign</a>-style games, CodeRED: Battle for Earth and CodeRED: Martian Chronicles, were released during 2003. Following these games, Alien Arena received greater development focus. The final upgrade to the two single-player games was made available on February 18, 2005. The "CodeRED" title continued to be used until Alien Arena 2006 was released in November 2005, promoted as a "sequel" to the old CodeRED version.
In September 2012, Alien Arena was also made available as an online version through Roozz. By installing a small plugin, players can play the game in any browser on the Windows operating system.

<h3>Game engine</h3>
The game is powered by the <a href="/facts/Quake_II_engine/eqVMsMv8">Quake II-based CRX game engine</a>, which has been rewritten to include support for such features as 32-bit <a href="/facts/Image_resolution/NAL4uFV9">high-resolution</a> <a href="/facts/Texture_mapping/9gDTsuXN">textures</a>, 3D models used as architecture in maps, <a href="/facts/GLSL/5yQ3WqTA">GLSL</a> per-pixel lighting effects, <a href="/facts/Parallax_mapping/9mztrTcu">parallax mapping</a>, <a href="/facts/Normal_mapping/7YmzxkPp">normal mapping</a>, ragdoll physics using the Open Dynamics Engine, server-side <a href="/facts/Lag_(online_gaming)/kb0QfGzX">antilag</a> code, <a href="/facts/Shader/qfhkKFwA">shaders</a> (<a href="/facts/GLSL/5yQ3WqTA">GLSL</a> and rscript), textured <a href="/facts/Particle_system/Jftr3YAQ">particles</a>, semi-true reflective water with per-pixel distortion shaders, reflective surfaces on entities, <a href="/facts/Bloom_(shader_effect)/haIQqEwK">light bloom</a>, real-time shadows, overbright bits, real-time <a href="/facts/Gouraud_shading/04Nz96F5">vertex lighting</a>, and other graphical effects, all of which can be turned on or off in the menu. As of CRX version 7.30, <a href="/facts/OpenAL/dM93Da1W">OpenAL</a> is used for sound on all platforms.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a> Physics support was added in version 7.50 using the <a href="/facts/Open_Dynamics_Engine/8739e20p">Open Dynamics Engine</a>.

<h2 id="reception">Reception</h2>
Alien Arena has been compared to <a href="/facts/Quake_III/7WgcvDVt">Quake III</a> and <a href="/facts/Unreal_Tournament/8TKUG6Q4">Unreal Tournament</a>, and is considered one of the best free first-person shooters.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> <a href="/facts/GameSpot/nknHJf2D">GameSpot</a> noted the use of 1960s-style sci-fi imagery and good selection of weapons and maps in 2008.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> In 2008 <a href="/facts/APCMag.com/5GC59H0Q">APCMag.com</a> named Alien Arena among the Top 5 best (free) open source games.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> In a 2009 review of <a href="/facts/Linux_Format/m39SAY5r">Linux Format</a> Alien Arena was rated 8/10.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> Alien Arena was selected in February 2014 as "HotPick" by <a href="/facts/Linux_Format/m39SAY5r">Linux Format</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>

<h2 id="alien-arena-warriors-of-mars">Alien Arena: Warriors of Mars</h2>
On November 3, 2017 COR Entertainment released Alien Arena: Warriors of Mars on Steam for Windows and Linux platforms.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a>

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li>Free and open-source software portal</li><li>Video games portal</li></ul>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/First-person_shooter/LQQX6yAw">First-person shooter</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/List_of_freeware_first-person_shooters/JFH6XhUg">List of freeware first-person shooters</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/List_of_open_source_games/PSK8G1Ie">List of open source games</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>

Wikimedia Commons has media related to CodeRED: Alien Arena.

<ul><li><a href="https://www.alienarena.org">Official Alien Arena page</a></li>
<li><a href="https://martianbackup.com">Old official Alien Arena page</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">License of Alien Arena Content on red.planetarena.org (2013) <a href="http://red.planetarena.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=716" target="_blank">http://red.planetarena.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=716</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Alien Arena 2009 review at Phoronix.com <a href="https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=alien_arena_2009&num=1" target="_blank">https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=alien_arena_2009&num=1</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Barr, Joe (October 12, 2007). "New Alien Arena 6.10 blows away its FPS competition". Linux.com. Retrieved 2010-01-07. <a href="https://www.linux.com/news/new-alien-arena-610-blows-away-its-fps-competition/" target="_blank">https://www.linux.com/news/new-alien-arena-610-blows-away-its-fps-competition/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Lake, Steve (April 14, 2008). "Open Source Game Review: Alien Arena 2008". Raiden's Realm. Archived from the original on 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2010-01-07. <a href="http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&aid=402" target="_blank">http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&aid=402</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">DeathDude. "Alien Arena 2007". Abandonia Reloaded. Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2009-08-09. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120212082225/http://www.reloaded.org/download/Alien-Arena-2007/257/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120212082225/http://www.reloaded.org/download/Alien-Arena-2007/257/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">Kevin VanOrd; Aaron Sampson (November 19, 2008). "Cheaper by the Dozen". GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-01-07. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/features/6201226/" target="_blank">http://www.gamespot.com/features/6201226/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Top 5 best (free) open source games by APC (January 21, 2008) <a href="http://www.apcmag.com/top_5_best_free_open_source_games.htm/" target="_blank">http://www.apcmag.com/top_5_best_free_open_source_games.htm/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">Linux_Format_123_October_2009 <a href="https://archive.org/stream/Linux_Format_123_October_2009#page/n23/mode/2up/search/receptions" target="_blank">https://archive.org/stream/Linux_Format_123_October_2009#page/n23/mode/2up/search/receptions</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">Linux Format February 2014 page 64 <a href="https://archive.org/details/pdfy-YMANeizFZbozgHUT#page/n63/mode/2up/search/hotgames" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/pdfy-YMANeizFZbozgHUT#page/n63/mode/2up/search/hotgames</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Alien Arena: Warriors of Mars on Steam <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/629540/Alien_Arena_Warriors_Of_Mars/" target="_blank">https://store.steampowered.com/app/629540/Alien_Arena_Warriors_Of_Mars/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Alien Arena open-in-new

Alien Arena