Abomination: The Nemesis Project
Encyclopedia
Abomination: The Nemesis Project (also known as just Abomination) is a real-time tactics
/action
computer game released in 1999. In the game, the player leads a team of eight genetically altered
supersoldier
s (marines) to defeat an infestation of a global genetic plague which slowly turns into a superorganism
.
Prior to release, Abomination was often referred to as the closest strategy fans would ever come to another X-COM
. However, response to the game ranged from lukewarm to negative, with the game's A.I.
being the most primary of grievances.
has been almost wiped out by a deadly plague. According to the game's manual, the disease started on the east coast, and communication with the west coast ceased within 72 hours. The last few groups of survivors stopped broadcasting after six days, and the overwhelming majority of the country's population has been wiped out.
Most of the remaining survivors have pledged allegiance to an apocalyptic and ultra-violent cult
known as "The Faithful,", a hazily defined religion whose followers practice mortification of the flesh
, as well as vivisecting
themselves and others
to prove the strength of their beliefs. The Faithful are eventually revealed to be at least several hundred years old, possibly originating from Tibet
. The cult predicts the coming of "The Brood" and "the Elder Gods" in a Lovecraftian fashion. The game's backstory also mentions that The Faithful are somehow connected with a strange and very old statuette, called "The Princess of Death," which resembles a cross between a Black Madonna
and a prehistoric depiction of the mother goddess
. Shortly before the plague first broke out, the US government suspected that the Faithful had either stolen the statue from the unspecified museum where it was kept, or that through their rituals, they caused it to explode
there, perhaps disseminating one or more biological agent
s hidden inside. The game's opening cutscene
contains no words, but suggests that the statuette may have been part of a meteorite
which struck the earth long ago. The cutscene also shows the Oval Office
with a figure resembling President Bill Clinton
, who has obviously collapsed and died while still at his desk -- within moments after he signed and issued the written orders for the emergency response plan "Project Nemesis," which can be seen in a folder there.
The game takes place in a large, unnamed coastal city (probably New York
), which remains mostly undamaged but plagued by odd biological matter, ranging from tentacles growing out of the sidewalk to huge, three-story towers of tissue. The player controls members of "The Nemesis Project," who according to the backstory were originally mustered
at a secret base in a fictional location called "Kinmore Field" in Ohio
. These supersoldier
s are black operatives who have been enhanced through the use of unethical invasive surgical procedures and experimental nanotechnology
, as part of a last-ditch effort to find a way to eliminate The Faithful and put an end to the plague. This is why the characters have pseudoscientific special abilities and, presumably, immune systems capable of protecting them from the plague. The cutscene shows the soldiers being revived by a failsafe mechanism that automatically brings them out from some kind of cryogenic suspension, presumably because of the last order the President gave before he died. Surviving military or police personnel are also recruited into the player's roster, and they have no superpowers, but do possess specialized weapons training.
.
Real-time tactics
Real-time tactics or RTT is a subgenre of tactical wargames played in real-time simulating the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics...
/action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
computer game released in 1999. In the game, the player leads a team of eight genetically altered
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
supersoldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
s (marines) to defeat an infestation of a global genetic plague which slowly turns into a superorganism
Superorganism
A superorganism is an organism consisting of many organisms. This is usually meant to be a social unit of eusocial animals, where division of labour is highly specialised and where individuals are not able to survive by themselves for extended periods of time. Ants are the best-known example of...
.
Prior to release, Abomination was often referred to as the closest strategy fans would ever come to another X-COM
X-COM
X-COM is a series of strategy games created by Julian Gollop. In 2010 2K Marin announced the official reboot of the series, entitled simply XCOM. The original game has a cult following.- Original series :...
. However, response to the game ranged from lukewarm to negative, with the game's A.I.
Game artificial intelligence
Game artificial intelligence refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters . The techniques used typically draw upon existing methods from the field of artificial intelligence...
being the most primary of grievances.
Plot
Abomination takes place in 1999 after the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has been almost wiped out by a deadly plague. According to the game's manual, the disease started on the east coast, and communication with the west coast ceased within 72 hours. The last few groups of survivors stopped broadcasting after six days, and the overwhelming majority of the country's population has been wiped out.
Most of the remaining survivors have pledged allegiance to an apocalyptic and ultra-violent cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
known as "The Faithful,", a hazily defined religion whose followers practice mortification of the flesh
Mortification of the flesh
Mortification of the flesh literally means "putting the flesh to death". The term is primarily used in religious and spiritual contexts. The institutional and traditional terminology of this practice in Catholicism is corporal mortification....
, as well as vivisecting
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
themselves and others
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
to prove the strength of their beliefs. The Faithful are eventually revealed to be at least several hundred years old, possibly originating from Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. The cult predicts the coming of "The Brood" and "the Elder Gods" in a Lovecraftian fashion. The game's backstory also mentions that The Faithful are somehow connected with a strange and very old statuette, called "The Princess of Death," which resembles a cross between a Black Madonna
Black Madonna
A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of the Virgin Mary in which the Virgin Mary is black. The term was especially applied to those created in Europe in the medieval period or earlier...
and a prehistoric depiction of the mother goddess
Mother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
. Shortly before the plague first broke out, the US government suspected that the Faithful had either stolen the statue from the unspecified museum where it was kept, or that through their rituals, they caused it to explode
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
there, perhaps disseminating one or more biological agent
Biological agent
A biological agent — also called bio-agent or biological threat agent — is a bacterium, virus, prion, or fungus which may cause infection, allergy, toxicity or otherwise create a hazard to human health. They can be used as a biological weapon in bioterrorism or biological warfare...
s hidden inside. The game's opening cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
contains no words, but suggests that the statuette may have been part of a meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
which struck the earth long ago. The cutscene also shows the Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
with a figure resembling President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, who has obviously collapsed and died while still at his desk -- within moments after he signed and issued the written orders for the emergency response plan "Project Nemesis," which can be seen in a folder there.
The game takes place in a large, unnamed coastal city (probably New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
), which remains mostly undamaged but plagued by odd biological matter, ranging from tentacles growing out of the sidewalk to huge, three-story towers of tissue. The player controls members of "The Nemesis Project," who according to the backstory were originally mustered
Muster (military)
The term muster designates the process or event for the of accounting for members in a military unit. Within the United States Army Reserve, it is an annual event used for screening purposes.-Historical:...
at a secret base in a fictional location called "Kinmore Field" in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. These supersoldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
s are black operatives who have been enhanced through the use of unethical invasive surgical procedures and experimental nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
, as part of a last-ditch effort to find a way to eliminate The Faithful and put an end to the plague. This is why the characters have pseudoscientific special abilities and, presumably, immune systems capable of protecting them from the plague. The cutscene shows the soldiers being revived by a failsafe mechanism that automatically brings them out from some kind of cryogenic suspension, presumably because of the last order the President gave before he died. Surviving military or police personnel are also recruited into the player's roster, and they have no superpowers, but do possess specialized weapons training.
Themes
Abomination combines a variety of stylistic themes in its tone and execution, the most prominent of which is the Lovecraftian cult, in turn, the Brood they represent. The Brood mind closely mirrors the elder gods of the Lovecraft mythos, as well as the extremely otherworldly creatures that make up the Brood. The city's gradual corruption and alienation also mirrors some Lovecraft works, such as The Colour Out of SpaceThe Colour Out of Space
"The Colour Out of Space" is a short story written by American fantasy author H. P. Lovecraft in March 1927. In the tale, an unnamed narrator pieces together the story of an area known by the locals as the "blasted heath" in the wild hills west of Arkham, Massachusetts...
.