Aconcagua (video game)
Encyclopedia
Aconcagua is a survival horror video game released only in Japan for the PlayStation
. The setting of the game is in the fictional country of Meruza – which was named after the actual Argentine
province Mendoza
; the country is currently undergoing political turmoil as the result of an independence movement. The movement has split Argentina in half, and a 33-year-old activist named Pachamama goes on a flight as part of a politically motivated independence tour. During the flight, a terrorist detonates a time bomb, which causes the plane to crash near Aconcagua's peak; only five passengers survive the crash.
In Aconcagua, the player controls a Japanese journalist named Kato, whose job, along with Pachamama's, is to guide the survivors safely down the mountain. The game is organized in a series of missions in which the player must complete from a third-person perspective. During the descent, the terrorists, knowing their plot failed, try to eliminate the survivors via helicopter drops. It also involves various problem-solving and survival skills while using items left behind from the downed plane, in which reviewers have compared to the TV series MacGyver
. The game features over 80 minutes of cinematic cutscenes to advance the plot. It also features multiple outcomes and endings, both of which depend on the choices the player makes during the game.
The game was previewed on Sony's website, which showed trailers that featured English dialogue. Aconcagua was set to be released in North America sometime in late 2000, but it was never released there. According to IGN, Sony was attempting to penetrate the Argentine video game market with this title, while GameSpot
said that they timed the release on the advent of the PlayStation 2
launch in order to boost PS1 sales. Aconcagua has been compared to Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn
, also known in Japan as Chase the Express, as well as Dino Crisis
, Parasite Eve and the Resident Evil series.
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. The setting of the game is in the fictional country of Meruza – which was named after the actual Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
province Mendoza
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
; the country is currently undergoing political turmoil as the result of an independence movement. The movement has split Argentina in half, and a 33-year-old activist named Pachamama goes on a flight as part of a politically motivated independence tour. During the flight, a terrorist detonates a time bomb, which causes the plane to crash near Aconcagua's peak; only five passengers survive the crash.
In Aconcagua, the player controls a Japanese journalist named Kato, whose job, along with Pachamama's, is to guide the survivors safely down the mountain. The game is organized in a series of missions in which the player must complete from a third-person perspective. During the descent, the terrorists, knowing their plot failed, try to eliminate the survivors via helicopter drops. It also involves various problem-solving and survival skills while using items left behind from the downed plane, in which reviewers have compared to the TV series MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
. The game features over 80 minutes of cinematic cutscenes to advance the plot. It also features multiple outcomes and endings, both of which depend on the choices the player makes during the game.
The game was previewed on Sony's website, which showed trailers that featured English dialogue. Aconcagua was set to be released in North America sometime in late 2000, but it was never released there. According to IGN, Sony was attempting to penetrate the Argentine video game market with this title, while GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
said that they timed the release on the advent of the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
launch in order to boost PS1 sales. Aconcagua has been compared to Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn
Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn
Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn, otherwise known as Chase the Express , is a video game created by Sugar and Rockets for the PlayStation, and released in 2000...
, also known in Japan as Chase the Express, as well as Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis
is a survival horror video game by Capcom, originally released in 1999 for the PlayStation and later ported to Microsoft Windows and Dreamcast in 2000...
, Parasite Eve and the Resident Evil series.
External links
- Aconcagua at Hardcore Gaming 101