Sensory Overload (video game)

Sensory Overload is a game in which the player is a CIA agent who pretends to be a test subject to investigate a facility for medical research.

Sensory Overload was developed as the first game from Cambridge, Massachusetts-based studio Reality Bytes. It was co-designed by Jon Chiat, David Chiat, and Jason Davis.{{cite magazine | author=Breen, Christopher | date=October 1994 | title=Review: A Wolf In Mac Clothing | url=https://archive.org/details/cgw_museum_pdfs/cgw_123/page/100/mode/1up | magazine=Computer Gaming World | publisher=Ziff Davis | issn=0744-6667 | issue=123 | pages=100, 103, 105}} The game was released exclusively for Macintosh in August 1994.{{cite magazine | author=Dimension-3 staff | date=December 1995 | title=Next Dimension Previews: Havoc | url=https://archive.org/details/Dimension307Dec1995/page/n76/mode/1up | magazine=Dimension-3 | publisher=Dimension Publishing | volume=1 | issue=7 | page=76}} Reality Bytes would go on to create the polygon-based first-person shooters Havoc and Dark Vengeance.

{{VG Reviews

| CGR = 81%{{cite magazine | author1= | author2= | author3= | date=October 1994 | title=CGR Reviews: There are no expendable CIA agents...HA! | url=https://archive.org/details/computer-game-review-and-cd-rom-entertainment-october-1994/page/40/mode/1up | magazine=Computer Game Review | publisher=Sendai Publishing | volume=4 | issue=3 |issn=1062-113X | page=40}}

| CGW = {{rating|3|5}}

| NGen = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=Next Generation|issue=7|publisher=Imagine Media|date=July 1995|page=75|author=Next Generation staff|url=https://archive.org/details/next-generation-24-dec-1996/NEXT%20Generation%2007%20Jul%201995/page/n59/mode/1up|issn=1078-9693}}

| rev1 = K

| rev1Score = 885/1000{{cite magazine | author=Triulzi, Massimo | date=November 1994 | title=Sensory Overload | url=https://archive.org/details/k-66_20230525/page/n65/mode/2up | magazine=K | publisher=RCS MediaGroup | language=it | issn=1122-1313 | issue=66 | pages=64–5}}

}}

Next Generation reviewed the game, rating it three stars out of five, and called it "definitely worth checking out." Peter Olafson of Electronic Entertainment summarized it as an "adequate action-adventure" not quite up to the level of Bungie's Marathon. He enjoyed its clever gadgets but felt they were underutilized and that the game was "slow and mechanical even on a Quadra" despite some acceleration for the Power Mac.{{cite magazine | author=Olafson, Peter | date=December 1994 | title=Doom Killers: Meet MacDoom | url=https://archive.org/details/ElectronicEntertainment12Dec1994/page/n62/mode/1up | magazine=

Electronic Entertainment | publisher=IDG | volume=1 | issue=12 | issn=1074-1356 | page=61}} Dave Rees of Gamers' Republic noted Sensory Overload as the first FPS to push the Mac's 32-bit hardware with a "representational style was far more advanced than anything previously seen" but that its "understated marketing" caused it to fall victim to the "superior effort" Marathon from Bungie.{{cite magazine | author=Rees, Dave | date=December 1998 | title=Dark Vengeance | url=https://archive.org/details/Gamers_Republic_Issue_07/page/n70/mode/1up | magazine=Gamers' Republic | publisher=Millennium Publishing | issue=7 | page=69 | issn=1520-5169}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.mobygames.com/game/160951/sensory-overload/ Sensory Overload] at MobyGames
• [https://www.macintoshrepository.org/4754-sensory-overload Sensory Overload] at Macintosh Repository

Category:1994 video games

Category:Classic Mac OS games

Category:Classic Mac OS-only games

Category:First-person shooters

Category:Reality Bytes games

Category:Sprite-based first-person shooters

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Spy video games

Category:Video games developed in the United States

Category:Video games set in laboratories