<s>
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Ultimate	O
Play	O
the	O
Game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
ZX	B-Operating_System
Spectrum	I-Operating_System
,	O
BBC	B-Device
Micro	I-Device
,	O
Amstrad	B-Device
CPC	I-Device
and	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
in	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
best-selling	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
lauded	O
by	O
critics	O
for	O
its	O
isometric	B-Application
graphics	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
takes	O
control	O
of	O
a	O
robot	B-Algorithm
,	O
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
,	O
whose	O
job	O
is	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
cryogenically	O
frozen	O
passengers	O
on	O
board	O
a	O
starship	O
remain	O
viable	O
during	O
the	O
ship	O
's	O
voyage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
uses	O
the	O
same	O
image	O
masking	O
technique	O
as	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
,	O
which	O
allows	O
the	O
developers	O
to	O
create	O
composite	O
structures	O
out	O
of	O
stacked	O
images	O
without	O
visual	O
overlay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
technique	O
was	O
copyrighted	O
by	O
Ultimate	O
as	O
the	O
Filmation	B-Application
game	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
its	O
spiritual	O
predecessor	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
rendered	O
isometric	B-Application
projection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
and	O
innovation	O
,	O
while	O
minor	O
criticism	O
was	O
directed	O
at	O
its	O
similarities	O
to	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
single	O
robot	B-Algorithm
,	O
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
,	O
is	O
tasked	O
with	O
keeping	O
the	O
occupants	O
of	O
the	O
vessel	O
alive	O
for	O
the	O
duration	O
of	O
its	O
journey	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ship	O
is	O
launched	O
towards	O
a	O
new	O
solar	O
system	O
and	O
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
performs	O
his	O
task	O
for	O
thousands	O
of	O
years	O
during	O
the	O
journey	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cryogenic	O
life	O
support	O
systems	O
were	O
damaged	O
during	O
the	O
attack	O
and	O
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
must	O
restore	O
them	O
to	O
an	O
operational	O
status	O
before	O
the	O
ship	O
's	O
automatic	O
thrusting	O
systems	O
manoeuvre	O
it	O
into	O
planetary	O
orbit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
presented	O
in	O
an	O
isometric	B-Application
format	O
and	O
set	O
on	O
board	O
a	O
starship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Taking	O
on	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
the	O
robot	B-Algorithm
,	O
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
explore	O
the	O
large	O
starship	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
the	O
cryogenic	O
life	O
support	O
systems	O
preserving	O
the	O
biological	O
crew	O
are	O
re-activated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
its	O
spiritual	O
predecessor	O
,	O
the	O
environment	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
takes	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
isometric	B-Application
flip-screen	O
rooms	O
(	O
which	O
trace	O
the	O
outline	O
of	O
a	O
large	O
starship	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
feature	O
is	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
remote	O
controlled	O
drones	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
directed	O
by	O
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
into	O
inaccessible	O
or	O
dangerous	O
areas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Alien	B-Application
8	I-Application
began	O
immediately	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
Stamper	O
brothers	O
predicted	O
that	O
publishers	O
would	O
attempt	O
to	O
copy	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
Filmation	B-Application
technology	O
in	O
other	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
the	O
Stamper	O
brothers	O
developed	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
monochrome	O
to	O
avoid	O
visual	O
overlay	O
and	O
attribute	B-Algorithm
clash	I-Algorithm
,	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
common	O
processing	O
limitation	O
in	O
early	O
8-bit	O
home	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
David	O
Kelly	O
of	O
Popular	O
Computing	O
Weekly	O
stated	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
"	O
little	O
"	O
disappointing	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
similarities	O
to	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
,	O
but	O
asserted	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
were	O
of	O
superior	O
quality	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
reviewer	O
of	O
Amstrad	O
Action	O
similarly	O
praised	O
its	O
innovation	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
it	O
has	O
"	O
wonderfully	O
"	O
original	O
ideas	O
,	O
despite	O
criticising	O
it	O
similarities	O
to	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bourne	O
similarly	O
praised	O
the	O
3D	O
animation	O
,	O
writing	O
that	O
every	O
extension	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
improved	O
over	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
.	O
</s>
