The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
There are 40 terrorists scattered throughout the building, and John McClane's task is to clear each floor of terrorists, and using the stairwell or the express elevator to travel between floors 31 and 35 (with more floors being unlocked in "Advanced" mode). By shooting at grids in the wall, John is also able to climb in the vents, dropping into a designated spot or moving down or up a floor.
At the start of the game, the player character can only use a pistol (with 15 bullets) and his fists to dispose of enemies, but later acquires several weapons, such as submachine guns, explosives, rocket launchers, flamethrowers and flashbangs which the terrorists can also use. When McClane is shot, a few picked up items can drop where he must pick them up again. The player's bullets have minimal range, and due to the control scheme can only be aimed at 90- or 45-degree angles. However once acquired, the submachine gun can also fire a spray of bullets in an arc, allowing for more firing angles.
Story
John McClane decides to visit his wife Holly in Nakatomi Plaza, only to discover that she is taken hostage on the 30th floor, along with a number of other hostages. The terrorist leader, Hans Gruber, is after the money locked away in a safe on the 30th floor. His hacker, Theo, is slowly breaking the locks into the vault. McClane decides to fight the terrorists on his own, ascending the building as he does so.
