Shockwave Assault

Most of Shockwave Assault takes place in the cockpit of a fictional F-177 fighter, which resembles the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk but is capable of spaceflight. The fighter is armed with a rapid fire laser which consumes energy and a limited number of homing missiles. The ship automatically levels off when it stops turning. The thrusters consume fuel, but give the ship a useful burst of speed.

The shield is depleted as the ship runs into things or is hit by enemy fire. Each of these resources can be replenished by flying under the refueling drones that are located at fixed locations in each mission. The ship automatically hovers over the terrain, making it impossible to crash.

The game is set in 2019. In a surprise attack, aliens decimate Earth's military forces. Mankind's only hope is the surviving orbital space carrier UNSF Omaha and its squadron of F-177 pilots. As the young and inexperienced member of the squadron, it is the protagonist's job to drive the aliens from the planet.

The player's character, a rookie named Lieutenant J. "Wildcard" Adair, destroys the attacking aliens in various locations around the world, rescues a downed ally, retrieves oxygen supplies for the Omaha, and ultimately attacks the brain of the alien mothership with the assistance of an onboard AI named ICE. Aboard the Omaha, Commander Crane and Major Alaina Stewart interact with the vessel's fighter pilots and crew, most prominently Dr. Lawrence as he uncovers that they are actually fighting robotic vessels harvesting humans and incubating eggs, with the true alien invasion yet to come.

The original 3DO release received mixed reviews. The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly criticized the over-sensitive controls but praised the texture-mapped graphics and off-rails gameplay. They made particular note of the game's use of full motion video, saying that in sharp contrast to previous FMV-heavy games, the quality was sharp, the acting was good, and the overall use of FMV was "more of an addition to the game instead of the whole emphasis." GamePro was more critical, stating that FMVs would preempt the HUD display even in situations where the radar is needed, and the inability to alter altitude makes it feel "like you're flying in a box."

However, the reviewer agreed that the texture-mapped graphics and FMV cutscenes are impressive, and concluded, "Shock Wave's tough adversaries and first-rate graphics make it a decent 3DO shooter." Next Generation reviewed the 3DO version of the game, and stated that "If you own a 3DO unit and you've been just dying for a no-frills shooting game, then it's OK. But anyone with greater expectations will be disappointed."