Reviews

Highway Encounter was one of those games responsible for sleepless nights in my bedroom without my parents ever knowing about it. I'd put my alarm clock to 2am (a time I knew they would be sleeping), get up and play it until 7 am.

The game premise is simply enough. Guide your Lasertron (a small weapon capable of destroying the alien's mother ship) through a highway riddled with aliens. There's no mind-bending curves, mazes, secret doors... just a straight highway. But in your course you will find obstacles and enemies. Both need to be navigated or handled with brute force by your drone.

This drone is a Vorton and you are given 5 Vortons. You can however only control one at a time. The others run on auto-pilot to push the Lasertron forward until you either step in the way or they bump into an obstacle. If your main Vorton die, you are given access to one of the remaining ones until you lose all Vortons -- at which time the game is lost.

Highway Encounter was a unique game, and still is to this day. The concept was incredibly addicting and the technical achievements nothing to ignore. The 3D graphics were clear and crisp and the animation was impressively smooth.

After the huge hit that was Knight Lore there was something of an unseemly rush to get other isometric games on the market. Whilst most of these were vastly inferior clones, Vortex instead took things in a different direction with this game.

You play the role of a group of, somewhat suspiciously Dalek-like, Vortons on a mission to deliver a weapon called the Lasertron down a highway in order to thwart an alien invasion

Whilst it retains the puzzle element of Knight Lore, it's missing the ability to jump on and pick up objects. However, it's fast; fast enough to make a good shoot 'em up with waves of aliens coming towards you in need of a good blasting. Despite how much action there is on the screen, there's rarely much evidence of slowdown either.

With only 32 screens, it's a bit small compared to other isometric arcade adventures, however, and the linear nature of the highway doesn't help. Still, what's there is still a decent challenge and there's the nice bonus of a great animated ending sequence when you've done it.

This is arguably the best game Vortex ever produced and a seminal isometric classic. A sequel, Alien Highway, offers more of the same.

one of costa panayi's masterpieces. a most original shoot'emp up, and an indelible spectrum classic.

1985 Vortex Software (UK)
by Costa Panayi

This game always floods me with great memories...
The storyline is simple: Aliens have invaded earth. Your mission is to stop their advance and destroy their alien stronghold at Zone Zero. To do so you must guide the Lasertron detonator (the small squared object in front of the Vortons) to such Zone Zero. This will blow up the mother ship and all the aliens plans.

After all this years I still see this as the best sci-fi game on the Speccy. Simply brilliant!

Brilliant Panayi at his brilliant best. This was an unappetising game for me, rotate and move isometrics... but the game compelled me to get the hang of it, the excellent look and feel, the clever options and solutions to the player, the road itself - it was so nice to know how far you had progressed into the challenge.
I don't much like time limits either, but the device works here and the pressure to keep going forces Highway Encounter from methodical puzzler to reaction based action shooter - and you'll need moments of gung ho action and steady patience to get through to the end and see the exceptionally rewarding winner sequence.

One of the best isometric games out there . . . 5 / 5 .

The aliens have invaded earth and you must take the Lasertron, the world's most advanced weapon system, to the end of a highway where the aliens have their stronghold -the zone zero-, in order to destroy it and save the earth.

This game is an isometric, lineal adventure with a touch of strategy. The game concept is very original: you start with four Vortrons that push the Lasertron while one of them (the main Vortron, controlled by you) clear the way ahead. The road to the stronghold consists of 30 screens full of aliens and several obstacles that can destroy any Vortron.

A game with smooth, brilliant graphics and quality sounds. In my opinion, the best work of Costa Panayi.

This is a really nice game that looks and plays pretty well. The Vorton though is a bit of a pain to control which really distracted me at times, but other than that it's an enjoyable game and is a good way to pass the time by.

Probably the most elegant spectrum game ever. 
It 's right at the top of Mount Olympus next to very few chosen games

Its excellent isometric view, combined with amazing graphics (Wonderfully elegant and serious drawings, interface...) made it stand out from other anyway good games that lacked so many definitive touches.

Truly unforgetable. 

Such a great fun!!
I just talked about exploration and Highway Encounter include itself, tough a linear exploration, you know.
Indeed, an adult game, or serious/elegant game as they said

Glad to see the site up and running again!!

One thing I wanted to ask is that the host provider try to fix the continuous crashes on the web.
It is a pity that this beautiful collection of the opinions that older children had about digital artworks is lost or at least not available to the new generations or to anyone who wants to investigate.

Let's see Highway Encounter.

One of the best examples of how to make the most of the machine's capabilities.
I agree with the last critics in regards to the elegance of the game...Probably one of the most elegant titles in history; graphics wise but also about sound, controls, mood...
In fact, there is hardly a single flaw to blame.
The action is as if it were taking place on one of those futuristic highways without asphalt, like glass, its appearance is incredibly sensational.
... you should not only play this game with frack but also wear VR headset because of how advanced its appearance is.