Abuse

With a name like Abuse, you know this 1996 side-scrolling shooter isn’t going to offer hugs and rainbows. Developed by Crack dot Com, it’s a grim, claustrophobic run-and-gun that feels like Contra had a nightmare after watching Alien. The controls were revolutionary for their time, using mouse-aiming in a 2D environment—a mechanic that made the game feel fresh and frantic. Dark, brutal, and delightfully punishing, it’s one of those cult classics that makes you both curse and cheer every time a new horde of mutant nasties leaps out of the shadows.

“Abuse is a dark 2D side-scrolling platform game developed by Crack dot Com in 1995. It features beautiful lighting, realistic animation and nasty alien-like creatures to destroy. ” - Crack dot Com

Review by Game Hippo:

“Abuse is a detailed shooting game. Although it is commercial software freeware versions were created from the public domain source code and graphics of the game. As the only person immune to the abuse gene, you must fight your way through mutants so that you can save the world and escape to freedom. You can use various weapons and abilities (i.e. flying) to fight through the humans who were infected with the gene. There is also a level editor (using command line parameter -edit).“