Ground Zero: Texas

Digital Pictures

Industry	Video game development
Founded	1990s
Products	Ground Zero: Texas

PlayStation 4, Windows (Steam) |genre = Shooter, interactive movie |modes = Single-player }} Ground Zero: Texas is a full motion video title launched for the Sega CD in November 1993. The game includes 110 minutes of interactive footage captured from four different camera angles. Directed by Dwight H. Little, known for films such as Marked for Death and Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, it merges shooter mechanics with elements of an interactive cinematic experience.

Plot

Set in the year 1995, the storyline centers on an alien invasion by Reticulans targeting El Cadron, a small town near the Texas border. Players are tasked with rescuing residents who have mysteriously vanished, utilizing four BattleCams armed with particle beam technology that temporarily incapacitates aliens—who are resistant to conventional firearms. The primary objective is to neutralize the alien threat before a nuclear device obliterates the region.

A team of four special agents provides intelligence about the alien stronghold. When these operatives engage Reticulans, players must eliminate the enemies swiftly to prevent abductions. Successfully defeating foes uncovers pendants containing codes that unlock access to the aliens' weapons cache and cold storage facilities.

After securing these assets, the BattleCams are upgraded with alien weaponry. In response, Reticulans dispatch stormtroopers to devastate the town, prompting a counterattack by Special Forces amid escalating destruction.

In the climax, operative Reece is kidnapped and taken aboard the alien mothership. DiSalvo outfits a BattleCam with an alien cannon and fires a decisive shot that destroys the mothership, thereby saving El Cadron and Earth from invasion.

Development

Ground Zero Texas represents Digital Pictures' "second-generation" project following their initial Sega CD titles adapted from Hasbro’s discontinued NEMO system. The production was supported by a substantial budget, primarily financed through bundling Sewer Shark with Sega CD consoles.

Originally called Project X during development, its screenplay was penned by Digital Pictures co-founder Ken Melville, drawing inspiration from films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Invaders from Mars. The script was later revised by Alan B. McElroy, Edward Neumeier, and Joshua Stallings.

The FMV sequences were created by a professional Hollywood team, involving unprecedented negotiations with the Directors Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and Writers Guild—marking a first in video game production. Due to Sega CD hardware limitations, footage was compressed and limited to 64 colors to accommodate slow CD drive speeds. Despite these constraints, Edge magazine praised the graphics as "breathtaking" for their time in 1993. Ken Melville later voiced disappointment over compromises made to video quality because of technical restrictions.

Reception

In the UK market, Ground Zero Texas secured bestseller status for two months and dominated as the top-selling Mega CD title for four straight months from February through May 1994.

It earned an 84% rating from Mega magazine and scored 7.5 out of 10 in Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), which named it Best Sega Mega-CD Game of 1994. Although EGM criticized aspects such as control schemes, acting performances, and dialogue quality, they commended its soundtrack and narrative depth.

Reissue

The title was re-released in 2021 for both PlayStation 4 and Windows PC platforms, featuring a special limited edition of the original Sega CD version produced by Limited Run Games.