Alien Hominid Review - PC

Are you ga-ga for Gunstar Heroes? Possess an insatiable appetite for Ikaruga? Then feast your eyes on Alien Hominid, a spiritual successor to the storied shoot-‘em-ups of yore. First designed as a Flash game for Web audiences -- the original edition garnered six million downloads -- the title is now shipping as a standalone console product. Join us as we experience the pleasures of playing a heavily armed extraterrestrial on tonight’s X-Play.

Spaced Out

The story begins innocently enough, as an unsuspecting alien crash lands on Earth. Unfortunately, the FBI doesn’t take kindly to announced visitors. Cue a madcap sprint through 16 stages that sees the hero (an innocent-looking yellow critter with dangling antennae) butchering bad guys en masse. The goal: execute everything that moves, including tanks, trucks, and titanic robotic adversaries. Picture Metal Slug in a more modern context, i.e. city streets, snow-covered forests, or pleasant-looking parks, and you’ll get the idea.

Aiming High

Don’t be fooled by the simplistic setup, though. Although a fairly straightforward side-scrolling affair, this title’s surprisingly imaginative. Witness the moves at the hero’s disposal including knife-wielding melee attacks, grenades, and charged shots. The headliner also has the ability to leap on top of enemies and toss them into one another or bite off baddies’ heads.

Alternately, you can sink into the ground for a short time and pull opponents down to their death too. Further provisions for piloting a wide range of vehicles such as missile launchers, tanks, and trucks are just icing on the cake. The best part: using these techniques pays off, since you’ll score style points, redeemable for extra lives, via employing them.

The power-ups one collects, doled out by fat kids who show up frequently throughout every level, are pretty clever as well. Supplementing your standard ray gun are special weapons like flamethrowers, devices which reduce rivals to goo, and laser beams that cut victims in half. Additional armaments such as rapid-fire rounds, spread shots, and oversized bullets, which penetrate enemies’ bodies and continue out the other side (killing everything in their path), also put in an appearance. Although ammo supplies are limited and damage effects not so pronounced that you’ll really care which weapon you’re touting, the selection is still impressive nonetheless.

The Killing Fields

Broken down into individual scenarios, the action takes place across town squares, junkyards, and even the Russian countryside. Typically, the sequence of events is simple. You show up and are assaulted by an endless stream of G Men or KGB agents, and must move along a set course while murdering all. Surviving scenarios involve demolishing buildings, downing helicopters, and even using tractor beam-equipped UFOs to drop troublemakers into wood chippers. On occasion, you’ll be treated to a unique challenge as well, such as zipping around in a spaceship levying missiles at jetpack-touting troopers or hopping between cars on a busy freeway. Boss fights are also common, with cyclopean droids, giant mechs, and teddy bear-esque terrors are just a few frights one must face.

Anger Management

Thus, it’s no surprise the game often frustrates. Staring down an infinite array of opponents, you’ll burn through lives and continues at a record rate. Then again, that’s the outing’s charm. No matter how much it aggravates, enthusiasts will keep coming back for more.

Beginners and veterans alike are advised to start by setting the difficulty on easy. And consider teaming up with a friend, who can also get in on the fun simultaneously. Accessing co-op mode opens additional treats too, such as options that let one player control vehicles while the other shoots out the window. But truthfully, be thankful most of all that you’re given the opportunity to restart from the last level visited.

Alas, replay value dips accordingly. You can literally defeat the game in one afternoon. While the creators have wisely included PDA minigames (think a platformer starring stick figures) that offer support for four players, it does little for the package’s longevity. Mind you, the over 200 scenarios offered (and four additional diversions which can be unlocked) do add some durability, as does an editor tool, albeit just a tad.

Blown Away

We suspect that in the end, it’s the presentation that’ll please gamers the most. Entirely hand-drawn, characters and environments are animated with surprising flair. From explosions to split sternums and agents who flail around in flames, it’s gruesome, yet hilarious stuff. Video game or interactive underground comic? You be the judge. Granted, the musical score isn’t nearly as phenomenal, although its electronic beats are catchy. Sound effects prove simply on par for the genre as well.

Believe

Be that as it may, you’ll adore Alien Hominid. An attractive price, original concept, and splendid execution outshine issues such as its short-lived thrills and shallow premise. So go ahead, lock and load: we promise you won’t regret it.