Conquer the earth in an annoyingly organized way (Destroy All Humans (Xbox))

Member Name: dididave

Product:	Destroy All Humans (Xbox)
Date:	19/07/05 (240 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice graphics, good voiceover, witty, flying saucers!

Disadvantages: No multiplayer, linear, limited lifespan.

My son has been eagerly awaiting the release of "Destroy All Humans" for months. However, after scanning various Websites there seemed to be a confusion over the age rating it would receive which varied with ratings including teen, twelve and fifteen. As such I decided to purchase the game as a surprise and if it was completely unsuitable it could always be whacked straight onto ebay.

"Destroy All Humans" has the unique concept of role reversal. Rather than the usual defending the Earth against alien invasion scenario we have an alien clone sent to earth to harvest brain stems in order to ensure it's races survival. Of course if he should have to "Destroy All Humans" along the way then so be it. This is your chance to abduct and destroy anything from humans to cows!

The game clearly has its tongue firmly in cheek and is an obvious homage to the alien invasion B movies of the 1950's. From the rural American farms with Southern drawl farmers to the eerie alien opening music reminiscent of the original "Twilight Zone" it is clear to see were the inspiration for this game comes from.

This is further reflected in our alien "Crypto's" (short for Cryptosperidium) craft, the traditional flying saucer with "death ray". I have to admit to taking great pleasure in destroying everything from farmhouses to government buildings with my "Independence Day" style craft. The controls for this are refreshingly simple with the left pad moving forward and back and the right going left and right. Targeting is also easy with a large central crosshair used before firing your weapon of choice.

Unfortunately, for me this is when the game starts to hit problems. I had visions of a free roaming game in which you could cause havoc among Earth's inhabitants. This however is not the case. The game is mission driven and although there are a variety of settings from farms to fairgrounds the gameplay is surprisingly samey. On landing your craft (which is automated and even this is decided by set "landing points" you have to complete a number of goals. This may include abducting people by hypnotising them and leading them to your craft, using an anal probe to extract their brain stems (although it is funny watching people running around clutching their bottoms). There is also opportunity to destroy "witnesses" including "Men In Black style FBI types and soldiers and for some reason to levitate cows! Although the four weapons involved in doing this are highly enjoyable and original I quickly found myself getting bored with the repetitive and linear nature of these tasks. You can veer off and do other things but in the end you are dragged back to your goals.

The central character "Crypto" is perhaps the thing that extends this game beyond the fifteen minutes occasionally category. Wonderfully mischievous and full of one-liners he makes the game worthwhile. His gadgets and gizmos including a jetpack make navigating the game a joy and fortunately he is controlled easily using a combination of pad and single press buttons even uncoordinated fools such as I could manage it.

Graphics are well rendered and suitably 1950's although irritatingly yet another game manages to make water look like a solid object. All this modern technology and water still looks like grey jelly! I was more impressed by the sound which involved some great in game music and voiceovers for the screaming, fleeing humanity and wisecracking alien alike.

Those who are looking for a challenge may find this game a little on the easy side with only six, admittedly large locations. The later missions in which the army throws its full weight at you and you have fewer places to escape are more difficult. However, even then Cypto is virtually indestructible as he simply runs away and heals himself. He is often outgunned in the latter stages of the game but simple shoots his weapon of choice, legs it then comes back to do it all again. I have found myself finding alternative ways of playing the game such as sneaking around trying to abduct people without being seen. This is a game crying out for a multiplayer or death match mode. Duelling flying saucers, attacking with anal probes, and throwing cows at each other. What a missed opportunity that is.

Nonetheless, this game is good fun. It could have been so much more but it is certainly playable if lacking in longevity. The fifteen age rating seems rather steep to me. There is little if any blood and the violence is certainly cartoonish in nature. As such I was happy to let my twelve-year-old to play this without reservations and to be honest I think it is much better suited to his age than fifteen or older.

Available for £29.99 at Play.com with delivery.
More info can be found at: www.destroyallhumansgame.com/

Summary: Where is the chaos? The destruction? Far too linear although playable in small doses.