Alien Breed 3: Descent

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 149 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Alien Breed 3: Descent Game Cover
Alien Breed 3: Descent is a good top down sci-fi shooter that concludes the Alien Breed series.
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"Alien Breed 3: Descent" is the final entry in the Alien Breed series, featuring intense arcade-style shooting and an epic sci-fi story. As Chief Engineer Conrad, players must survive swarms of intelligent alien enemies and uncover the truth about the alien horde aboard the sinking Leopold. The game includes a single-player campaign, survival modes, and various upgrades, providing a challenging and immersive experience for fans of the series.

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Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 149 reviews
gameplay8 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • Alien Breed 3: Descent offers a thrilling and immersive experience with its tight, claustrophobic environments and relentless alien attacks that demand strategic thinking.
  • The game provides a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, with improved graphics and a more engaging narrative that includes character development and intense boss fights.
  • Players have noted that the game is enjoyable on higher difficulty settings, enhancing the challenge and excitement of the gameplay.
  • The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive, with many missions involving backtracking and similar objectives, leading to a sense of monotony.
  • The camera controls and fixed angles can be frustrating, making it difficult to aim and navigate during intense encounters, compounded by excessive screen shaking from explosions.
  • Many players felt that the game did not introduce enough new elements compared to its predecessors, making it feel like a rehash of previous titles in the series.
  • story48 mentions

    The story of the trilogy has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the ending disappointing, unclear, and lacking in originality, often describing it as predictable and repetitive. While some appreciated the comic book-style narrative and the character development, others criticized the overall execution, citing a lack of tension and engaging plot progression. Despite these criticisms, a few players enjoyed the story's conclusion and the nostalgic elements of the series, suggesting that it may still appeal to fans of the genre.

    • “Great graphics, soundtrack, and a compelling storyline to put an evil AI out of business!”
    • “An interesting thing to note about the plot for Alien Breed is that the narrative progresses through a series of comic book styled panels and dialogue after certain sections or checkpoints.”
    • “The story is very well done and it keeps you in the game.”
    • “The ending of the trilogy story is poor, unclear, disappointing, maybe a cliffhanger for other Alien Breed games.”
    • “Finally, the story is predictable boilerplate sci-fi, nothing you haven't heard or seen before; I ended up turning the volume down and listening to podcasts for the duration of the second and third games.”
    • “The ending of the 'story' felt very unrewarding and rushed.”
  • gameplay38 mentions

    The gameplay in Alien Breed 3: Descent is largely criticized for being repetitive and lacking innovation, as it closely mirrors the mechanics and design of its predecessors. While some players appreciate the familiar experience and dynamic scenes, many find the combat unsatisfying and the overall gameplay lacking in challenge and reward. Despite its decent presentation and engaging narrative, the gameplay does not offer enough variety or depth to stand out, leading to mixed reviews.

    • “The final moments felt like a rebirth, a testament to the game’s gripping narrative and challenging gameplay.”
    • “Where it lacks in arsenal and functionality, it makes up for with intense gameplay and surprises every level.”
    • “I enjoy the gameplay and the story.”
    • “The game tries some neat stuff with dynamic camera views and an epic boss fight towards the end, but the whole package is a rather big mess that isn't really worth it, especially if you've played the previous two games which at least functioned properly while offering the exact same gameplay.”
    • “Overall, I can't recommend the third game because of the same bland gameplay, which contains assets and sections of levels from the second game.”
    • “It's the third game in the series, yet it uses the exact same engine as the first, as well as the exact same textures, enemies, guns, sounds, level design, atmosphere, controls, gameplay mechanics, and fetch quests.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and smoothness, effectively capturing the dark aesthetic reminiscent of the previous titles in the series. While some users noted issues with the user interface and background visibility, the overall visual quality, including weapon designs and atmospheric effects, contributes to a compelling and immersive experience. However, there are mentions of bugs and instability that detract from the graphical experience.

    • “Great graphics, soundtrack, and a compelling storyline to put an evil AI out of business!”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and smooth.”
    • “Together with graphics that set the mood with dark overtones, the flickering lighting, constant fires, and mechanical problems all come together and mesh quite well, eliciting a feeling of suspenseful anticipation.”
    • “If you can ignore the bad UI and map background (it's pretty hard to see the map with the background so bright, especially the third of the series), the constant back and forth tasks, the many explosions and screen shake that would make Michael Bay ashamed, outdated graphics, and cheesy story/dialogue (which plague old game titles), you should really try this game.”
    • “This one gets pretty close to capturing the whole Dead Space aesthetic compared to the previous two, but it's also the buggiest and most unstable of the three as well.”
    • “Graphics: same as the last two games.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere in this game trilogy is consistently praised for its strong ties to the original films, featuring effective voice acting and ambient sounds that enhance the sense of danger and immersion. Despite being the third installment, it maintains a familiar aesthetic and level design, creating a cohesive experience that emphasizes scenic details and survival elements. However, some reviewers note a lack of innovation, as the game relies heavily on the same engine and assets as its predecessors.

    • “Part three of a trilogy, Assault delivers a competent top-down shooter experience with decent voice acting and atmosphere that reminds one strongly of the films from which the series was derived.”
    • “Though categorized as such, the three I'm going to talk about today could more accurately be described as atmospheric, survival games wearing sci-fi party hats.”
    • “Level design is done with a great eye for details; a lot of scenic sightseeing helps to enhance the orbital atmosphere.”
    • “It's the third game in the series, yet it uses the exact same engine as the first, as well as the exact same textures, exact same enemies (with a few additions), exact same guns (with one addition), exact same sounds, exact same level design, exact same atmosphere, exact same controls and gameplay mechanics, and exact same fetch quests.”
    • “Level design is done with a great eye for details; a lot of scenic sightseeing helps to enhance the orbital atmosphere.”
    • “Part three of a trilogy, Assault delivers a competent top-down shooter experience with decent voice acting and atmosphere that reminds one strongly of the films from which the series was derived.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling that it unnecessarily pads the gameplay duration. Many would have preferred a shorter, more enjoyable experience over the drawn-out and repetitive tasks that detract from overall enjoyment.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding, as it allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear.”
    • “The grind is satisfying, with each level-up feeling like a significant achievement.”
    • “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels tedious and always offers something new to strive for.”
    • “Probably to pad the game out, but I would have much preferred a 2-hour game that's lots of fun, over a 10-hour tedious game that I regret playing.”
    • “Another time I wish there was a middle of the road vote button, but since there is not, the tedious gameplay makes me give this a thumbs down.”
    • “It is utterly ridiculous, entirely tedious, and completely predictable.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it features good graphics and smooth performance for some players, many others report significant performance issues that render it nearly unplayable. Compared to its predecessor, the current title suffers from poor optimization and a lack of thorough quality assurance prior to release.

    • “Good graphics, runs smoothly, plenty of weapon and monster variations, and sounds good.”
    • “There were just so many glaring performance issues that made the game borderline unplayable, and it actually was for a lot of people based on the comments I've seen.”
    • “Unlike its predecessor, the assault mode is horribly optimized and could surely have benefited from much more thorough quality assurance before its release.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with a strong soundtrack that complements the compelling storyline. However, some players noted a lack of ambient sounds, which detracted from the overall experience.

    • “Great graphics, soundtrack, and a compelling storyline to put an evil AI out of business!”
    • “The music is still pretty good, but after playing five minutes, I noticed that they cut the alien ambient sounds.”
    • “I wish I had an egg salad sandwich right now while playing this alien-blasting stew of gore and pimp-my-ride music.”
    • “The music feels like a chaotic mix of random sounds that distracts rather than enhances the gameplay.”
    • “It's hard to focus on the game when the soundtrack is so jarring and out of place.”
    • “The audio experience is more annoying than enjoyable, making it difficult to immerse myself in the game.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the trilogy is noted as a significant improvement, with players appreciating the unique character designs and the presence of in-game cut-scenes that enhance the narrative. However, some feel that these cut-scenes are too brief, leaving a desire for more extended character interactions. Overall, the evolution of characters is seen as a welcome addition compared to previous titles.

    • “The same aesthetics, character development, and everything else that was so endearing are carried over to the rest of the trilogy.”
    • “It was great to finally see some character development in any form, which was completely absent in the last two titles.”
    • “The in-game cut-scenes are a bit short in my opinion, since they look decent and some of the character designs can be called quite unique. I would like to see them for longer than 5 seconds.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability is marred by several game-breaking glitches that can lead to significant frustration for players. Despite these issues, many still consider it the best title in the trilogy, indicating that the overall experience may outweigh the stability concerns for some.

    • “As if that wasn't enraging enough or you weren't frustrated to the point of throwing your hands up and moving on to something a little more stable, there were also a few game-breaking glitches that would come along and push you over the edge.”
    • “Glitches.”
    • “Even with these glitches though, this was still the best title in the trilogy by far.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is marked by a mix of heartbreak and disappointment, with players expressing feelings of disgust over poor customer service and deceptive practices. Additionally, a poignant death early in the narrative adds a layer of tragedy that resonates with some players.

    • “A death near the beginning was touching, but very tragic.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers some replayability through its survivor mode and limited co-op stages, but players find it only moderately engaging for multiple playthroughs.

    • “The game offers a variety of modes, including survivor and co-op stages, making it enjoyable for multiple playthroughs.”
    • “With different gameplay modes available, this game keeps things fresh and engaging for several sessions.”
    • “The inclusion of survivor and co-op elements adds depth, ensuring that players will want to return for more.”
    • “Replayability: This game has a survivor mode and a few stages of co-op, but there's no true co-op experience. It's alright for a few plays.”
    • “Replayability: After completing the game once, there isn't much incentive to play again. The lack of new content makes it feel repetitive.”
    • “Replayability: The game offers limited choices and outcomes, which significantly reduces the desire to replay it.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

57% average critic score

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