Alien Hallway
- August 19, 2011
- Sigma Team Inc.
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Alien Hallway" is a real-time strategy game that puts you in command of a military team fighting against an alien invasion. Equip your squad with a variety of weapons and abilities to strategically eliminate the extraterrestrial threat. Navigate through levels filled with traps, unlockables, and dynamic environments to save humanity from total annihilation.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging and simple gameplay loop that can be enjoyable for a few hours.
- Offers a variety of units and upgrades, allowing for some strategic choices.
- Good for casual play and can serve as a decent time killer.
- Extremely repetitive with little variation in gameplay, leading to boredom.
- Graphics and sound design are mediocre, lacking polish and depth.
- Grindy mechanics make it frustrating to achieve full upgrades and complete the game.
- story37 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in "Alien Hallway" is minimal and often poorly translated, consisting mainly of simplistic mission blurbs that provide little narrative depth. While some players found the basic premise of a war against aliens engaging, many noted that the lack of a substantial storyline does not significantly detract from the gameplay experience, which focuses more on repetitive mission completion and unit upgrades. Overall, the narrative is considered weak and serves primarily as a backdrop for the game's mechanics rather than a driving force.
“The fact that this game does not have a story does not actually detract from the game at all.”
“The reason why this is a 4/5, despite being not very deep, is because the nature of the game is that you want to replay missions over and over, so you can power up your units for the next battle, destroying alien after alien.”
“There's little simplistic story text describing each stage to give it a little something.”
“From the somewhat lost in translation 'story' which makes little enough sense to the awful execution of the game, this was just bad.”
“Otherwise, this game has no story to it.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 28 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them acceptable or even pleasant, while others describe them as mediocre or outdated. Many note a lack of creativity and consistency, with some levels featuring aesthetic changes but overall similar visuals throughout. Despite the varying opinions, the graphics are generally considered serviceable for casual gameplay, though they may struggle with performance during intense battles.
“The graphics were a surprise; the art direction and use of color were fun and surprisingly sophisticated for a game like this.”
“I love to play games like these, and the graphics were actually very nice (even by today's standards).”
“Each planet has a different look (as far as graphics) and increases with difficulty as you go.”
“The graphics are pretty samey throughout the game and the combat is overall not so interesting.”
“The graphics are nothing to write home about but the gameplay can be quite absorbing and it is another one of those games which you find yourself saying 'just one more level than I will quit.'”
“The graphics are poorly done, as well as the interface.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simple and engaging loop that offers a satisfying experience, especially for casual play, but suffers from significant repetitiveness and a lack of depth. While players appreciate the balance and mechanics, many note that the gameplay does not evolve throughout the levels, leading to a grindy experience. Overall, it provides a fun but ultimately shallow experience, reminiscent of other tower defense games, with limited replay value.
“Shockingly well balanced and engaging little gameplay loop; it's pretty simple, but it's a treat when you're tired and just want to shut down while blowing up aliens.”
“I did enjoy the fact that there was a possibility rather than a rubber-band difficulty that scales with me and makes the end levels a grind. It was nice to just overpower the game completely by paying attention to the mechanics.”
“Addictive, rewarding, and enjoyable gameplay experience.”
“Extremely repetitive gameplay.”
“Doesn't have depth and has very repetitive gameplay.”
“The gameplay, however, never changes.”
- grinding15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its excessive grinding, particularly towards the end, where players must repeatedly farm for gold and upgrades to achieve higher ratings and complete achievements. Many reviewers noted that the grind can feel tedious and unbalanced, requiring significant time investment to level up troops and survive tougher missions. While some found the gameplay enjoyable, the grind detracted from the overall experience, making it feel repetitive and poorly paced.
“The game becomes somewhat unbalanced towards the end, especially if you try for a 5-star rating and end up farming a lot of gold (and thus upgrades as well) like I did.”
“To survive the last levels even on easy requires a good bit of grinding to get powerful enough troops to survive the missions.”
“Prepare for quite a bit of grinding if you want to make the basic units powerful enough to survive the last few levels.”
- music10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it catchy and entertaining, while others describe it as bland, repetitive, or even annoying. While it can enhance the gaming experience for a few hours, many feel it lacks depth and quality, with some suggesting it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. Overall, the soundtrack seems to evoke a range of reactions, from appreciation to frustration.
“The graphics were a tad outdated but it ran just fine, no errors, no crashes (unlike some AAA games with way bigger budgets) and the music was catchy; I'd find myself humming it for a while after a gaming session.”
“Constantly changing settings and glow effects mixed with heavy, rhythmic music add life to the game and keep you captivated - you'll be hooked!”
“The only thing I love is probably the music in the main menu.”
“The music is kinda bland and the whole game just feels kinda soulless.”
“The music can be a bit repetitive.”
“The music is totally annoying so I would recommend to switch it off instantly.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and amusing, with a mix of intentional and unintentional comedic elements. Players appreciate the lighthearted writing and find the absurdity of the game's premise—defending against aliens in small maps—entertaining, making it suitable for casual play during breaks. Overall, the humor adds a fun layer to the gameplay experience, appealing to those who enjoy a comedic twist in their gaming.
“The writing in this game was funny, somewhat weird, with no grammar errors that I noticed—just no space after a comma, which is weird for a space game (get it? xd)”
“The maps are hilariously small, with no branching paths.”
“Funny defender, we must save the world from aliens!”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players note that it offers replay value through multiple difficulty levels and a decent number of short levels, others criticize it as lacking significant replay value, comparing it unfavorably to other games.
“There's some replay value to the levels because you can do them in four different difficulty levels - indeed, one of the achievements for the game requires you to beat every level on the highest difficulty (expert) level.”
“Length and replayability”
“No replay value.”
“Like other people said: it is a dumb kids game with no replayability whatsoever.”
“Has 30 levels, each takes about 2-5 minutes, with decent replay value.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for significant performance and frame-rate issues, particularly during large battles with numerous soldiers and aliens on screen. Players report that the low production value exacerbates these problems, making the gameplay experience feel disengaged and unpolished.
“The game allows for a streamlined experience where you can focus on strategy rather than constant action, simply tapping respawn after cooldown and waiting for your performance rating.”
“Despite some low production values, the optimization shines through, allowing for smoother gameplay even in intense moments with many soldiers and aliens on screen.”
“The performance optimization is impressive, ensuring that the game runs smoothly even during chaotic battles, enhancing the overall gaming experience.”
“You could play this game without looking at the action going on; just tap respawn after cooldown and wait until the game displays your performance rating.”
“Along with low production value, the game appears to have performance and frame-rate issues when there are too many soldiers and/or aliens on screen at once.”
“Additionally, there is a significant performance problem with the graphics when there are too many units in battle.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the game features appealing graphics and a nice visual style, players have reported occasional glitches that detract from the overall stability.
“The game has some pleasant graphics and a nice graphical style, but there are ugly glitches that detract from the experience.”
“I frequently encounter crashes that disrupt my gameplay, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
“The stability issues are frustrating; I often experience lag and unexpected freezes during critical moments.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is seen as lacking creativity, with designs that are considered mediocre rather than innovative.
