Alien Hominid Invasion
- November 1, 2023
- The Behemoth
- 7h median play time
Alien Hominid Invasion is a co-op shooter game where up to four players can invade Earth and sabotage the plans of not-so-secret agents. Choose from three difficulty levels and unlock an arsenal of unique weapons and cosmetics. The game offers a variety of ways to play, including online and couch co-op, with difficulty settings adjustable for each player's skill level. Complete missions, level up, and mutate your alien to deploy new mechanics and customize your playstyle.
Reviews
- The game offers chaotic and fast-paced gameplay that is fun, especially in co-op mode.
- The art style and humor are reminiscent of previous Behemoth titles, providing a nostalgic experience.
- There is a wide variety of weapons and customization options, allowing for unique builds and playstyles.
- The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with similar objectives and environments throughout.
- The screen can get cluttered with projectiles and enemies, making it difficult to track your character.
- Some players find the difficulty spikes frustrating, especially in solo play, leading to a sense of unfairness.
- gameplay109 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and chaotic, lacking the variety and innovation seen in the original game. While some appreciate the fun core mechanics and cooperative play, others criticize the overwhelming number of enemies and objectives that lead to a monotonous experience. Overall, the game maintains a charming aesthetic and enjoyable elements, but it struggles with depth and engagement over extended play sessions.
āThe gameplay is so fun and fast!ā
āThe charming art style, hilarious humor, and exhilarating gameplay will keep you hooked for hours.ā
āGod damn is the gameplay loop fun and addicting.ā
āThe main gameplay loop is seriously repetitive, with very little to break up the monotony of entering a level, completing objectives, with an escalating threat timer and retreat.ā
āIt's difficult to enjoy the work put into the weapons and animations because the gameplay is a hyperactive barrage of random enemies and random objectives at all times, nonstop.ā
āThere are a bunch of tacked-on roguelike elements that are purely unnecessary and exist just to complicate the mostly bare bones and monotonous gameplay loop you'll see in a while.ā
- story96 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as lacking depth and coherence, with many players noting its repetitive mission structure and minimal narrative progression. While some appreciate the humor and connections to previous titles, others criticize the absence of a compelling storyline and character development, leading to a sense of boredom and frustration. Overall, the narrative feels underdeveloped compared to earlier games from the same developer, resulting in a less engaging experience for players seeking a rich story.
āI love how the story carries on from the prequel.ā
āThe game was very good, the bosses were a blast to fight, and the story was amazing; it has everything a good sequel needs!ā
āEdit: I've finished the game since, but there's still a lot to do and unlock. I loved the story, the humor, the personable art style, and the love put behind the game. It was a wonderful experience from start to finish; I genuinely hope they have some DLC prepared instead of a sequel, given I really want to see what happens next and the game has a bit of an ending that leaves it open for more, but without being a cliffhanger.ā
āThere's not much story outside the fun cutscenes as all levels are randomly generated that end with a boss arena, so the game can get a bit repetitive for some people.ā
āThey promised a lot with the story (or at least the marketing for the game seemed like it promised a lot), and they delivered... absolutely nothing, in fact they just made it more confusing by adding a 4th kid to the final cutscene of the game and making him the general.ā
āThis game has barely any story; the aliens arrive on Earth after 19 years, they kill some agents, some bosses are built, the agents are actually all made in a cloning facility or something, the mothership becomes evil and you defeat her, Russians are back (don't show up in-game at all, only in the very end of the final cutscene!) and that is it.ā
- graphics49 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, hand-drawn art style and vibrant visuals, characteristic of The Behemoth's signature aesthetic. While many players appreciate the fluid animations and colorful design, some feel that the graphics lack the unique personality and humor found in previous titles, appearing overly polished and safe. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing to an enjoyable co-op experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay depth and innovation.
āThe art style is phenomenal and the gameplay is equally as enjoyable.ā
āThe hand-drawn, cartoon aesthetic is a visual treat.ā
āBeautiful graphics and smooth movement.ā
āThe art style feels like a watered-down, overly polished version of Dan Paladin's work.ā
āAlso, speaking of visuals, the art style of the game comes off as very smoothed out and polished in a very unsatisfying way. There's barely any personality to anything that happens, and the jokes and visual gags have never been worse compared to the solid stuff from the previous Behemoth games.ā
āIt feels stylistically cute and safe compared to the old style of Behemoth games, which are particularly scratchy and stylized to a point where you can easily recognize it as a Behemoth product. This game just feels like the art style cut out its charms to be more safe for marketability.ā
- humor44 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Alien Hominid Invasion" is consistently praised for its quirky, lighthearted charm, featuring funny dialogue, amusing cutscenes, and whimsical character designs that evoke laughter. Players appreciate the game's blend of chaotic gameplay and comedic elements, which align with Behemoth's signature style, making it a delightful experience for fans of their previous titles. While some reviews note that the humor may not reach the heights of earlier games, it still provides a fun and entertaining backdrop to the action.
āThe developers really know how to make an amusing co-op experience with their trademark art style and humor.ā
āThe game doesn't take itself too seriously, and the quirky dialogue, cutscenes, and various alien shenanigans will have you laughing out loud.ā
āThe charming art style, hilarious humor, and exhilarating gameplay will keep you hooked for hours.ā
- music42 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as "banger" and "fantastic," often highlighting its ability to enhance the gameplay experience. While some noted a slight repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the music is enjoyable and memorable, with standout tracks during boss fights and a dynamic quality that keeps it engaging. The collaboration with composer Patric Catani has been particularly appreciated, contributing to the game's vibrant atmosphere and artistic direction.
āThe soundtrack is great, and the art style is downright awesome.ā
āThe music rules and definitely hasn't gotten repetitive or annoying for me.ā
āOh, and the soundtrack is wonderful too, I even went and bought it on Bandcamp!ā
āI still love the art style, theme, music, and more, but the actual gameplay is just bad.ā
āReally fun addition to the series, end of mission song that plays haunts me in my sleep though.ā
āThe music track is so strange but yet such a jam to listen to.ā
- replayability21 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it fun and engaging, particularly in multiplayer settings, while others criticize it for repetitive gameplay and a lack of meaningful post-story content. Although some aspects, like improved controls and a charming art style, enhance replay value, many feel that the absence of additional modifiers and varied objectives limits long-term enjoyment. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, the game struggles to maintain replayability compared to its predecessors and other titles in the genre.
āDamn near perfect party experience and easily replayable just like the rest of Behemoth's catalog.ā
āExtremely replayable and fun.ā
āThis game is great and has a lot of replayability; it is definitely the hardest Behemoth game as the game can be quite challenging, especially during the bosses.ā
āHow is it that a game made after 20 years of experience has less replay value than the game that it was based on?ā
āThey tried to make this game replayable, but they failed so hard; it's not even a 'so bad it's good' type of gameplay loop. It's a tedious, boring, repetitive loop that's going to make you want to turn this game off after you beat the first headquarters, as it's just going to be that but over and over again.ā
āThere is also a lack of extra modifiers or anything that adds extra replay value after beating the story, further compounding the problems with replayability.ā
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding mechanics in the game are overly repetitive and tedious, leading to a frustrating experience rather than enjoyable replayability. Players express dissatisfaction with the need to repeatedly navigate through the same levels and the lengthy process of restarting runs, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and challenge of the game.
āThey tried to make this game replayable, but they failed so hard. It's not even a 'so bad it's good' type of gameplay loop; it's a tedious, boring, repetitive loop that's going to make you want to turn this game off after you beat the first headquarters, as it's just going to be that but over and over again.ā
āBeing unable to challenge a boss or try a specific objective or map without going through other tiles felt extremely tedious when trying to either test a build or complete the insane mode achievement.ā
āBackgrounds repeat, levels feel particularly grating to go through, and dying right before a boss stage means you have to restart all the way at the beginning and go through the same tedious cycle as before.ā
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised, with users noting it runs flawlessly and requires minimal storage space. While some players mentioned the absence of a built-in performance meter, they reported smooth gameplay on medium settings.
āPerformance-wise, the game runs flawlessly and takes hardly any space.ā
āSince there is no performance bar built into the game, I couldn't have measured the game's performance, but on approximately medium settings, it ran quite smoothly.ā
āSince there is no performance bar built into the game, I couldn't have measured the game's performance, but on approximately medium settings, it ran quite smoothly.ā
āEspecially after 4+ years of constant hype upkeep, like a series of shorts recorded live during lockdown, a live online performance of the music for the game, constant update streams and whatnot.ā
āSince there is no performance bar built into the game, I couldn't measure the game's performance, but on approximately medium settings, it ran quite smoothly.ā
- monetization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game is considered a good value at $20, offering substantial content without microtransactions or major bugs. However, players have expressed frustration with the difficulty spike and the overwhelming presence of ads during boss fights, which detracts from the overall experience.
āOverall, the game is worth your $20 for all the content you get, especially if you're planning to play with friends. Even by yourself, this game is a blast, and there are no microtransactions or huge bugs.ā
āThere are no microtransactions.ā
āWhile the first playthrough was fun, it gets astronomically harder, making it nearly impossible to continue. The chaos on the screen blocks your vision, and the dodge patterns are frustrating. I would like to say the boss fights are enjoyable, but they are constantly interrupted by a million ads spawning during the fight.ā
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be a wholesome experience that evokes strong emotions, with moments that can lead to tears, such as the poignant scene of a child losing their ice cream. Despite some challenges with controls, the emotional impact remains a highlight.
āI cried when the kid lost his ice cream. šā
āIt's been tricky to use the controls super well and get good at dodging, but other than that, it's a super wholesome experience.ā
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report experiencing multiple minor glitches that, while manageable on their own, accumulate over time to create a frustrating overall experience.
āAnnoying glitches that are fine individually but add up over time.ā
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the character design, customization, and abilities remain strong, the overall character development is hindered by a core gameplay loop that feels unrewarding, detracting from the overall experience.
āThe elements I loved from the previous game are all there: the character design, the customization, the guns, the abilities... but the core gameplay loop is massively unrewarding.ā
āCharacter development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to stay invested in the characters.ā
āDespite the potential for rich storytelling, the character arcs are predictable and fail to evoke any real emotional connection.ā
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its engaging parkour style and arcade vibe, complemented by intuitive controls, diverse enemies, and customizable elements, all contributing to a fresh interpretation of the rogue-like genre.
āI love the parkour style, arcade atmosphere, controls, enemies, customizations, and this unique take on the roguelike genre.ā