Alien Rage: Unlimited

Despite its technical flaws, Alien Rage is an old-school shooter that harkens back to the genre’s glory days. It’s not for everyone, but fans of classic shooters will find a lot to love here, and at a price that’s hard to beat.

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"Alien Rage: Unlimited" is a sci-fi first-person shooter where you battle against hordes of alien enemies on Mars. With fast-paced action and destructible environments, the game offers a variety of weapons and upgrades to customize your arsenal. The "Unlimited" edition features enhanced graphics and additional content for an expanded gaming experience.

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Reviews

65%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,260 reviews

story91 positive mentions

stability37 negative mentions

Fast-paced gameplay with satisfying gunplay and explosions.
Good graphics and visual effects for its time.
Challenging difficulty that keeps players engaged.

Unfair difficulty spikes and cheap deaths due to enemy accuracy.
Linear level design with repetitive environments.
Multiplayer is dead, with no servers available.

story
389 mentions
23 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The story in "Alien Rage" is generally viewed as generic and uninspired, often serving merely as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a focal point. Players noted that much of the narrative is conveyed through collectible audio logs, which can be easily missed, leading to a disjointed understanding of the plot. While some appreciated the humor and voice acting, many found the overall storyline to be forgettable and lacking depth, with a predictable premise centered around a conflict over a valuable resource.
- “The story is enjoyable, the non-hero character is going to headbob tightly into the forward and he'd better not rush, or he will be roughly destroyed.”
- “Additionally, there's a side-story running through discoverable audio logs that kind of fleshes out the background and if the main plot is 'Die Hard in space', the audio logs are more like a proper science fiction short story with a surprisingly fleshed out protagonist and a whole emotional arc.”
- “The visuals are amazing and the story is good.”
- “The worst thing though, the absolute most unforgivable thing, the story just ends.”
- “The story is pretty nonexistent, and you'll be relying on audio logs to find out anything interesting, which can be a bit of a pain to find.”
- “Story in a sci-fi game is like a story in an adult video, it's there, but nobody cares.”
graphics
334 mentions
54 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, with many reviewers noting that they hold up surprisingly well for a title nearly a decade old, showcasing impressive detail and effects thanks to the Unreal Engine 3. However, some players have pointed out issues such as texture loading problems, occasional glitches, and a somewhat monotonous color palette, which can detract from the overall visual experience. Despite these drawbacks, the visuals are often described as aesthetically pleasing and suitable for the game's fast-paced action.
- “The graphics are great, the game play is smooth.”
- “The graphics in Alien Rage are on par with their best looking games, and for a budget production from 2013, it is impressive all around, from sharp textures to high contrast and fantastic lighting.”
- “The graphics are brilliant, and the visuals are incredibly impressive.”
- “At first sight, just a typical generic shooter with average graphics.”
- “Horrible graphics and tiny textures packed inside a 5 GB game package.”
- “The graphics are somewhat ropey, having a grainy, gritty aspect that makes visibility an issue.”
gameplay
255 mentions
29 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Alien Rage" is characterized as a fast-paced, linear corridor shooter that combines elements from classic FPS games with modern mechanics. While it offers satisfying gunplay and a variety of weapons, many players find the experience repetitive and marred by unbalanced difficulty, poor AI, and a lack of depth in level design. Overall, it appeals to fans of old-school shooters but suffers from issues that detract from its potential enjoyment.
- “Gameplay is fun enough to last you through 14 missions; the score system, while hard to get all perks, is honestly entertaining enough, and you'll constantly hear it shout 'headshot' at you.”
- “The gameplay is fast-paced, challenging, and satisfying.”
- “Alien Rage is a solid throwback to old-school shooters, offering intense action and challenging gameplay.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is pretty much a mid-2000s corridor shooter, which ironically in this day and age of all non-indie shooters being generic open world crap, or boring movie games a la Sony.”
- “Notorious enemies, unbalanced level design, and overall boring gameplay make you think why did you choose this game over hundreds of similar yet definitely better options on Steam.”
- “The gameplay is linear and arcadey with a somewhat interesting story (too bad it is not fleshed out more).”
optimization
59 mentions
27 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players experiencing significant frame rate drops, stuttering, and performance issues across various hardware setups. While some users report stable performance under certain conditions, the general consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, particularly for older hardware and in open areas, leading to a frustrating experience for many. Despite its visual appeal, the lack of effective graphics options and persistent performance problems detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “The game is well optimized for both mid-range and high-end systems, ensuring that most players can enjoy the game without significant performance issues.”
- “Performance-wise, the game runs like a gem.”
- “The controls feel sturdy, your character feels beefy, and the optimization is near-flawless.”
- “However, optimization appeared severely lacking: a 2013 game on 2023 hardware shouldn’t be a struggle to run at anything much higher than 1080p.”
- “It's forgettable, the environments look identical, the optimization is a disaster; there's barely any graphics options and even the config files are encrypted and require a third-party program to edit and make the thing run properly.”
- “If not for the performance issues, I would recommend it as a sub-$5 buy for FPS fans as it's a decent enough mindless romp, but the performance problems are unpleasant enough to put it solidly in the 'don't buy' category.”
humor
54 mentions
96 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the witty banter and over-the-top dialogue between characters, which often evokes a lighthearted, action-movie vibe. While some found the humor to be forced or cringe-worthy at times, others enjoyed the self-deprecating jokes and amusing voice acting that added charm to the gameplay. Overall, the comedic elements contribute positively to the experience, though opinions vary on their effectiveness and consistency.
- “I still think about this game and laugh sometimes because of how hilariously tiny the jump is.”
- “The humor is actually a lot better than Bulletstorm because there's a much wider variety of jokes than 'swearing funny lol' and the voice actors have great delivery.”
- “I found myself chuckling at a lot of the banter between the characters; that was a really nice surprise and more than anything is why I hope to play another game by this dev team and the folks who localized Alien Rage.”
- “The controls feel terrible, the dialogue is unfunny and cringe-worthy. The game is just overall a heap of s***; whoever worked on this game should feel nothing but shame.”
- “Some of the gameplay decisions are highly questionable as well, including unskippable animations between checkpoints and boss battles, and misguided and unfunny attempts at some fourth wall breaking humor.”
music
54 mentions
33 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as fitting the action-packed gameplay, with a mix of instrumental tracks that enhance the experience but are often considered forgettable or generic. While some players appreciate the soundtrack for its ability to complement the frantic battles, others find it lacks memorability and uniqueness, with a few noting that it doesn't stand out enough to warrant listening to outside of the game. Overall, the music serves its purpose but does not leave a lasting impression.
- “This is a fast-paced, first-person perspective, futuristic action game with fairly nice graphics, surprisingly good voice acting, good music, and an okay plot.”
- “+ good, usually instrumental soundtrack music which goes perfectly with this game’s frantic battles.”
- “The music is excellent as well (mix of classical and techno).”
- “The crummy preview music is misleading and does not accurately represent the quality or style of the music in Alien Rage.”
- “Music sounds like some royalty-free tunes they got someone to whip up in an hour; it fits the setting but it's entirely forgettable.”
- “The music and sound are nothing to write home about, but the graphics are actually surprisingly nice.”
stability
37 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly detract from the experience. While some players noted minor glitches that didn't heavily impact gameplay, many others experienced frustrating problems, including unresponsive controls, graphical errors, and inconsistent framerates. Overall, the game's stability appears to be a major concern, leading to a recommendation to avoid it unless significant updates are made.
- “The amount of glitches and crashes I encountered is frightening, no less.”
- “Cliched story, generic and uninspired level design, along with numerous glitches and bugs (even several achievements are bugged) and dead multiplayer make this a game that should be avoided at all costs.”
- “Frustrating glitches, bullet sponge enemies, boring take-cover gameplay, inconsistent performance, only 3 weapons at a time (one of which is a pistol).”
replayability
20 mentions
15 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is generally viewed as moderate to high, with players appreciating the progression system, collectibles, and score attack features that encourage multiple playthroughs. While some find the replay value limited due to a lack of significant new content or story depth, others enjoy the challenge of improving scores and unlocking perks, leading to extended gameplay. Overall, the presence of leaderboards and in-game challenges enhances the incentive to replay.
- “Took me 6 hours to finish it, but there's some replayability in it thanks to the perks unlock system, and I'm already doing another playthrough.”
- “The game has real replay value, especially since global leaderboards are kept: you can try to improve your overall score by replaying individual levels, maybe also to go back for pickups you've missed before, all the while keeping tabs on how other players are getting on.”
- “Collectibles and unlockable perks encourage exploration and add replay value.”
- “The replay value... well, there really isn't much, other than to collect all the collectibles and maybe get a higher score doing trick shots like barrel kills or head shots.”
- “No infinite ammo for new game+ or anything to create replay value.”
- “Story is almost non-existent, dialogue is poor, replay value is not so good.”
atmosphere
15 mentions
40 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, featuring a blend of high-tech environments and engaging soundtracks that enhance the experience. Reviewers note the game's architectural design and sound effects contribute significantly to its unique ambiance, reminiscent of both classic and modern shooters. However, some criticism arises regarding the music, which some feel detracts from the overall atmosphere.
- “The atmosphere of the game is outstanding, dialogue is first rate, with top class voice actors, plenty of humor which is very welcomed in a genre that all too often takes itself too seriously.”
- “The atmosphere is brought on by its architecture which is designed in an almost gilded age type aesthetic.”
- “The atmosphere is brought on by its architecture, which is designed in an almost gilded age type aesthetic.”
- “In addition, the music seemed like I heard it somewhere else and cheapened the atmosphere of this adventure.”
- “The atmosphere of being in space and all the other surroundings looks amazing with unreal.”
monetization
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not perceived as a cash grab, with players appreciating the depth and mechanics rather than feeling exploited. However, there are mixed feelings about the inclusion of aim-down-sights (ADS) and regenerating health, with some players arguing that these features disrupt the fast-paced gameplay and hinder weapon accuracy. Overall, while the game offers engaging content, the monetization strategy could benefit from a more traditional approach to weapon handling.
- “It's definitely not a cheap cash grab that ends instantly.”
- “Ads not only obscure vision from the battlefield but they also make you move slower, which is at odds with the general pace of combat.”
- “Yes, you can toggle ads on weapons, but it feels out of place in a fast-paced shooter like this.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, often feeling like they are merely grinding through enemy encounters rather than engaging with the gameplay. Boss fights are particularly criticized for being bullet sponges, contributing to the overall sense of monotony, while the storytelling elements are seen as clunky and uninteresting, further detracting from the experience.
- “My biggest gripe with the game is the bullet sponge boss fights - be warned they can get tedious as hell.”
- “It wasn't fun or interesting or engaging, just tedious.”
- “I was really just grinding through this game versus playing the game.”
emotional
7 mentions
86 % positive mentions
-29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find it wholesome and enjoyable for family play, others feel let down by the lack of depth in the main narrative. The side-story, conveyed through audio logs, offers a more engaging and emotionally resonant experience, featuring a well-developed protagonist and a compelling arc. However, the overall sentiment suggests that the game may not fully deliver on emotional engagement, leaving some players feeling disappointed.
- “Additionally, there's a side story running through discoverable audio logs that fleshes out the background. If the main plot is 'Die Hard in space,' the audio logs are more like a proper science fiction short story with a surprisingly fleshed-out protagonist (voiced by the voice of Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite) and a whole emotional arc.”
- “The thing is we were both available, perhaps not emotionally, but available nonetheless.”
- “It has a nice touching story in which it eventually tells the player to go f*** themselves because they were expecting one.”
- “The story was incredibly boring and failed to evoke any emotional response.”
- “I found the narrative to be dull, lacking the depth needed to connect with the characters.”
- “The emotional impact was nonexistent; I felt detached from the entire experience.”
character development
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being generic and lacking depth, with reviewers noting a thin story and corny humor that detracts from the overall experience. The focus appears to be more on gameplay mechanics reminiscent of classic first-person shooters rather than on developing engaging characters or narratives.
- “I hate that the name, character design, and overall mise en scène are so generic because I think that's prevented a lot of people from taking a chance on this game.”
- “Despite the corny jokes, thin story, and character development, Alien Rage represents a throwback to the roots of first-person shooters.”
- “The game is thin on story or character development, and is more of a throwback to the old days of shooters, when you needed very little reason to shoot other than the fact that aliens are on the receiving end of it.”