Alien Removal Division
- June 17, 2022
- Enchanted Bean Studios
- 6h median play time
Alien Removal Division is a fast paced, action-packed first-person shooter, set in a military research facility during the 1950s. The base has been overrun by aliens and you find yourself, as the only survivor, at the center of the invasion. Your escape will be challenging, but you'll have an array of weapons and movement abilities to help you during your fight and on your getaway.
Reviews
- The game features smooth and enjoyable movement mechanics, reminiscent of Titanfall and DOOM.
- It's a well-made student project that offers a fun and engaging experience for a free game.
- The achievements and speedrun elements add replayability and challenge, making it enjoyable for players.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 20-30 minutes to complete, leaving players wanting more content.
- There are several bugs and glitches, particularly with the grappling hook and weapon firing, which can disrupt gameplay.
- The combat can feel unbalanced, with enemies being bullet sponges and the overall difficulty being inconsistent.
- gameplay127 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a fast-paced, action-oriented experience reminiscent of titles like Doom and Titanfall 2, featuring enjoyable movement mechanics such as parkour, sliding, and dashing. While many players appreciate the solid mechanics and fun combat, some express concerns about the game's short length, occasional lack of polish, and the need for further refinement in certain mechanics. Overall, it is seen as a promising student project with potential for improvement and expansion.
“The game could be described as a 'light' version of Doom, perfect for beginners looking to dip their toes into fast-paced, action-packed gameplay.”
“Very fun movement mechanics and engaging gameplay; I really like the dialogue, although the game is short, the dialogue is fun and interesting.”
“For how short the game is, the gameplay is incredibly fun, the enemies look great, and the movement feels really good.”
“The mechanics are from Doom, but the gameplay feels rough.”
“While there was a bug or two, the overall gameplay made up for those flaws, and there's also nothing save quitting doesn't fix.”
“Putting every mechanic you've ever seen into a game doesn't make it a good game.”
- graphics48 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive a mixed but generally positive reception, with many users praising the aesthetics, level design, and fluid movement. While some critiques mention outdated visuals reminiscent of older games, others highlight the decent quality and art style that enhance the gameplay experience. The graphics are considered accessible, running well on lower-end hardware, contributing to a visually appealing and enjoyable environment.
“Excellent movement, cringe dialogue (you'll love it or hate it), lame boss, good enemy design otherwise, good level design, nice introduction, but badly conjoined with the first level, nice music, simple but functional plot, and good visuals.”
“Absolutely beautiful graphics and it's free?!”
“From the art style to the level design, it was all very fantastic!”
“Graphics is like 1995, sound is budget too.”
“Graphics are ok, if generally kinda flat looking, even on ultra settings, sound design is also kinda flat and muted with none of it sounding super punchy.”
“I like these types of movement shooters but this one is far from it; almost everything on display here has been done way better elsewhere from a gameplay, audio, visuals, technical and story/writing standpoint.”
- optimization29 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 31 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players experiencing issues such as microstuttering, unresponsive controls, and inconsistent frame rates, particularly on AMD graphics cards. While some users acknowledge the game's solid foundation and enjoyable gameplay, they emphasize the need for substantial improvements in performance and control responsiveness to enhance the overall experience. Developers are reportedly aware of these issues and are working on optimizations, but many players feel that the game currently lacks the polish necessary for a smoother experience.
“The optimization is the first point it should be improved.”
“Could use some work on the optimizations, but overall not bad.”
“If they fix that performance issue then it's a perfect little game.”
“It's a solid base; unfortunately, the optimization, platforming being a bit approximate and controls being imprecise, doesn't really reach anything new and feels off.”
“Throughout the game, I experienced a bit of microstuttering and have read from other people making the same experience.”
“However, the game is poorly optimized.”
- story27 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally viewed as underdeveloped, with many players expressing a desire for a deeper narrative and more lore. While some enjoyed the gameplay and found the premise intriguing, they felt the story was minimal and left them wanting more, particularly as the game ends just as the plot begins to gain momentum. Overall, the consensus is that while the game is enjoyable, it lacks substantial storytelling and could benefit from further expansion.
“The ending made me wish for a sequel, but understandably isn't going to happen. If it had happened, maybe it would have had more in-depth storytelling, but either way, this game is still worth the play!”
“Overall good idea, great story, clean graphics, but make the enemies easier or change the combat system entirely.”
“Mechanics-wise, this game is fantastic. I do wish there was more in the way of story/enemies, but I'm sure there was a time constraint. Overall, though, this is definitely worth a play.”
“The ending made me wish for a sequel, but understandably isn't going to happen. If it had happened, maybe it would have had more in-depth storytelling, but either way, this game is still worth the let's play!”
“The plot can be summed up as: there are hostile alien creatures, and you have a couple of guns and a bag of platforming tricks.”
“I like these types of movement shooters, but this one is far from it; almost everything on display here has been done way better elsewhere from a gameplay, audio, visuals, technical, and story/writing standpoint. The little characters present just sound plain awful.”
- music21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it is often too quiet and generic, failing to enhance the gameplay experience. Some users expressed a desire for a more impactful and fitting soundtrack, particularly for action sequences, while others mentioned that the existing music can feel disconnected from the game's intensity. Overall, while the music is described as simple and functional, it lacks the punch and engagement expected in a fast-paced shooter.
“Excellent movement, cringe dialogue (you'll love it or hate it), lame boss, good enemy design otherwise, good level design, nice introduction, but badly conjoined with the first level, nice music, simple but functional plot, and good visuals.”
“The gameplay is very good, just like the music.”
“Good game, the audio is extremely quiet by default though, wish there was more action and an intense soundtrack.”
“From the little I've played of it, it's actually pretty great, though like others have said, it doesn't really have music. Sure, something like Spotify could solve that, but that's boring. I'm having a stuttering issue; I have a fairly high-end PC, so my usual performance is just fine, but when there are enemies, I get massive stutters.”
“Music is so quiet that I didn't even notice it existed. What I could hear was pretty generic sounding.”
“No music would be better than the unconcerned flat music that is in it.”
- stability11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a significant concern among players, with numerous reports of bugs and glitches affecting gameplay, particularly with mechanics like grappling and double jumping. While some users note improvements over time, many still experience frustrating issues such as freezing and inconsistent performance, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite these problems, players generally find the game fun and engaging, suggesting that it has potential if stability issues are addressed.
“The first time playing it was terrible; it was buggy as hell, and the first boss didn't work at all.”
“The game is more than rough around the edges with numerous glitches and some jank.”
“Double jump is buggy, the hook is unreliable, and content is lacking.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying the witty banter between the main character and the AI, as well as the amusing dialogue throughout. While some reviewers note that the humor may not resonate with everyone due to its student project origins, the overall comedic elements contribute positively to the game's charm and enjoyment. The combination of funny voice acting and engaging gameplay mechanics enhances the experience, making it a standout feature for many players.
“The party style PvP this could have would be hilariously fun.”
“It feels like Doom x Titanfall with its combat and movement, and the talk between the AI and MC is really funny at times.”
“This is incredibly good for being brand new, movement is pretty fluid, guns are satisfying to shoot, enemies look great, and the jokes are hilarious.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability, particularly through its speedrunning and time attack achievements, which encourage players to revisit and improve their performance. While the initial playtime is around 30 minutes, the potential for expansion into a more comprehensive experience adds to its replay value. Overall, players find it enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.
“Titanfall movement with modern Doom combat, is around 30 minutes on your first playthrough and has some speedrunning and time attack achievements for replayability.”
“Solid game, and while it isn't crazy long, there's a lot of replayability.”
“Short but replayable due to the speedrunning focus, and could easily be expanded into a compelling full product.”
“Titanfall movement with modern Doom combat is around 30 minutes on your first playthrough, and while it has some speedrunning and time attack achievements, it lacks depth for true replayability.”
“Short but replayable due to the speedrunning focus, but it could easily be expanded into a more compelling full product.”
“This would actually be much more playable in third person; at least you would have some clue of what is actually going on, which would enhance replayability.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players consistently express that grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring significant dedication—some even likening it to needing a "second life" to manage the effort involved.
“It took me about two hours of non-stop grinding to pull it off.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's captivating introduction and immersive environment, noting that it effectively creates a strong atmospheric presence that enhances the overall experience.
“On top of that, it has an interesting introduction and an atmospheric environment, so I'm really impressed.”
“Atmospheric.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not extensively discussed, with one user suggesting that while they lack insight into the game's development, they feel that enhancing the stamina mechanic could improve the overall experience.
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers perceive the monetization of the game as premature, likening it to a tech demo or proof of concept rather than a fully realized product worthy of a 1.0 release on the Steam store.
“The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should just to enjoy the game.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to fully experience the game without shelling out extra cash.”
“The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency really detract from the overall experience and make it feel more like a cash grab than a genuine game.”