Alien Swarm

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 10,056 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Alien Swarm Game Cover
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Alien Swarm is a 4-player co-op tactical game with a top-down perspective, where players battle an alien infestation in a variety of environments. The game offers an unlockable arsenal of weapons and four distinct marine classes to choose from. It also includes the full code base for the Source engine, with updates and new features.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,056 reviews
story113 positive mentions
grinding15 negative mentions
  • story543 mentions

    The story in "Alien Swarm" is generally considered minimal and somewhat forgettable, with a basic premise involving a team of space marines battling alien infestations across a short campaign of seven missions. While some players appreciate the atmospheric elements and the opportunity to piece together the narrative through in-game lore, many express disappointment over the lack of depth and the repetitive nature of the missions. Overall, the game prioritizes cooperative gameplay and tactical challenges over a compelling storyline, making it more suited for players seeking action and teamwork rather than a rich narrative experience.

    • “The story is simple - kill them all.”
    • “The levels transition beautifully and the story lays a good foundation.”
    • “You wouldn't think it, but Alien Swarm is also very rich in atmosphere and story, littered throughout levels are several datapads, leading up to-and explaining what had become of the colony of Jacob's Rest - the location which the game takes place - and sound design helps to add the overall presence the game gives.”
    • “The story and characters are minimal, which may be disappointing to players looking for narrative depth.”
    • “Unfortunately, it has always felt more like someone's side project than a real Valve game, seeing as how there is a single campaign consisting of six missions, barely tied together by a thin veneer of a story.”
    • “The overall storyline is pretty thin and not very compelling, but thankfully, skipping through it won't impede your enjoyment of the game.”
  • gameplay428 mentions

    The gameplay of Alien Swarm is characterized by fast-paced, cooperative action that emphasizes teamwork and strategy, reminiscent of titles like Left 4 Dead. Players can choose from various classes, each with unique abilities and weapons, contributing to a dynamic and replayable experience, especially when played with friends. While the game offers solid mechanics and enjoyable combat, some players note that it can become repetitive over time due to limited content and a lack of a compelling narrative.

    • “Despite being free-to-play, the game offers an impressive depth of gameplay, tightly balanced teamwork mechanics, and a significant amount of replayability for its genre.”
    • “The cooperative gameplay is the standout feature, requiring coordination and strategic thinking to overcome hordes of alien enemies.”
    • “With varied classes, immersive atmosphere, modding support, and being free-to-play, it offers thrilling gameplay and endless cooperative fun.”
    • “From a technical perspective, while the simple graphics were a nostalgic throwback that I appreciated, the game mechanics seemed underdeveloped and lacked refinement.”
    • “The community is dead and the gameplay is repetitive, and it gives you next to no instructions on how to perform certain tasks.”
    • “My biggest complaint is that there's really only a few hours of gameplay!”
  • graphics274 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the decent quality and polish, especially considering its free-to-play status and release year of 2010. While some find the visuals nostalgic and well-executed, others note that they can appear outdated or simplistic compared to modern standards. Overall, the graphics are generally regarded as solid and enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and gameplay experience.

    • “From its exhilarating gameplay to its stunning graphics, every aspect of this game is top-notch.”
    • “The graphics are honestly surprisingly good.”
    • “Great graphics, awesome gameplay - there's not really much to dislike about this game.”
    • “However, the graphics are somewhat outdated and some levels can become repetitive.”
    • “On the other hand, aesthetics and graphics are not good enough.”
    • “Clumsy controls, terrible graphics, and a complete lack of access to multiplayer games (nobody plays this) makes this a most unenjoyable title.”
  • replayability126 mentions

    Alien Swarm is praised for its high replayability, largely due to its cooperative gameplay, varied roles, and multiple difficulty settings. While the game features a limited number of maps and a short campaign, players appreciate the depth provided by unlockable weapons, achievements, and community-created content, which enhance the overall experience. However, some reviewers note that the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the lack of official expansions can diminish long-term replay value.

    • “Despite being free-to-play, the game offers an impressive depth of gameplay, tightly balanced teamwork mechanics, and a significant amount of replayability for its genre.”
    • “The gameplay and balance were good, and even replayable with co-op makes for a lot of fun.”
    • “Despite a single short campaign (consisting of 7 missions); multiple difficulty tiers, a Left 4 Dead-like AI 'director' setting and unlockable weapons increase the replayability on this already solid tactical top-down shooter.”
    • “Though the game is designed for replayability, the limited number of maps and enemies can make the experience feel repetitive after extended playtime.”
    • “It has a fun and challenging co-op campaign, but doesn't offer much replay value.”
    • “It's a short game and doesn't have much replay value, but then again it's free.”
  • humor95 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its comedic elements, such as funny character interactions, absurd alien designs, and humorous gameplay moments, especially in cooperative play. Many reviews mention the enjoyment derived from playing with friends, where laughter and lighthearted banter enhance the experience. Additionally, the game includes quirky rewards, like a funny hat from Team Fortress 2, which adds to its charm and appeal.

    • “Most levels have really funny secret exploits that can make the missions much faster.”
    • “Game full of humorous death, backstabbing, and countless hours of survival.”
    • “So funny, and the fact most aliens either look like they have buttholes for faces or they have a white sack for their weak spot makes it super funny.”
  • atmosphere55 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Alien Swarm" is widely praised for its intense, immersive, and claustrophobic qualities, enhanced by effective level design, sound, and lighting. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a tense environment that demands teamwork and strategy, making it engaging for both newcomers and veterans. Overall, the combination of atmospheric visuals, sound design, and a compelling story contributes to a rich gaming experience that resonates with players.

    • “The atmosphere is brilliant and leaves no room for wishes, and the game offers more content than most games do nowadays.”
    • “You wouldn't think it, but Alien Swarm is also very rich in atmosphere and story, littered throughout levels are several datapads, leading up to and explaining what had become of the colony of Jacob's Rest.”
    • “Alien Swarm effectively creates a claustrophobic and intense atmosphere.”
    • “Dynamic lighting allows the player to really get drawn into the ominous industrial atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The game is very well done visually, considering how old it is, and has decent 'creepy' music to suit the atmosphere.”
  • music54 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising the electronic soundtrack for enhancing the sci-fi atmosphere and creating a sense of urgency during gameplay. Custom music options allow players to personalize their experience, adding to the excitement during intense moments. However, some users feel that the original soundtrack could be improved, noting a lack of variety and depth in the music compared to other titles.

    • “The visual style, combined with the game's eerie sound design and soundtrack, brings a sense of urgency and suspense that ramps up as you dive deeper into each mission.”
    • “The electronic soundtrack fits the sci-fi setting well and sound effects for the alien hordes are appropriately fierce.”
    • “The music and voice acting is well-done, as is the sound design.”
    • “Just play doom music in the background and the game gets way better.”
    • “The music is not very good compared to the sound effects.”
    • “Alien Swarm isn't really the game with magnificent tracks; apart from the sounds from the swarms and the voices for the marines, you have nothing.”
  • monetization31 mentions

    The game is praised for its completely free-to-play model, with no microtransactions or in-game purchases, setting it apart from many other free games. Players appreciate the absence of pay-to-win mechanics and the overall value provided without any financial barriers, enhancing the enjoyment of the gameplay experience. The strong modding community further enriches the game without any additional costs.

    • “A free-to-play game without microtransactions.”
    • “It's incredible that this game is free to play (no microtransactions), because the amount of polish and quality of content is on par with any other Valve game.”
    • “It is completely free (no microtransactions or anything, however there might be add-ons in the future that require purchase), and it's a rather small download, so there isn't really any excuse not to try it.”
    • “No distractions, no region locking, no microtransactions; it's just you, your gun, and hundreds of bugs.”
  • grinding21 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring significant time investment to progress. Many reviews highlight the need for cooperative play to alleviate the grind, while others express frustration with the lack of new content and the grind-heavy achievement system. Despite some enjoyment in multiplayer settings, the grinding can feel excessive, particularly after completing the main campaign.

    • “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “One long, tedious grind.”
    • “An early update enabled repeating the 27 levels with higher experience requirements, but this just makes the grind to unlock weapons more grindy.”
    • “If it could just get some more maps and have a less grindy unlock system, it could turn into something bigger.”
  • stability21 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate its polished graphics and enjoyable gameplay, they also report a variety of bugs and glitches, including major issues that can disrupt the experience. Some users note that the game runs well and is less buggy than many contemporary titles, but persistent glitches and a lack of updates from the developers have left some technical issues unresolved. Despite these drawbacks, players still find the game fun, especially when playing with friends.

    • “Good news is that this game is way better than some of the games I have seen; it's surprisingly not buggy and it's not pay-to-win.”
    • “The game runs great and finding a server to play on is easy as pie.”
    • “This game is too old and too buggy. If you like the concept, I recommend you play 'Mind on Swarm: Reactive Drop', a much better alternative that is built upon the original but still the same. I give this 5 out of 10.”
    • “Buggy game, crashes every time I run it.”
    • “Unfortunately, Valve no longer has updates for the game, and because of that, there are many old glitches, bugs, and other technical issues that haven't been resolved by the developers.”
  • optimization19 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players praise its smooth performance and lack of lag, others report issues such as stuttering and inadequate resource utilization on newer systems. Despite these concerns, many users appreciate the game's decent graphics and enjoyable gameplay, indicating that it runs well on a variety of setups.

    • “Childhood favorite, glad to see it back and better optimized.”
    • “Really fun and well optimized co-op game.”
    • “Great optimization – the game is really fluent, with no FPS drops and minimal lag.”
    • “I get that Valve was trying to make it optimized for low-end computers, but definitely not worth spending time on.”
    • “This is a very fun game; however, I tried to install and play it somewhat recently and had issues on a new computer. There was stuttering, and it seems like the game was not using all the cores or just available resources.”
    • “Get Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop; it's a better revamp and it's optimized.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, with experiences ranging from profound sadness to heartwarming moments. The narrative elements, particularly stories of personal struggle and triumph, resonate deeply, leaving lasting impressions long after gameplay. Overall, the emotional depth is highlighted as both a strength and a source of heartbreak due to the game's limitations.

    • “Eight years on, I can still recall how profoundly that game gripped me, and I am not an overly emotional person.”
    • “Heartwarming and sure to put a smile on your face.”
    • “Allen's story is the touching tale of a paraplegic man who finally gets the feeling back in his legs on Christmas.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its engaging leveling system, allowing players to enhance their characters with better weapons and items, which adds to the overall enjoyment. The combination of character design, graphics, and voice acting further enriches the experience, contributing to a well-rounded and immersive gameplay.

    • “I really like how they handled character development, allowing you to level up and achieve better weapons or items, which are a big help and, of course, a lot of fun.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I was disappointed by the lack of depth in character arcs; they felt one-dimensional and predictable.”
    • “The choices you make in character development don't seem to have any real impact on the story, which is frustrating.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

60% average critic score

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Play time

7hMedian play time
43hAverage play time
4hMain story
15hCompletionist
4-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 24 analyzed playthroughs

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