Dead Space, Dead Space, and Dead Space. Oh wait, this is Alien Breed — a game that very much screams out Dead Space. Alien Breed Evolution is episode 1 of 3 of an XBLA game that was surprisingly developed by Team17, which are the same guys that made that Worm’s game. This game was once upon ourselves as a retro PC game in the 90s. The significant difference that surely makes Alien Breed Evolution stand out is it is a great looking game.
The game starts out as a black and blue comic strip showing a ship named Leopold crashing into yet another ship which has a dead-like appearance. Soon after, two people start conversing with the usual comic book style bubbles. This is the way the story is told throughout the whole game.
You play Conrad, a soldier in the game. You’ll be talking to Lieutenant MIA who happens to be your mission control gal in the story. Your duty is to eradicate all alien lifeforms and unveil the mystery within the other ship you oh so happened to crash in. Right away they put you on the other ship to figure out what’s going on. Conrad being the badass that he is, happens to not go by the book. Of course, how can you be a badass by being a ”by the book guy”? Disconnecting from mission control when he wants, he seems to have a good heart though. The story works and is only developed with-in five chapters to keep you wanting more once you manage to complete the game.
Alien Breed is a top down dual-stick shooter which is more than OK in my book. The controls are just right, not too easy to make you think it’s too simple, but not too much to make you not want to play. It has a nice blend of being able to rotate the camera angle to 1 of 4 positions while you advance. The only problem I see is the lack of fast movement when it came to the right analog turning the character. The gameplay does well when tying in some movie action sequences as it changes the camera for you and tells you where you need to be heading or what your trying to accomplish.
The graphics and physics in this game makes the game playable. Graphics being up to date with “next gen” and the physics engine being no other than the Unreal Engine 3. Having pieces of debris flying around or even boxes and some items flying about.
Blasting aliens couldn’t be better with the nice amount of weapons you get. Your inventory comes with said weapons and equipment you can use. Ranging from a flamethrower to a power gun that disintegrates what it shoots. Equipment equals frag grenades, stun grenades, large/small health packs, and even turrets to drop in the right areas. Equipment does come with a downfall though — which is the amount of time it takes to fully use the equipment items. Here in-lies strategy to choose the right time to heal and shoot/throw a grenade.
This isn’t the first time a “let’s shoot aliens game” wonders itself out to the world. Regardless, the game plays well while having to scavenge for health, ammo, and keycards which you will need if you plan to complete the story. The gameplay does tend to get a bit repetitive with all of the killing of the same 5 aliens, but not till the 4th or 5th level which happens to be the end. Therefore another mode must be set… oh that’s right, Co-Op. Co-op mode is both local and online play which is quite enjoyable when you and a buddy are looking to kick some alien ass — cause it has never been done before, right?
Overall, if you want to get your hands dirty and at the same time like exploring in games, then this is the game for you. Team 17 did a nice job making Alien Breed Evolution a straight forward shooter with an alone and dark feel to it, not to mention the eerie soundtrack and sound effect’s throughout the game. An interactive environment with nice cinematic effect is just what we finally needed.
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