Summary
Alien Hominid Invasion is a great sequel to the original providing what feels like unlimited customization, and constant action, but the only thing that holds it back is the lack of variety in levels and how difficult the game can get. Overall, The Behemoth created another classic game providing hours of gameplay and could be considered one of the best co-op games of the year.
Developer – The Behemoth
Publisher – The Behemoth
Platforms – Xbox Series XlS (Reviewed), PC, Nintendo Switch
It has been years since The Behemoth released a brand-new Alien Hominid game, but in 2023 they have come out with Alien Hominid Invasion. If you aren’t familiar with The Behemoth in general, the company is the great mastermind behind run ‘n’ gun games, which Alien Hominid is.
To start things off with Alien Hominid Invasion you are introduced with a simple tutorial showing you how to essentially play the game whether through combat or to dodge enemies. You’ll be introduced with humorous cutscenes where the humans are aware Aliens are invading trying to abduct intel to sabotage their plans.
There are missions in Alien Hominid Invasion and there are quite a few in this game, but the way it’s set up is not normal compared to other games. Usually, you’d think a mission is just one long level, but in this game, an entire mission consists of multiple levels including a boss fight being the last level. The great part about this game is that you can choose a certain path to get to the boss fight. Some paths seem easier than others, but you have to be smart because if you choose a long path you might lose all your lives before reaching the boss where you blow the HQ up.
Depending on the path you take you can run into a Bonus Level that is essentially a Horde mode, but it’s not a guarantee you’ll find one. You’ll also find Hideouts where you and your team can purchase new weapons, heads, pigments, and boosts. It’s a great way to regroup before moving on.
One frustration I have with this game when playing solo is that if you die during the boss fight and lose all your lives, you have to start all the way from the beginning, where you have already fought through. That’s probably one of the main reasons this game gets difficult and maybe frustrating for players. Even in co-op, this could happen, but if you have a good squad you’ll fly through missions.
The gameplay for Alien Hominid Invasion is simple. You can dive, dig, fly, toss enemies, and dodge bullets by flipping through them and most of the time you’ll be spamming the shoot button. Every level has a similar objective where you’ll collect “intel” that are newspapers and you’ll have to deliver them to a specific location. Sometimes you’ll have to survive a horde of enemies or run away from a moving wall that wants to kill you. Overall this game has a nice variety to its levels providing different obstacles along the way.
There are three different difficulties – Friendly, Normal, and INSANE! My playthrough has only been through Normal and it’s been a fine experience although for a couple of missions I had to keep replaying because I kept dying at the boss fight. When you go forward in this game you’ll realize a lot of levels are recycled as well.
Alien Hominid Invasion offers a wide variety of customization for your character. You’ll be able to change the head of your Alien, change the Pigment, Weapon, Mutation, and turn on two boosts. All these different customizations provide different benefits for combat such as your jump height, increased defense, and a lot more. There’s no shortage of options to choose from that’s for sure.
The Behemoth nailed it once again with the iconic art style Alien Hominid Invasion comes with as it provides the classic Behemoth atmosphere. When it comes to the audio of this game there’s a nice variety of music and the sounds of explosions and gunfire are always a great time with this title.
This game holds up to four player co-op so you can partner with your friends or even find a team through Quick Play. I found myself enjoying co-op more than playing solo because I felt like I was actually going somewhere and it’s just more fun playing with other people.
If I had to complain about anything with this game it’s that if you play Solo you’ll have a frustrating experience and this game will only shine by playing co-op. The influx of enemies at times can create an extremely chaotic experience and you’ll sometimes lose track of your character. More game modes aside from the main storyline would be a nice addition as well as more variety in levels, but the game is already a steal at its price of $19.99 USD.
Overall, Alien Hominid Invasion is another classic from The Behemoth providing another entertaining co-op experience that could easily be considered one of the best this year. This game gives us hope for a Castle Crashers sequel in the future.
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