Pandemic Studios and THQ`s latest collaboration, Destroy All Humans is a game of fun, alien "probing" and, of course, the destruction of the human race.
The game opens with a cutscene of the early 1950s. A Furon scout-ship is shot out of the sky accidentally during a missile test and the ship`s pilot - Cryptosporidium 136 - is taken prisoner.
The Furon leaders do not take well to this. They refuse to let earth`s disgusting primates get their hands on advanced Furon technology.
Furthermore, the Furon race`s DNA is depleting and humans have a gene in their DNA that can be used for Furon cloning.
Furon mother-ship commander Pox sends Cryptosporidium 137 (or Crypto), another little green...er... grey man from outer space, to earth on a dual mission: to rescue Cryptosporidium 136; and harvest brainstems holding Furon DNA.
Crypto is given basic training by the telepathic voice of Pox (who sounds like the alien leaders in the Nickelodeon cartoon series, Invader Zim). Crypto learns to use his basic zap-o-matic and his mental abilities. As the game progresses, more weapons, abilities and upgrades are made in Pox`s lab, and are traded for DNA or gained by completing mini-missions and collecting probes scattered throughout areas of the game.
There`s something quite satisfying in scanning a cow`s thoughts and finding only "Moooooo". Then, picking up the cow and tossing it a few yards away via telekinesis. Or using the anal-probe and watching humans flee, grabbing their butt cheeks. Maybe that`s the sadist in me.
Brainstems are easy to collect: use a weapon to stun a human into unconsciousness, then hit extract to burst the skull leaving the juicy brainstem ripe for the picking.
Crypto also has a handy "holobob" ability; which allows him to become a holographic human clone. This is useful when trying to keep a low profile. But be careful, as it requires concentration and when the concentration bar is depleted, Crypto`s cover will be blown.
Concentration can be replenished by stealing concentration from human brains when they are scanned. Scans also reveal what humans are thinking and some of these thoughts are hilarious. I found myself scanning countless people just to see what they would think next.
The game has story driven missions as well as two to three side quests per level. Once a mission is completed, head up to the mother ship for the next one, upgrade, or check out the archives to see if anything, like a special movie, has been unlocked.
When tired of causing havoc on the ground, why not hop into Crypto`s flying saucer and bring down some buildings with the greatly feared Death Ray? It`s like a scene from Mars Attacks, people running in panic, buildings crumbling to ash. So much to destroy, so little time.
An upgraded saucer will be fitted with the likes of the Abducto Beam that allows Crypto to pick up objects and throw them, the Sonic Boom and Quantum Deconstructor - which fires nice nuclear bombs.
The more panic Crypto causes, the greater the force called in to take care of the problem - enter army tanks, missiles and "hope" for the human race.
While this game starts off pretty easy it quickly becomes difficult and a certain level of skill is needed to survive.
The graphics are smooth, crisp and almost flawless. I was amazed by how responsive the controls handled in the game. They are easily manipulated with tightness and precision, which is quite rare indeed.
The sounds work well and recreate the 50s realistically. Voice acting is funny and well thought out.
As a whole, the game drips creativity from every pore. It`s refreshing playing from the aliens` point of view for a change. There`s much more to the game but I don`t want to ruin the surprise, go out there and get it, this game is indeed "One giant step on mankind".
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