If you were to look into your back catalog of last-gen games, then I’m sure that you could pull out a few which are deserving of a fresh remaster. Thankfully, THQ Nordic just happens to own a large majority of these titles and have been on a roll dishing out some quality remasters and remakes such as Saints Row the Third, Darksiders, and now Destroy All Humans!
Destroy All Humans! Is unlike any other game in regards to its comedic approach to an alien invasion told from the alien’s perspective. You play as wise-cracking Crypto of the Furons species. They are an advanced race with some serious reproduction issues. They currently only have the ability to clone fellow Furons and the DNA used is rapidly degrading. Crypto’s superior “Orthopox” informs him his cloned predecessor has disappeared on the planet earth. His mission was to collect much needed Furon DNA which can be found in human brain stem cells. Crypto has a short temper and plans on not only completing this mission by obtaining this DNA but also plans to DESTROY ALL HUMANS!
The majority of the gameplay takes place on earth during the late 1940s. The beautiful time period depiction blends perfectly with Crypto’s “little green Martian” design. The upscale in resolution and character designs are instantly noticeable. You truly feel like you are playing a game that has been completely reworked. From the sunlight glazing over open fields to the artistic detail on worn farmhouses. The overall level/map designs feel fresh, new, and comfortably familiar.
What made Destroy All Humans! a blast to play during its original release and in this remaster is the ultra-sci-fi weapons & gear that Crypto has at his disposal. Crypto has a jetpack that will allow him to hover over streams, fences, and some structures. He also has the ability to read minds which can produce some colorful and hilarious thoughts. Destroy All Humans! Is filled to the brim with cool, unique upgradeable items to help Crypto complete his army of one earth invasion. For example, some of my favorite and most notable are the following:
Zap-O-Matic – Electric shock humans to their bitter end and harvest the required DNA. No ammo needed, this bad boy recharges
Disintegrator Ray – Regarded as the ultimate science fiction weapon can disintegrate humans, cars, and trucks into dust.
Anal Probe – Yes, the weapon is in the game but not available until a few missions into the story. You will also notice the weapon has been tweaked and can now be upgraded
As you can tell by the weapon titles, Destroy All Humans! incorporates its humor in all aspects including the writing. Throughout the game, you will encounter humans performing various acts and engaging in some obscure conversations. This is worth pointing out since some could lean on the adult theme side but others could easily be passed over by younger players.
Each mission has a set of objectives and requires the use of specific weapons or abilities to complete them. As you progress, these objectives become more challenging and require some strategizing. For example, you will obtain the ability to disguise yourself as a human of your choosing. Some areas may be restricted so you will need to disguise yourself as a person of rank in order to enter the area. Destroy All Humans! does a great job throwing various missions types at you which keeps the gameplay fresh, all the while progressing the main story which is just as over the top as the gameplay.
As I mentioned, Crypto has a wide selection of goodies at his disposal, however, I saved the best for last. Crypto also has a flying saucer. If at any point during combat you feel the odds are stacked against you simply stand under your saucer and beam aboard to inflict true alien invasion destruction. You can fly around shooting down your death beam on everything and anything. At times, you may encounter an entire military unit bombarding you with all kinds of weapon fire. This will require some clever maneuvering and precision targeting to clear the area, and I do mean clear for you can destroy all structures, livestock, and of course HUMANS! Hovering over a large tan and shooting a direct death beam from below the saucer exactly like the mothership did in the 1996 movie “Independence Day” never gets old.
When a development studio is considering remaking a title they should first play Destroy All Humans! For this is how it is done. You up the resolution, character model, map textures along with cleaning up the cut scenes. You also go in and make necessary gameplay tweaks to resolve some original issues or enhance the gameplay experience like with the changes to the anal probe weapon. Destroy All Humans! doesn’t just have a fresh coat paint, it’s received a complete overhaul and is ready to invade a whole new generation of consoles.
This review was written based on a digital review copy of Destroy All Humans! for the PlayStation 4 provided by THQ Nordic and Black Forest Games.
