Alien Hominid

"Xbox Live Arcade - Alien Hominid"

Xbox Live Arcade has been bringing fans of the arcade genre games a good selection for almost a year now. The initial releases were your typical arcade games, but as time goes on, more classic console-based games are being released for this great feature. A strictly PC-Online based addition to the Xbox Live family is “Alien Hominid”, a very well animated side-scroller developed by Behemoth for Newgrounds.com. The game incorporates some very unique gameplay and a look and style that will have you coming back for more over and over. In Alien Hominid, you play as a nameless yellow alien who is harmlessly passing by Earth when the FBI shoots down your ship and leaves you for dead. Upon regaining consciousness, you are immediately confronted by FBI agents who have taken your ship and view you as a hostile life form. The only way to get your ship back is to shoot (or cut) a path through these FBI agents, and in some cases, soviet members, and other bizarre enemies. Although Alien Hominid portrays an image of childlike design, the gameplay itself is very gory and violent, and although this title may appear to be a kid's game, most parents should steer their younger kids away from this title. That's not to say the game isn't fun. In truth, Alien Hominid boasts some of the best gameplay mechanics I have ever seen for a side-scroller, and is continually fun no matter how many times those dang FBI agents get you.

“In truth, Alien Hominid boasts some of the best gameplay mechanics I have ever seen for a side-scroller.”

The gameplay itself is nothing short of frantic, but the crazed atmosphere sets a very appropriate tone for a small alien who is fighting his way through armies of FBI agents just to regain his stolen ship. You will have many methods of death at your disposal in order to assist in the FBI agents' demise: your laser-gun is your primary weapon, but at close range a quick slice with your knife does the job quite nicely. Aside from weaponry, our alien friend can roll, dig, bite and rip if the situation calls for it, and all of these attack options make for some pretty diverse gameplay for a title that appears to be very single-tracked. The sound-effects are not astounding, but they're a god match for a title that was originally designed as a flash game for Newgrounds.com. The real aspect that stands out in Alien Hominid is the unique character and environment design that gives the game an extremely distinct and appealing visual appearance that instantly creates feelings of hysteria, adventure, and fun. These technical concepts of the game are what truly bring out the potential of “just another side-scrolling shooter” that stands out above the rest as a fun way to blow some time, and will certainly have you returning for a second helping of some good old-fashioned FBI agent blasting, freezing, burning, biting, slashing and maiming.

“The real aspect that stands out in Alien Hominid is the unique character and environment design that gives the game an extremely distinct and appealing visual appearance.”

Overall, Alien Hominid is an amazing experience unlike anything that has been presented before. For fans of the good old fashioned arcade games that Xbox Live boasts, Alien Hominid is a surefire way to enjoy some laser shooting action, an for 15$, you really can't go wrong.

The Good: Great gameplay, exceptional appearance, fun combat, and an overall appealing feel to it that will have many gamers coming back for more!

The Bad: Difficulty can be daunting at times, lack of good music/sound.

OVERALL: 8.7/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/12/07