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Destroy All Humans! Playstation 2 Pandemic Studios  Are
you sick of playing video games that have you save the Earth from
marauding alien invaders and turning away from your console and back
into the real world only to realise that humans are really just a
bunch of jerks who don't deserve saving in the first place? Well,
'Destroy All Humans!' gives you the chance to turn the tables on your
slack-jawed, knuckle-dragging species, putting you into the role of
Crypto Sporidium 137, a tiny alien with a Jack Nicholson-esque voice
and a bent for total human annihilation.Crypto, as he is known, is under orders from his boss, Pox, to study the humans (and maybe take a few brain stems as samples) and retrieve Crypto Sporidium 136, who had crash landed during a prior mission. To begin with Crypto is equipped with minimal weapons and psychokinetic powers but as the game progresses, these can be upgraded to some pretty serious hardware. The psychokinesis is an integral part of the game as it can be used to cloak Crypto in a disguise, read citizens' thoughts, pick up (and hurl) objects, people and cows, and squeeze brain stems from squishy human skulls. Also at Crypto's disposal is his 'flying saucer', which also packs some very heavy heat. The game is set in the 1950's and is loaded with humour, referencing campy sci-fi films and pop culture, with mentions of figures like Richard Nixon, Joe McCarthy and Jane Russell. The dialogue between Crypto and Pox is some of the funniest dialogue this reviewer has heard in a video game, mostly due to the hysterical delivery of voice actors J. Grant Albrecht and Richard ('Invader Zim') Horvitz. As a side note, this was the first game I had ever encountered that mentions the word 'pudenda'. The look of the game is suitably cartoony, flawlessly depicting stereotypical '50s America, with housewives, complete with aprons, and wild-haired mad scientists. The music also adds to this feel with a theremin-heavy score, very similar to Danny Elfman's work on 'Mars Attacks!'. The game's comparison to the aforementioned film is incontrovertible but the game rises above mere clone status with its humour and atmosphere. Unfortunately, despite all these strong elements, the story is far too easy and short and the side missions are repetitive. Also letting the game down is the slow read-time errors, which become more noticeable while flying the saucer. However, these flaws are easily outweighed by the sheer hilarity of the game and it's a great way to kill a few hours - and those irritating, dimwit humans.  |
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