Keep watching the sky!
Publisher: THQ
Sat, 9 July 2005
by: Australian Ninja
Email the Author
Ka-boom!! (That was supposed to be an earth-shattering ka-boom.)
The alien invasion is on again. But this time, you play as the alien. Meet Crypto; the surly, sadistic "little green man" with a healthy hatred of puny humans.
Destroy All Humans (D.A.H.) offers players an extra large helping of needless destruction and a ridiculous amount of explosions. Explosions are good, mmkay? The basic structure of the game alternates from Crypto's on-foot sections, to flying saucer sections in each mission. After accomplishing his main objective on foot (impersonating the mayor, killing scientists, hypnotising army officials) Crypto high tails it back to the saucer and he then proceeds to blow shit up. Buildings, tanks, people, mounted rocket launchers; they all go ka-boom, in super happy fun explosions!
Crypto's abilities and weapons are distinctive and, boy, are they fun to mess around with. So, let's take a look them all.
His weapons:
Electric zapper gun "Electrocutes enemies
Anal Probe " Sends people running in circles, sometimes they vomit, or their brain explodes out of their head.
Toaster gun " Burns people to a crisp and leaves a skeleton, which then turns to dust, exactly like a vampire slain by Buffy. Very cool.
Grenades " Set on a timer, or explode instantly with the press of a button.
Abilities:
Hypnosis "Bend people to your will, make them sleep, or create a distraction.
Mind Scan "Read people's thoughts. A skill that is essential in missions.
Holobob "Impersonate any human as a hologram, thus adding stealth to the game.
Jetpack "Short limited hovering, for getting onto rooftops etc.
TK " Telekinesis. Float people or objects into the air. Manipulate with right analogue while running around.
Saucer weapons:
Laser beam "Standard laser.
Abducto-beam "Grab people, vehicles etc and swing them around like a lasso.
Sonic Boom "Send objects flying (e.g. tanks) limited damage to buildings.
Pulse Bomb "Blow up anything (except bosses) in one hit.
 | | Yoda got sick of signing autographs |
All these abilities and weapons are upgradeable during the game. But you'll have to work for them. They don't come cheap and you'll need to gather plenty of DNA to access them. In the game DNA = money. It is obtained by collecting brains after telekinetically sucking them out of live humans, or going on various side missions. Going back to previous easier missions is the most sensible way to earn DNA, and it can get annoying
Later in the game a fully upgraded Crypto can wreak absolute havoc. He becomes amazingly powerful. The TK ability is the real highlight (innovation) in the game. Pick up puny humans; treat them like rag-dolls by repeatedly slamming them into the ground, signs and walls with sickening bone-crunching sound effects. Or just throw them into the sky, screaming and flailing uncontrollably. Great fun!
The upgraded saucer sections become a lot more difficult. It becomes essential to blow up sections of towns / army bases as fast as possible while grabbing health pickups. Constant firing from ground-based enemies turns the sky into a frenzy of explosions; 'crafty' flying maneuvers are a must.
D.A.H is set in the 1950s. The level of detail and authenticity is astonishing. Most impressive are the detailed cars, diners, signs and clothing. One of the funniest things about the game is the constant paranoia about communism. Each level passed or failed results in a newspaper spinning at you on screen. Nine out of ten headlines blame Crypto's raging destruction on "the commies". One headline suggests that a UFO was actually Mexicans crossing the border via a giant slingshot. Another infers that an entire island that was destroyed by Crypto's saucer was actually "teenage arsonists" The story is just plain ridiculous like the acting ability and storylines featured in the old 'invaders from mars' style movies. Nicely done.
During the game crypto can dispose of humans with his weapons easily. He can also impersonate people with the Holobob to stealthily sneak around town, whilst disposing of officials and influencing government events. A brilliant scene sees Crypto impersonate the mayor and you get to choose his response to audience questions. Choices include "blaming communists" "ramble incoherently", "deny everything." The game is so damn funny it's almost unreal.
The game is challenging yet not too difficult, though at times it may drive you nuts. Persistence is key to passing these 'trial and error' missions. The setting and whole vibe given off from D.A.H. is that of cheesy old American films about alien invasions. This is where the game excels and Pandemic Studios has implemented the theme throughout the entire game admirably. The presentation of D.A.H is wonderful. The graphics are pretty, though not spectacular. The music, sound effects and voice acting are perfect. Pandemic Studios really went to town on those aspects.
 | | This is Mork calling Orson. Come in Orson. |
I seriously hope to see a worthy sequel to this game. Improvements are needed though. Fix the targeting, add more variety in the types of missions, add level checkpoints, and simplify the control scheme. Why is there no button configuration or adjustable difficulty level? This is basic stuff, which is oddly amiss. But none of that stops this from being a thoroughly enjoyable game.
I found myself alternating from hysterical laughter to swearing at the screen while playing (repeating missions, cheap deaths). In the end it's a sweet ride and takes around 15 hours to finish. There's no real reason to play again. There are some great extras unlocked by playing. Including small concept artwork galleries and 'making of' features. Quite a few extras, the pencil sketches in particular are beautiful and nicely rendered. Kudos to the developers for creating a fairly original game in today's market. I don't recommend the game for beginner gamers, as it may be too hard - unless you cheat. I do recommend this game for fans of big explosions, mindless destruction, old alien / sci-fi movies, as well as fans of action adventure games.
by: Australian Ninja
Email the Author
More articles by Australian Ninja
You'll come for the explosions. You'll stay for the laughs. | |
|
Latest Game
Latest DVD
Latest Music
Latest Wrestling
By Australian Ninja
