Destroy All Humans!

Added June 28th, 2005 by Serenity Now

Introduction:

All too often, the market gets filled with generic shooters and action games, and is in dire need of something fresh. As of late, this has sadly been the case for Xbox owners. Well, I have good news. Destroy All Humans! has arrived and is like a nice cool breeze of fresh air in the market currently lacking in uniqueness and creativity. You play as Crypto 137, a dimwitted alien sent to Earth to take care of some ‘’business’’. Destroy All Humans! is, quite frankly, one of the most well produced and unique games I have ever had the opportunity to play. But, like every game, it has its flaws. So, hang on tight and strap yourself in, it’s time to invade Earth and destroy all humans!

Gameplay:

Destroy All Humans! takes place in the 1950s and is set in a suburban type environment. Crypto 137 has been selected to carry out some ‘’research’’ on a planet you may have heard of….. Earth. The main objective in Destroy All Humans! is to obtain as much DNA as possible -- I’ll leave it up to you to discover the reasoning behind it as I don’t want to give too much of the plot away. One motive to acquire as much DNA as possible is it enables you to purchase upgrades at ‘’Pox’s Lab’’. A good array of equipment can be upgraded there, such as weapon upgrades for your ship and weapons for when you’re on foot. By now, you must be asking yourself ‘’How does one obtain such DNA?’’ Well, there are a few ways actually. The most common and easiest way is to just extract someone’s brain (sick, I know). Another way to attain DNA is to complete mini-games at the completion of each mission. The mini-games vary from blowing up a certain amount of select buildings to clearing all the checkpoints in a one-man (or alien) race. These mini-games provide some enjoyment, but after awhile they’ll soon become quite repetitive.

Crypto 137 is loaded with various sci-fi weapons to take down the humans. However, I found myself mostly just tossing my enemies into the air so they would tumble to their death. Throwing people is not only the most fun and entertaining way to kill in this game; it’s also the most effective way. But, if you’re the kind of person who just loves using sci-fi weapons Destroy All Humans! has got your back. The main weapon (and the one you’ll most likely be using the majority of the time) is the Zap-O-Matic. This powerful little weapon will basically fire a bolt of lighting eliminating anyone who stands in its way. Other weapons include, but are not limited to, the Quantum Disintegrator and the Ion Detonator. As you can see, there are multiple ways to destroy humans and livestock. Why, must I ask, the livestock, Crypto? We may never know.

The amount of things you can do in Destroy All Humans! is simply unmatched among other action games (yes, Grand Theft Auto being no exception). It’s not like many other games where you go from point A to point B working your way through the same repetitive motions. Destroy All Humans! does a great job in mixing it up. The key reason being some missions require you to not only accomplish some objectives on foot, but to use your saucer as well. One of my favorite missions in Destroy All Humans! is where you have to HoloBob (impersonate) the mayor and give a speech to the townspeople explaining what the heck is going on. Just like an RPG, you have different options as to what you want to say. You can tell them a joke; tell them the truth (I wouldn’t recommend doing this); or just make a promise that you know will not be kept. That’s just one of the many great missions found in this game. It really is amazing.

What I liked most about this game is its atmosphere. The 1950’s theme is very well done. I mean, really, what’s not to love about it? The humor is also fantastic in this game. Some people call Destroy All Humans! a direct rip-off of the Grand Theft Auto series because of its open-ended gameplay. Well, I beg to differ because, in my book, the sheer amount of creativity in this game warrants the new franchise. All in all, Destroy All Humans! plays great, and the amount of things you can do and upgrade is just mind-blowing (no pun intended).

Graphics:

I must say that the visuals in this game are pretty darn solid. However, there are some pop-in issues, especially while flying in your saucer. It is bearable though and isn’t as bad as some other games I know of. I really liked the day and night settings in this game. The amount of color visible at night will make you think it’s the Fourth of July. They nailed the 1950’s look with the nice and crisp visuals. It really does feel like an old alien horror flick. Don’t be fooled though, there’s no scares in this game, just pure comedy bliss.

Just like when buying a house, there are three main things when it comes to the graphics in a game such as Destroy All Humans!: atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere. Luckily, Destroy All Humans! wholeheartedly delivers. The rag-doll physics alone provide hours of enjoyment. Because honestly, what’s better than throwing cows in the air and then watching them roll after they hit the ground? Simply put, nothing. The environments are nice and vast but that doesn’t mean they skimped on detail. Everything from the buildings to the grass is all done very well. The animations could have been a bit smoother with the humans though. Overall, when you combine this game’s unique 1950’s atmosphere with the very solid graphics, you have yourself a visually appealing game that literally anyone can get into.

Audio:

The audio is by far this game’s best feature. Pretty much everything about it is top-notch. The dialogue is hilarious. Not a cut-scene goes by without something extremely witty being said. Even the in-game dialogue is funny. Not only is the script very well written, the voice-acting is superb. Each voice-over sounds very unique and fitting for each character. Let’s not forget about that wonderful music though. The music in Destroy All Humans! is so well produced that I thought I was watching a high budget Hollywood film. I’m not joking; it’s one of the most original and charming soundtracks I have ever heard. Finally, a game that doesn’t need custom soundtracks. That said, Destroy All Humans! is one of the best sounding Xbox games released.

Controls:

The entire control layout revolves around the left trigger. When you hold down the left trigger, you’ll have quite a few options as to what you want to do. You can extract someone’s brain by pressing B or read someone’s mind by pressing A. To levitate an object or human press Y; you can then move it around with the right thumbstick. After you have whatever you’re levitating where you want, double tap Y to send it flying or simply let go of all the buttons while you’re moving it around with the right thumbstick. Remember, these moves and techniques can only be done if you’re holding the left trigger. There are some things you can do without using the left trigger though. For example, to impersonate (or HoloBob, as this game calls it) a human just target someone and hold down the B button. Besides those things I just mentioned, everything is pretty much your typical third-person action game setup. The saucer controls are extremely simple. One stick is used to move forward and backwards and the other stick is used to turn. To fire your weapon, as usual, just press the right trigger. The control layout in Destroy All Humans!, for the most part, feels spot-on.

Replay:

The single-player campaign may be a great one, but sadly, it ends all too soon. The mini-games and extras get repetitive very quickly and with no multiplayer, this one might be better as a rental than a purchase. Sad, really. There is some stuff to keep you coming back though. Like the cinemas, which can be watched at anytime once unlocked. And believe me, you’ll want to watch the movies in this game over and over again; they’re that clever and well produced. Destroy All Humans! has some decent replay value, but the main campaign could have been a bit longer. So, you might want to wait for a price drop instead of shelling out the full fifty. However, if you’re in need of something fresh and unique, pick this one up immediately without question.

Summary:

Destroy All Humans! is unique, action-packed, and most importantly, just plain fun to play. It really is a breath of fresh air because of its creativity and non-linear gameplay. Destroy All Humans! also screams high production values with its crisp visuals and fantastic audio. This game may not have much replay value, but oh is it good while it lasts. Pack in some tight controls, great humor, and Destroy All Humans! not only lived up to expectations, it well exceeded them. Hats off to Pandemic Studios and THQ on a job well done.