Alien Breed Evolution

''Alien Breed: Evolution'' (known as ''Alien Breed: Evolution – Episode 1'') is an isometric shooter game in Team17's ''Alien Breed'' series and is the first title in the series since 1996. It was released for the Xbox 360 on 16 December 2009. An updated version called ''Alien Breed: Impact'' was released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3 in the following year. It was followed by '' Alien Breed 2: Assault'' released in September 2010.

Plot

Theodore J. Conrad is an engineer on the spaceship ''Leopold'' when it drops out of hyperspace and has a collision with a mysterious ghost ship which is populated by numerous hostile alien beings. Just before the collision, Conrad is visited by the android Mia, who asks him why he is against synthetics (the name for androids in the game) and saves him from a piece of debris, from the ghost ship, that pierces Conrad's room when the collision occurs. Mia then sends Conrad to restart the ''Leopold''s engines to avert both ships from crashing into the unnamed planet below. Conrad discovers that the engines are too badly damaged and boards the ghost ship to attempt to restart its engines. He discovers that the ship is controlled by an anti-human force and its defenses have been programmed to attack humans on sight. He eventually comes across a large pool, out of which a large alien rises during a communication from Mia. Conrad says to Mia, "I'll call you back", and ends the game on a cliffhanger.

In the co-op Assault multiplayer levels, two men, Thadeus Barnes and Eddie Vance, are trying to locate Conrad; they eventually find him in the engine room where Mia tells them that a hull breach in the hydroponics section threatens to destroy the ship. They volunteer to seal this hull breach; on succeeding in this task, their campaign ends.

Gameplay

''Alien Breed: Evolution'' is a top-down shooter set onboard futuristic space craft. In each level, the main character, Conrad, is set a series of tasks, such as collecting key cards, restoring power, or escorting innocents, which he must complete before finding that level's exit in the form of an elevator. Standing in his way are several different types of aliens who will attack him, usually en masse. Conrad can run and shoot in all directions, and can collect a number of different weapons and items to aid him. The camera angle can be rotated manually in 45 degree increments. There are also several data pads to collect, which provide information on the different alien species that Conrad encounters throughout the game, back story information on the game's characters, and additional information on the game's locations.

''Alien Breed: Impact''

A version of ''Alien Breed: Evolution'' was released on PlayStation Network and Steam, renamed ''Alien Breed: Impact''. This version was expanded to include redesigned aliens and an Upgrade Shop.

Reception

The game received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Many critics found the game repetitive and complained about the lack of variety throughout its campaign.

''IGN'' commented of the Xbox 360 version: "Anyone who played the original ''Alien Breed'' back in the day will find their simple top-down shooter is all grown up with great lighting effects, an atmospheric soundtrack, and affecting cinematic events -- but the gameplay itself is rooted in 1990." ''Eurogamer'' praised the production values, but added that "a flawed approach to co-op play and an inherent lack of variety ultimately count against it." ''Edge'' gave a scathing review, stating: "Repetitive and simplistic, ''Alien Breed: Evolution'' may remain true to its inspiration, but this first episode does no more than reinforce Team17's reputation for serviceable but uninspiring updates of past glories."

References

External links

''Alien Breed: Evolution''
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2000s horror video games
2009 video games
Alien Breed
Episodic video games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
PlayStation Network games
Science fiction video games
Unreal Engine 3 games
Video game reboots
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Windows games
Xbox 360 games
Xbox 360 Live Arcade games