When I first heard about this game, I had to know more. I looked for a trailer and wasn’t impressed by the Minecraft-esque look of it. Still, I did like the overall trailer as it had an older, 50’s style going for it. The epic movie man voice was also catchy. I was digging the colors on the game too. It almost felt like a futuristic noir setting. It was eerie and worked well with the overall look of the game. So I thought I should give it a chance. I’m so glad that I did.
Developed by Triangle Studios and published by All in! Games, It Came From Space and Ate our Brains feels like a blast from the past with its overhead camera view and run-n-gun style. It’s simple, and effective, use of colors for its settings allows the player to get lost in a concrete jungle while being hunted down by aliens.
I started playing this game on the XBox One about a week ago and let me start by saying this, if you are having a hard time with the first level, change the setting. I was playing on medium for about three hours before my buddy reminded me that I can change the difficulty. The aliens come at you in hordes and they do not stop. I’ll admit, before changing the setting, I was getting anxious.
Wow did my anxiety go down after changing the difficulty. The game changed so much after that. I was able to enjoy the game and figure out the controls. The first thing I started noticing was the setting. The visuals were simple, but beautiful. The neon colors of the lights against the concrete of the buildings made for a very cool setting. Seeing the spaceship land on the ground from the roof was a major plus. It showed the depth of the game and gave you a sense of panic that paid off when playing the game, the first time on medium difficulty. I can say this because I died plenty of times and felt panicked every one of them.
In playing, I also got to understand the upgrade system. Again, it was simple, and anyone can figure it out. I went through a few variations before I picked a favorite, which is the machine gun, and it makes me look further into the game by trying to find more cash to buy the upgrades each time. The guns in the game all have different upgrades and it really helps to give you a different experience with each go at the game.
Another aspect of the game that made it even more fun was local co-op. I got my son to play with me and it was a completely different game. Much like Contra, when you have someone that can have your back, it makes the game easier, but still fun.
Since this game has so much replay-ability, I can’t help but say it’s my “go to” game for blowing off steam or just destressing after work. It’s a good ole’ fashioned run-n-gun with upgrades and a simple enough plot that you don’t have to think about what you need to do next. Kill some aliens, upgrade your weapons, get to the safe house, repeat. If you can’t tell by now, I really enjoy this game and can’t wait for more people to as well.
