Born out of the open-world fade established by Grand Theft Auto III, Destroy All Humans! was a work of comedic genius that was released back in 2005. THQ Nordic has remade it for a new generation, 15 years after its original release.
The Destroy All Humans! remake is both a faithful recreation and a foundation for a series reboot. With so many games believing that the best open-world games need to be bigger and grander, this game beams us down to reality. Sometimes an open world can be fun with a small map but packed with action while having a sense of humor.
One Giant Step on Mankind
Destroy All Humans! has players take on the role of Crypto-137, who arrives on Earth (circa 1950’s). He is tasked with rescuing Crypto-136 along with studying humans while collecting their DNA to save his species. Aiding the player is Pox, his overseer who assigns him the missions while studying the collected data.
The gamplay is a mix of standard combat and stealth action (depending on the situation). Players could either complete a series of missions or roam free to do what they please. As the story progresses, Crypto is given new weapons and skills that could also be upgraded. The levels are broken down into several mini-open world maps that are inspired by different regions of America.
From the start of the invasion, one is going to recognize the improved visual details. Perfect for the tone of the experience, it’s very cartoonish but more colorful than the original. While playing it, one will also appreciate a more refined control function. As a special treat for fans, the remake includes content that had been cut from the original Destroy All Humans!. Thus adding more to a game rich in replay value.
Those of us who played it back in the day will also appreciate that the remake kept its sense of humor. Players will hear plenty of jabs at politicians and pop-culture of the time period. Bring this invasion to life is a solid cast of iconic voice actors from the original. Your ears don’t deceive you, those country folks are voiced by Bill Farmer (the official voice of Goofy). Fans of dark cartoon will also be quick to notice that it’s Richard Steven Horvitz from Invader Zim giving you orders.
Aliens Stole My Brain Stem!
The Destroy All Humans! remake hits all the right marks, but at times gets too dependent on the nostalgia. This is evident by the untouched camera focus when using the flying saucer and the destruction physics.
The camera angle when operating the flying saucers always feels out of focus. It can never be adjusted to a proper angle that allows you to see your surroundings. As a result, do expect to take hits without knowing where they are positioned.
So much of the game has been updated, but the destruction physics feels untouched. It may have looked amazing back in 2005, but in 2020 it feels dated. Buildings explode after being attacked (and that is it). They don’t collapse when a weakness in the structure is hit nor dose the destruction impact the surrounding area.
Mr. Crypto Goes To Capitol City
Destroy All Humans! is another fine example of a remake done right by modernizing the gameplay and graphics but respecting the overall experience. It’s the same great game we all played back in the day only with a lot of major improvements. Hopefully this sets the foundation for a new series (with the same humor and mayhem).
Disclaimer: Evolve PR provided the game used for this review.
Destroy All Humans! (PC)
Pros
- Improved visual details and control function.
- Its sense of humor and mockery of the time period.
- The inclusion of content cut from the original game.
Cons
- Poor camera focus when using the flying saucer.
- The destruction physics feels outdated.
