Alien Hominid Invasion (2023)

There are elements in which Alien Hominid Invasion feels like an improvement over its predecessor, whilst it feels like a step back in a few others. It is vastly more accessible, being easier to detect and avoid enemy attacks, with slightly improved controls, and its mission-based structure makes it a perfect fit for a portable like the Switch. On the other hand, it is a lot more repetitive, and its level design doesn’t feel as inspired as the sheer lunacy featured in the original Alien Hominid.

Alien Hominid Invasion's setup won't appeal to everyone. We were disappointed to find the mission objectives recycle far too often, and their random nature seems to rob the stages of any real individuality. But in terms of its handling, execution, and additions, Invasion feels much superior to the original. And, while ultimately repetitive, its chaos is fun for brief single and multiplayer arrangements, and we enjoyed dipping in for a quick bout of raucousness.

Alien Hominid Invasion is a great sequel to the original providing what feels like unlimited customization, and constant action, but the only thing that holds it back is the lack of variety in levels and how difficult the game can get. Overall, The Behemoth created another classic game providing hours of gameplay and could be considered one of the best co-op games of the year.

Alien Hominid Invasion is a fast-paced Run ‘n Gun platformer with roguelike mechanics that is great either alone or played with friends. While it would’ve been nice to have more variety in the objectives of a level, you can tell that The Behemoth put a lot of effort into giving players a lot of ways to play the game.

The difficulty can be downright brutal, even on the easiest difficulty option, due to the unending swarm of bullets and enemies. Alien Hominid Invasion is easy to pick up and hard to master, so newcomers will definitely struggle to find their footing in the thick of it. It is going to require a lot of dying and customizing your loadout to live to fight another day against the legions of enemies. It's an extraterrestrial experience that totally delivers and is an excellent addition to The Behemoth’s legacy.