Attack of the Earthlings

The unfavorable (spoilers, sorry) reviews continue with yet another game as a victim - Attack of the Earthlings.

Attack of the Earthlings is a turn-based strategy game that is, in a single phrase, a reversed XCOM. As the name implies, Earthlings (or humans, as we know them) have come to invade your planet, and you, as the matriarch of the Swarmers, whose planet was invaded, take it upon yourself to destroy the invasion from within the drill with which they came. Kill weak soldiers and civilians, eat them, birth new Swarmers, evolve them, kill stronger soldiers, and repeat the process until the level is clear. Then you, for whatever reason, have to leave your amassed army to climb up to the next floor alone and start over. But at least you get some sweet upgrades between that.

My main problem with the game is its relative lack of content. I have like 4 different units, employ the same strategies over and over, the upgrade paths are completely linear and only have a grand total of 3 upgrades, all the levels are pre-made, and there's just seven of them... It was interesting while they were still introducing new game mechanics, but as soon as that stopped, it got tedious and repetitive.

It's a bit of a twist on XCOM (as much as I know about it - I haven't played it very much. XCOM, that is) since there's a good amount of stealth involved. The Earthlings have a lot more units, which are generally stronger, so, ironically, you, as the dumb brute you are, have to outsmart them. Obviously it's because it's just difficult to make an AI that's better than you, so the player will always be the one playing at a disadvantage against an AI, but it's just not quite fitting with the story right now. Oh, additionally, the game has a bunch of humor. Looks like they invested heavily in it, and while it wasn't exactly of the quality that would actually have me laughing out loud, I must admit it was funny enough to be enjoyable.

But really, the entire thing feels like a few steps back from XCOM that probably inspired it. I would assume the team and budget sizes aren't comparable either of course, but sadly the games out there will and have to be compared to each other no matter how much money and people may be behind one or another. While Attack of the Earthlings does play slightly differently, I don't see the differences as something that would make a worthwhile substitute for the quality that is not present. So, while I didn't exactly dislike it, I wouldn't recommend it, as I see nothing particularly new or interesting here.