PSP

Alien Syndrome

As I mentioned earlier, Alien Syndrome has gotten a lot of bad reviews, and if you're considering buying it, you'd probably be wise to check them out. However, I truly feel that other reviews tend to be criticizing it for being exactly what it should be. If you think this is the kind of game you'd like, don't let them put you off–buy it. The developers clearly put a lot of love into this game, and in my opinion, it paid off. I spent 40 to 50 very enjoyable hours with Alien Syndrome, and am several hours in with a second character. My only regret is that I allowed other reviews to stop me from buying it despite my feeling that it'd be fun.

Anyone who can get past the more annoying nuances of the game’s design and execution may still find some fun in Alien Syndrome. The game offers over 100 different enemies, but rehashes some of its more minor bosses in an attempt to add longevity. At the same time, powering up your character is relatively deep for a simple run-n-gun game, and we got some simple enjoyment out of powering up our weaponry or making use of class-specific skills such as increased critical rates or outstanding melee power. If this game would have been $29.99(or $19.99, to be more realistic) instead of its current $40 price point we might endorse it a bit more, but seeing as its release couples a $40 price point with the need for four copies to play multiplayer it’s hard for us to get too excited about Alien Syndrome.

Between the PSP and Wii, the PSP is easily the superior. It offers the better controls and graphics, and just feels like a better game. It's a little harder to find three others to play with, so I guess that offsets it.

In the end, Alien Syndrome could've turned out a lot worse than it did. Yeah, true, it could've been better as well and Sega and Totally Games could've installed some kind of Game Sharing option for multiplayer. But then again, the game could've gone through some kind of reinvention that rendered it completely unplayable. As it is, it's a solid blaster and worth a few hours of your time. Just pray that those hours aren't spent trying to equip a flame thrower. Stupid item screen.

Between a single-player sojourn and multiplayer adventuring, Alien Syndrome packs in a decent amount of gameplay. A handful of shortcomings prevent it from being a memorable experience and yet, in many ways, it gets the job done. It may be some way from being the most original or polished action role-playing game around, but as a distraction from the usual summer activities it proves an enjoyable blast.

A big thumbs down goes to Sega, though, for making multiplayer so difficult to enjoy. Up to four players can take part in the alien demolition, but four copies of the game are needed. Finding three suckers that purchased this game is next to impossible. Alien Syndrome raises enough of a ruckus to earn the status of "rental". However, the recycled gameplay and subdued multiplayer options make it a less rousing experience than it could've been.

Wrapping things up, I will admit that the original Alien Syndrome wasn't really all that amazing. In fact, it was a very average game that happened to be pretty fun - for the time. In reinventing the past, Sega hasn't really done much to recapture that feeling and while the original title may have been mediocre as well, it still had more of a sense of accomplishment. This isn't the worst game I've played, nor is it the worst sequel that I've ever seen, but it just doesn't end up being as much fun as it could have been nor does it ever attempt to use the parts that it tries so hard to develop, such as creating a character. All in all, it's a game you'll more than likely want to pass on, even if you're a die-hard fan of the original.

Alien Syndrome part d'un bon fond avec le paramétrage du personnage et le côté jeu de rôle. Malheureusement, sa trop grand répétitivité et un bestiaire quelconque nuisent grandement au plaisir ; les plus nostalgiques pourraient peut-être se laisser tenter.

I have come to love these top-down shooters, so this was a blast to roam around and blast everything, and it was nice that I could do so anywhere without worrying about streaming strong language or overly gory scenes. If you have played either of those games and enjoyed them, this is a game I can easily recommend - but only if you can get it for a bargain price. It really just isn't a very good game - there is some fun to be had with blasting stuff and working your skill-tree, but it isn't a game that I would ever recommend for someone to go out of their way to buy.

Alien Syndrome can be played with up to four people locally, and though misery loves company, additional players don't make the experience any more entertaining. The original Alien Syndrome wasn't terribly groundbreaking, but it still managed to provide some manic, challenging fun. This game is an exercise in formulaic tedium that fails to deliver on the promise of an updated Alien Syndrome, or a passable action RPG experience.

PSP owners will be able to gloat that their version of the game looks better than the Wii edition. It seems as though this title was initially being developed only for Sony's handheld, and about halfway through the process, the decision was made to port it to Wii. Sure, some enemies have had their polygon counts lowered on the PSP, but the graphics look much sharper than when they're blown up on a TV. Alien Syndrome is a decent game, but given the concept and the multiplayer factor, this game could have been so much better. Maybe Sega should start leaving its old game titles alone.

I’m going to guess this game will fly off the shelves when it hits $20, and rightly so. There is a fun and compelling multiplayer game lurking beneath the mindless combat and level grinding that boasts a few subtle nods toward Diablo, but you don’t want to play this alone and you don’t want to have four people paying full price for what is arguably a budget-quality title.

Alien Syndrome ne risque pas de sortir de l'oubli avec ce petit remake sans envergure. Poussif et classique, le titre de Totally Games ne pèse pas lourd face à la concurrence. Les fans des jeux originaux feront peut-être mieux de s'en tenir à leurs vieux souvenirs. Dommage.

Alien Syndrome is ugly, boring, repetitive and hard to recommend. And worst of all, it's just no fun whatsoever. Not even fans of the old school arcade game will find much to enjoy in this half-assed resurrection.

Alien Syndrome had the potential to be a decent by-the-numbers action RPG, but it struggles to even reach those heights with insipid repetition and a total lack of challenge crippling your incentive to see it beyond the first few hours. One to file under SEGA's mistakes, then.

Overall Alien Syndrome is a disappointment and, aside from odd glimmers of potential, it is looking like a game headed straight for bargain basements. The two-player cooperative mode may keep a duo of youngsters quiet for a handful of weekends, but otherwise this mismatched game has very little to offer.

Never does Alien Syndrome become fun -- and unlike the Wii version, the PSP iteration doesn't even control well enough to become quietly engaging in its own methodical, repetitive way. It's not a full-price purchase by any means, and it's nowhere close to the high action-RPG bar set by Champions of Norrath on the PS2 three and a half years ago. Maybe it's worth a look once it hits the bargain bin...but as it stands, Alien Syndrome is a very expensive relic.

Alien Syndrome is an all around terrible resurrection of a fun (albeit shallow) arcade game. If you like to shoot at aliens and enjoy playing with friends then chances are you're better served by one of the other games that does exactly that. The idea of fighting aliens in space is hardly a new concept for video games, so why bother suffering through a bad one when there are so many better examples out there? I like that Sega decided to support four-players, but next time I can only hope that they decide to throw in a great game with that four-player support.