I wasn't expecting much from Alien Hominid. I have played countless side-scrolling shooters during my years as a gamer, and didn't expect this title to best one of my favorites, Metal Slug. Even though I wasn't an arcade enthusiast by any means, I used to love playing Metal Slug games at the arcade. Despite the fun I had with these games, their premise eventually began to wear thin. I didn't know if a 2D shooter could ever rekindle my love for the genre, but Alien Hominid HD has done it. The Behemoth achieved an amazing feat, considering that they are an independent developer. The game is oozing with personality, but also contains plenty of classic gameplay conventions.
One thing gamers will immediately notice is the original art style that is laced with hilarious caricatures. You are a small, yellow alien with a gun that runs around shooting men in suits, Russians, other aliens, and soldiers. Throughout the game, you will traverse three worlds divided into five or six stages each. The backdrops are outlandish, but are places you would expect to see in a game featuring an alien character. Everything is amazingly detailed and animated in a humorous way.
Throughout the game, you pick up a variety of weapon power-ups that range from plasma guns to flame throwers. Like Metal Slug, you can also throw grenades, but those change in type when you pick up a new weapon. Also, there are vehicular sections where you can commandeer bulldozers and alien spacecrafts. There is even a level where you can jack cars, which is fresh experience in 2D. While vehicles are nothing new to this genre, the variety of vehicles you can control sets this game apart from other games in the 2D shooter genre.
Alien Hominid provides a challenging experience for newcomers and seasoned gamers alike. The default difficulty level is hard enough that most gamers will die on the more challenging levels. In Alien Hominid, your character dies immediately after getting shot. You have several lives and continues, but once those expire, you have to start the level again. Thankfully, the game allows you to start from the level you left off at, so you don't have to beat the game on a stock set of lives. Veteran gamers can challenge themselves by attempting to run through the game on one set of lives. This will be a difficult feat for many, and I wasn't able to accomplish it during my initial play-through, but I imagine that it would be possible with enough practice.
A quirky game like Alien Hominid isn't complete without a variety of minigames. The Behemoth included several free minigames with Alien Hominid, and also some that are available for purchase. I only played the free games, and they range from bleh to fun. Food eating contests where you mash buttons are run-of-the-mill, but jacking cars for as long as you can is an enjoyable experience.
Alien Hominid HD is a great game for those who love notoriously difficult side-scrolling shooters, but it also will be an enjoyable experience for those who enjoy independent games. The art style oozes with personality, and the animations are hilarious. The little control nuances make the game a joy to play, and one can easily play the game in one sitting if they have enough time. I was hooked until the end, and if you enjoy side-scrolling shooters, you will find Alien Hominid hard to put down.