Alienation Reviews

Alienation is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Gareth Fidler
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jul 24, 2016

While Alienation might lack Resogun's instant hook, it retains its visual flair and stacks enough firepower in its core to keep even the most ardent shooter fans busy for a long time to come. Sure, the storyline might be somewhat hackneyed, but it's a genre that doesn't really require a deep narrative and its robust play mechanics, competitive/co-operative multiplayer options, and deep layered rank progression more than compensate for any shortcomings in plot. Housemarque has once again remained true to its arcade roots and delivered a solid twin-stick that channels its many influences into a game far exceeding the sum of its parts.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jul 13, 2016

A short but uniquely brilliant strategy shooter

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Jun 26, 2016

Alienation is all about the gameplay, and holy crap, does it play well. It does not take the game very long to throw you straight into the action, and I love really loved that aspect of the game. Alienation is without a doubt a very well-crafted and solid twin stick shooter, outstanding graphics and physics, with lots attentions to details makes this a must own game for the PlayStation 4. And even if indie games aren't your cup of tea, I truly believe if you do not play this you are missing out on a truly addictive twin stick shooter. I only have one big complaint with Alienation. With the inclusion of internet, co-op play why not also have included in local co-op? It really is a no-brainer in my opinion, but for some obscure unknown reason, it is completely missing. Which begs the question. Why?! It would have been an excellent edition to an already amazing game.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 8, 2016

Ultimately, the objectives in Alienation aren't anything special, but the good shooting mechanics and abundance of things to do make up for that. The loot and XP systems will keep players addicted, while the campaign length is just right. It could've used more weapon variety and local co-op, but overall, Alienation is a dependable addition.

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Jay Ball
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jun 6, 2016

Alienation is a must-buy for any fans of twin stick shooters. Featuring fun gameplay, a deep weapons system (for the genre), smooth visuals and plenty of reason to repeat missions it’s certainly worth your $30.00 AUD.

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Ian Cheong
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 15, 2016

Alienation could stand to be better in a lot of the ways I've already mentioned, but it's also one of the best twin-stick shooters I've played, so I can't complain too much. Even with its shortcomings, I found it to be a good waste of time.

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8 / 10
May 13, 2016

The chaotic and explosive nature of the action in Alienation is both addicting, and a pure pleasure to watch unfold. The vibrant, colorful, neon palette used for players armor and all of the items pop off the screen, along with the sheer amount of destruction. Cars will explode, trees will fall over, wind gusts blow snow across the barren landscape, and everything in the environment is affected by players weapons. Alienation is best played with others, as you can easily be overwhelmed by the higher difficulties when playing solo. The loot and upgrade mechanics were a pleasant surprise, and the inclusion of unique end-game content will expand the life of this twin-stick shooter for quite some time. I just hope that offline cooperative play arrives sooner rather than later.

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4 / 5.0
May 12, 2016

Although it has some minor drawbacks and can be frustrating at times, Alienation sucks you back in quickly with its beauty and incessantly fun gameplay.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 12, 2016

Alienation is a game that dodged my radar, mostly in part to how many other games are vying for my time lately, but I cannot stress it enough, don't sleep on this game. The addictive loot-gathering nature is extremely satisfying, and the spot-on controls and cooperative play really make this a game easy to recommend to a gaming group of friends. For those looking for that supplement to Diablo, Alienation should be right up your alley.

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8 / 10
May 10, 2016

Housemarque's Alienation delivers an excellent multiplayer shooter with timeless appeal.

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60 / 100
May 7, 2016

Alienation feels like a series of half-measures that never come together, destined to be little more than a mediocre arcade shooter.

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6.5 / 10.0
May 4, 2016

While Alienation does everything it tries to do well, it fails to be as deep and rewarding an experience as it tries to present itself as.

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NZGamer
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 4, 2016

Alienation is a Mountain Dew and Doritos experience. It's a weekend game to satiate the teenage memories of LAN parties and junk food binges. An unregrettable one-night stand with that girl from ages ago. Another reminder that shameful, when done well, isn't that shameful at all.

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7.8 / 10.0
May 4, 2016

A deeper twist on twin-stick shooters for the player who doesn't mind some complexity and challenge

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5 / 10.0
May 3, 2016

Alienation isn't a terrible game by any stretch, but it's not great either. It's monotonous and lifeless, but can entertain in short bursts and with friends. Housemarque has done better in the past, and they should have done better here.

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9 / 10.0
May 3, 2016

Alienation is a great game for any PS4 owner and is a blast either solo or with a group of friends.

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81 / 100
May 2, 2016

With beautiful graphics, simple and concise controls, and a decent array of weapons to choose from, Alienation only really falters from a tired plot and lack of character customization.

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May 2, 2016

Alienation is a hugely enjoyable game, but it's one that's playing the ball a little too safely, and resting too heavily on the successes of games that have come before it. Ultimately I don't think this will be remembered as a classic, and it doesn't need to be; what Housemarque has created is a bit of fun with friends around, no more, and no less.

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9 / 10.0
May 1, 2016

Alienation does top down shooters justice, making every mission more exciting and innovative than the last. As well all the characters are very well balanced as a whole. And for the $20 purchase, it is a great price for the amount of content that is given. Alienation can be played very casually, yet it can also be incredibly competitive and intense, I would recommend this to anyone a fan of this genre.

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Unscored
May 1, 2016

I had a blast with Alienation, and if you have friends willing to invest to play it with, you'll have a ton more on top of that. The loot system is appreciated as well as the various ways to progress your character and your gear. Yet another top notch game from Housemarque under their belt. Now we just wait to see whether Matterfall ever see the light of day, whatever that game is.

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