Alienation Reviews
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.
Alienation feels like a series of half-measures that never come together, destined to be little more than a mediocre arcade shooter.
Alienation is a solid shooter that halfheartedly ends and then asks players to do it all again. The hooks just aren't there though to make it a game that you want to replay after completing its relatively short campaign.
A disappointingly bland top-down shooter, that while entertaining enough with friends lacks the finely tuned splendour of Stardust and Resogun.
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.
I can't see this game being anywhere near memorable in the long run. It's okay, but it just doesn't do anything anywhere near special enough to make it little more than an aping of games and sci-fi media that have come before.
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.
The world won't stick with you, but beautiful visuals and excellent twin-stick looting make this a co-op blast…once you figure out what you're doing. You could get lost for weeks in its end-game content, but only the most obsessive will care about climbing Alienation's leaderboards.
On the one hand, Alienation is a joyous, punchy co-op romp of a twin-stick shooter, with every on-screen detail a veritable celebration of beautiful chaos. On the other, it's a step backwards in terms of what Housemarque could do. What is undeniable though, is that Alienation is a rather good time.
Housemarque's twin-stick shooter aspires to be nothing more than a bit of mindless sci-fi entertainment, and it works
A deeper twist on twin-stick shooters for the player who doesn't mind some complexity and challenge
Alienation is good at what it does and what it does is shooting endless waves of filthy aliens. Even though the game lacks some contents as bosses and some variety in missions, the experience is still fun as a solo players or with up to 3 friends.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A short but uniquely brilliant strategy shooter
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.
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.