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‘Alienation:’ A Fun, Beautiful Game For PlayStation 4

By Bryan Star
Published on: 15:26 PST, May 1, 2016

Alienation, a cooperate shooter that pits players against hordes of alien opposition, arrived on Playstation 4 on April 26.

Combining elements of intense action and light action-RPG, Alienation is a fun game that holds hours of content and the ability to deliver gameplay in a variety of ways. The game is developed by Housemarque, a digital games developer. Working on games for console, PC, and mobile, they are also behind games like Dead Nation, Resogun, and Super Stardust Delta. If you’re familiar with any of these games, then it should be no surprise that Housemarque is the mastermind behind Alienation.

Alienation provides multiple skill paths, and it doesn’t stray away from the formula of players being able to play different character types to increase replay value. According to IGN, however, the skills are not so impactful that it gives any certain class a specific playstyle. Still, there’s enough individuality for each player to assist in their own way. The Tank, known for having increased health, is able to shield other players from enemy fire. The Bio-Specialist, healer of the group, ensures that players are kept alive through the madness and mayhem of enemy combat. Finally, there’s the Saboteur. Able to call in artillery strikes, this class clears hordes to escape deadly situations.

As an arcade shooter, there’s enough running and gunning to keep such a simplistic system fresh. Whether it be a large enemy that requires teamwork to overcome, or if there’s simply a large number of enemy units to be mowed down, Alienation offers action at every turn.

Push Square reports that Alienation is also a far more expansive game than Dead Nation, a game many have described as being similar in many ways. While this may be true, Alienation requires a deeper focus that involves a more tactical approach than its lookalike. Whereas the zombie-fest that is Dead Nation only offers customization in the way of gear output and the effectiveness of guns, Alienation blends RPG elements with action by giving characters a plethora of tools that individualizes every map.

Alienation even has a leveling system, giving players the ability to earn experience through the progress of levels. Weapons can drop anywhere from crates to defeated enemies, and each of them comes with their own stats for a player to consider. There’s even the ability to salvage weapons for their raw materials, granting players the choice to re-roll a weapon’s stats if they’re not happy with what they have.

In terms of difficulty, challenge is always available for higher levels of play. Alienation’s enemies scale with the player’s stats, so one doesn’t have to worry about stomping opposition with no difficulty. There’s always the option to tone down the toughness of the game, but the trade-off is lower rewards for completion.

Visually speaking, Alienation is a beautiful trek across alien worlds. The game is done in a top-down perspective, giving the four-player experience room to take in the chaotic destruction with brilliant detail. It is widely known that more sequences in video games tend to lower the frame rate of a game’s performance, but Push Square also reports that Alienation doesn’t pump the brakes during copious amounts of enemy slaughter. Add to this the fact that there are random events and mini-bosses galore to conquer and discover, and this arcade shooter sets a high bar for titles of its kind.

Alienation retails at $19.99, making it a worthwhile purchase for players looking to engage in multiplayer devastation alongside friends. IGN gives the game an 8.7 out of 10, encouraging marks for any who have played other Housemarque games and enjoyed them.

What’s your experience with the game? Is Alienation a welcome addition to your gaming library? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

[Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]

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