Aliens: Infestation (Nintendo DS)

This game is a serious challenge. The basic plot is that you are sent to explore a great hulk of a ship to find out what has happened. There are strange readings on board and you have to investigate. you take control of a group of four soldiers. Don't think however that you can become attached to them. One of the nice things about this game is that when a soldier dies (and he is not rescued) you will need to scour the labrynth like ships to find a replacement. After you complete the first level the real game begins. you jump from ship to ship exploring the tight passageways and clostraphobic tunnels. The music gives a level of tension not often found on the ds. This is added to even more by the fact that this game is not a blast everything that moves type. Its a good 20 minutes before you meet your first alien. And they are tough. They have a habit of jumping out on you and can give you a very bad day. You may walk for a good few minutes with nothing happening before an alien jumps down to greet you, keeping you on your toes. There are facehuggers drones security robots all manner of enemies. And of course the queen. The queens are spectaculaly tough and take a huge amount of firepower to bring down. Firepower that is limited. This game is old school difficult. If you are new or unused to games of this type then it is not for you. But if you like a challenge to really get your teeth into then you will LOVE this.

Firstly this game doesnt get full marks because of the campaign length...it is far too short and those who have maybe looked at the game videos/images may think along the lines of Castlevania and Metroid, and yes it is in the same ball park but this is at heart a very one way game with minor side-exploration.

What we have left though is a very rare DS game with true jumpy-moments and tense exploration. Its hard to imagine that a side scrolling game could offer such an atmosphere but it certainly had me on the edge of my seat more than a couple of times. This is of course an Aliens game so it does live true to the theme of the overall series.

The game picks up after the events of James Camerons' Aliens. The Sulaco is found adrift in space and a new group of Marines are sent in to investigate and find out what happened to the former mission team. You begin on the Sulaco with a four man team of marines, in this case the marines, although you can choose one, act as your lives. Once the health bar is depleted you lose a marine - pretty smart - and as a plus side you can actually stage a rescue mission to retrieve them should you wish. Scattered around the environments you will find other marines who will, at some point join you if you are short of men. Save rooms are very scarce on this game, so it pays to treat every encounter with some strategy as the marines are in short supply - 19 in total throughout the game. Although the game plays like a hardcore shooter - think contra - with Castlevania exploration and map - you will be constantly under pressure to retrace your steps to recent save rooms and re-stock on ammo and health and venture out again to tackle the tougher encounters. I must empathise that the level of tension becomes quite high as you get into deep water.

The enemies are varied between battle androids, Alien Drones, Face huggers and Human opposition. The Aliens look fantastic, they can drop down at you on a whim and scare the **** out of you. The Humans and Androids use regular gun attacks - which require you to dodge and return fire accordingly. Of course there are boss battles in the form of Queen Aliens and variants which each have a knack to beating. These fights usually witness the loss of a couple of marines but should you replay the game then maybe you wont have the same problem.

All weapons stay true to the Alien franchise, as do the sound effects. The pulse rifle, possibly one of the most recognisable weapons in the world. There are shotguns, flame throwers and smart guns. Each weapon can be upgraded several times to increase damage output. In one section of the game you also get to use the Twin Cannons atop an APC to gun down pursuing Aliens which is quite fun but over too quickly.

I do feel that this game has been shown a lot of love and attention to impress the fans. It is a difficult game at times but applying a strategy can decrease this level and make for a more balanced game. As with all good things though I do think that this game has been somewhat overlooked. I didnt hear about it until recently and I am a big Aliens fan. A shame really.

Anyway I give this game a solid 7/10. Its fun and true to the Aliens experience offering Metroid style navigation and progress in the world of Aliens.

The game could have expanded on certain elements - but the developers have played a safe hand and given fans what they would want from this type of game.

A must buy for those looking to pass an afternoon or two.

Great story, all marines you have - counts. When they die - they die. For anyone who likes exploring Metroid style, and who loves Aliens - buy it. Sadly, there is low replayability in this game, yet the time you spend playing will give you much fun. One of the best action/adventure games on the DS. Highly recommended!