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Alien Breed Evolution: Episode 1
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 31 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 17 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: Team17 Software
Developer: Team17 Software
Genre(s): Action
Players: 2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: December 16, 2009
Summary
[Xbox Live Arcade] Alien Breed Evolution (Episode 1) marks the rebirth of a gaming legend that has laid dormant for years. While the core gameplay remains intact, the technology, online component, and production values have improved immeasurably for your pleasure. The first episode of three has you battling alone or partnering up against the "breed," offline or online over five action-packed single-player levels and three multiplayer levels. Including bar-raising visuals and immersive gameplay, Alien Breed Evolution (Episode 1) is the definitive must-have action horror title you've been waiting for! [Team17 Software]
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Planet Xbox 360
While the game certainly wasn't without flaws, I found them to be a bit more forgivable given the overwhelming amounts of fun I was having with the game.
Read Full Review >NZGamer
All in all, it works pretty well - it looks nice, is fun to play and has an awesome "Crusader: No Remorse" kind of feel to it, something no game in recent memory has managed.
Read Full Review >GamingXP
Alien Breed Evolution is a great arcade shooter scoring with its fantastic atmosphere. The fact that it is that short hurts a little bit, but still the 800 Microsoft Points are well invested in this one.
Read Full Review >XboxAddict
Alien Breed Evolution is classic gameplay fun, brought up to date with great graphics and by the outstanding group at Team17.
Read Full Review >TeamXbox
Compelling enough to drop your points on. It’s action-packed and looks great, and fans of top-down shooters like that, of which there aren’t enough on XBLA, should find the game highly satisfying. Just one more notch in the belt of XBLA’s great year.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
It may be a very straightforward journey and it may feel like a knock-off of Sega's Alien Syndrome, but Alien Breed Evolution: Episode 1 is still a darn fun and tense game with redone graphics and well-used sound.
Read Full Review >Console Monster
The mechanics are easily learned and the difficulty curve set at a satisfying level. With episode one having a fair bit of gameplay on offer, it's a testament to the effortless playability that I'm left raring for more.
Read Full Review >IGN
Anyone who played the original Alien Breed back in the day will find their simple top-down shooter is all grown up with great lighting effects, an atmospheric soundtrack, and affecting cinematic events -- but the gameplay itself is rooted in 1990.
Read Full Review >Pelit (Finland)
As long as you can overlook the repetitive gameplay, Alien Breed Evolution offers good old-fashioned action. [Feb 2010]
AceGamez
Alien Breed Evolution is a blast from the past, and for all of its graphical splendour and next gen licks of paint, it still feels ever so slightly dated.
Read Full Review >Play.tm
Personally I loved its retro game in modern clothes feel but I can imagine some will find its unashamedly dated design sours their trip down memory lane.
Read Full Review >MS Xbox World
While this is only Episode 1 of 3, Alien Breed: Evolution outshines most 800MSP XBLA games in terms of overall value as there's certainly a good 6+ hours to keep you on your toes in not only the single-player campaign, but the co-operative missions as well.
Read Full Review >RealGamer
This is a loving and professional revision of a solid game, and as such is well worth the points, especially for those with fond memories of gaming in the 90’s.
Read Full Review >Impulsegamer
Overall, there is a great title here, at 800 points, it’s pretty cheap too. The major disappointment is its length, there isn’t a great deal of replay ability in the episode, with just five levels and a boss, the decision to split into three episodes has obviously kept the cost down but at the expense of satisfaction.
Read Full Review >3DJuegos
Alien Breed Evolution is a great remake of the 90s classic. The addition of a Co-op mode and the visual make-up are its best improvements.
Read Full Review >Gamer Limit
It's a shaky start to Team 17's episodic content. There is an ample offering of explosions and aliens, but the fun starts to fade long before the credits roll.
Read Full Review >Boomtown
As retro remakes go this certainly isn't a bad one, but there's a couple of flaws in the gameplay that means it falls short a little of what it could be.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
On the face of it, Alien Breed Evolution offers everything that fans of the 16-bit incarnations could wish for, with strong production values and focused design contributing to a sympathetic update that stays true to the source material. But sadly, a flawed approach to co-op play and an inherent lack of variety ultimately count against it.
Read Full Review >games(TM)
A bombastic revival that shows great promise. [Feb 2010, p.120]
Totally360
Overall Alien Breed Evolution is a pretty good title on XBLA, however, it isn’t great. Your experience with this title is going to depend on how you feel about these types of games.
Read Full Review >Multiplayer.it
Alien Breed Evolution is a really nice looking shooter which never betrays its '90's heritage. It's probably worth the price only for the true fans of the original game.
Read Full Review >9Lives
To give Alien Breed Evolution a sscore isn’t easy. It has impressive graphics, atmoshere and brainless action. On the other hand, the gameplay is weak. When you get annoyed by it, there’s something wrong. It has a boring story, the controls are restrictive and after half an hour, you’ll have seen it all. Unfortunately, the strong graphics can’t cover this up. It had potential, but it hasn’t turned out to be a game of extraterrestrial heights.
Read Full Review >X360 Magazine UK
Of interest to retro enthusiasts only. [Issue#55, p.104]
Official Xbox Magazine
Old-fashioned gameplay with a pretty new face. [Mar 2010, p.81]
Teletext GameCentral
One of the Amiga's favourite sons returns but with little of its original personality intact.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
This isometric shooter aptly imitates of the top-down original, but doesn't convincingly improve upon it.
Read Full Review >Gamer.nl
Alien Breed has high production values for an Xbox Live Arcade game. It is polished and looks beautiful. Unfortunately, Team 17 did not succeed to get the gameplay up to the same level. It is too repetitious and straight-forward to be interesting until the end of the first episode, let alone through all three episodes.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine UK
Not quite evolved enough, sadly. [Feb 2010, p.112]
Edge Magazine
Repetitive and simplistic, Alien Breed Evolution may remain true to its inspiration, but this first episode does no more than reinforce Team 17's reputation for serviceable but uninspiring updates of past glories. [Feb 2010, p.91]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 17 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
brian c gave it a7:
This is a pretty awesome game but you have to take that with a grain of salt. The graphics aren't awesome, but for an arcade game they're great. The game play isn't the going to blow you away, but my girlfriend learned how to play it in about 10 minutes. It has two player co-op online or local, it's easy to play and it's story reminds me of dead space. The only game i've liked even close to this much on xbox live arcade is shadow complex and the fact that its over the top like ultimate alliance put it above that. Very enjoyable for what it is. You won't be dissapointed if you pay for the game, but download the demo first and see if you like it.
Ubay O gave it an8:
The worst flaw of the game is that you can't play the full campaign of coop. Still, you play sections without the same depth as the solo-campaign. However, I enjoyed what the game offered, specially in coop mode. Plays best in the dark with good sound. A really interesting remake of an Amiga's classic.
Boon C gave it an8:
A solid remake, and proof that retro resurrections need not suffer from lax production values, with great visuals (albeit lacking in variety), excellent sound design, and simple, classic gameplay. May not appeal to those looking for any real depth or complexity, but for anyone who appreciates the pick-up-and-play arcade quality of 16 bit gaming, Alien Breed is definitely worth a look. And in addition to being a solid game, it's a shining example of the kind of quality on a budget that Epic's UDK (Unreal Development Kit) can offer small and independant developers, especially with their new, affordable licensing options.
Apollo gave it an8:
I loved the Alien Breed games on the Amiga back in the day. I have fond memories and remember at the time how great the games looked. Evolution follows that same trend, the graphics and the atmosphere are all very fitting. Anyone who played those original games will be instantly at home too. As far as I am concerned Team 17 nailed it and stayed true to the original formula for the fans while keeping this interesting for people who might not have played the original games. For the 800 MS points they are asking it's a no brainer for anyone who enjoyed this style of game.
