The PlayStation 2-era of video games opened up the floodgates for open-world games. Slowly but surely, these sandbox experiences gave players different ways to cause wonton mayhem in the digital world.
Grand Theft Auto 3 was the first success of this new wave of video games, and soon more and more of its ilk came into the spotlight. As the gangster aesthetic was taken, developers had to find other ways to justify players wreaking havoc.
That’s where Destroy All Humans! came in, with players assuming the role of alien invaders in the vein of Mars Attacks! With the goal to conquer Earth, the game made use of all the tropes one has come to expect from classic film portrayals of extraterrestrials.
After a remake of the first game was made in 2020, Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed has been released in 2022, bringing the 2006 classic back from the dead. How does it hold up? Let’s take a look.
Return of Crypto
A humble beginning for sure, but Destroy All Humans! 2 is where things get really trippy as it takes the players on a new adventure in the swinging ‘60s. Set ten years after the events of original, this decade provides a more vibrant setting.
In terms of plot, Crypto is back to exact his revenge on the KGB for blowing up the Furon mothership. As he uncovers the schemes of his enemies, he must also have to form alliances with the very humans he came to enslave.
Furon Fury
Additional mechanics added in the sequel is the body snatching gadget, which allows Crypto to assume the form of any human NPC to either escape from the authorities or enter restricted areas. There’s also the added dash ability, which can also be held to allow Crypto to skate around the map.
All this makes for a seamless open-world experience, allowing players to really go through each mission with ease. Coupled that with the imaginative weapons like the Meteor Strike and Burrow Beast, this game is filled with souped-up Ratchet & Clank weapons.
On top of all that, players will also have to pilot Crypto’s UFO to either cause havoc in the cities he visits or use the tractor beam to gather humans to upgrade Crypto’s abilities. The UFO handles like a dream and is a nice respite from the usual on-foot missions.
UFO Madness
The humour of the game is crass but very enjoyable, especially the banter between Crypto and his boss Pox, played by J. Grant Albrecht and Richard Steven Horvitz respectively. This remake also adds additional skins for Crypto and his UFO, so players can walk around in Darksiders cosplay if it tickles their fancy.
Truly, Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed is close to a perfect remake, one that masterfully keeps the spirit of the PlayStation 2 original alive while providing some much-needed modern improvements.
It’s a direct contrast to the ill-fated Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, which comes nowhere near the polish of Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed. We’d even go far as to recommend skipping the first Destroy All Humans! remake and go straight for Reprobed.