Destroy All Humans! (2020 video game)

Last updated
Destroy All Humans!
Destroy All Humans remake cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Black Forest Games [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) THQ Nordic
Director(s)
Producer(s)
Designer(s) David Sallmann [lower-alpha 4]
Programmer(s)
Artist(s) Eric Urocki [lower-alpha 6]
Writer(s)
Composer(s) Garry Schyman [lower-alpha 8]
Series Destroy All Humans!
Engine Unreal Engine 4 [7]
Platform(s)
ReleasePS4, Windows, Xbox One
July 28, 2020
Stadia
December 8, 2020
Nintendo Switch
June 29, 2021
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Destroy All Humans! is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Black Forest Games and published by THQ Nordic. The game is a remake of the 2005 original game and the fifth installment in the Destroy All Humans! franchise. This remake is the first entry in the franchise since Path of the Furon (2008).

Contents

Destroy All Humans! was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 28 July 2020. It was made available for Stadia on 8 December 2020. A Nintendo Switch port was released on 29 June 2021. It received mixed reviews from critics and had sold over 1 million units by May 2021.

Gameplay

The game is played from a third-person perspective. The player controls Cryptosporidium 137 ("Crypto" for short), an alien who arrives on Earth in 1950s America to harvest human DNA. [8] Crypto is equipped with a vast arsenal of alien weapons such as the Zap-O-Matic and Anal Probe, to defeat enemies. He also has superhuman skills such as psychokinetic powers and the ability to disguise himself as humans. [9] Crypto can use a jetpack to quickly navigate the environment. He can also command the flying saucer, which is equipped with a death ray to kill opponents. [10] Players can perform movements such as gliding and dashing, and they can chain actions together such as shooting enemies while levitating them. The game introduces the Focus Mode, which allows players to lock onto other enemies. Crypto is protected by a shield, which informs players the direction of hostile attacks. The game features six sandbox locations which can be explored freely. Each location offers unique challenges for players to complete. [11]

Development

A team of 60 people in Black Forest Games served as the game's developer. [12] The original game's dialogue and humor remained intact, though the team enhanced them by updating the character models and cutscenes and introducing motion capture. [13] Instead of re-recording the lines, the team used the audio from the original game and improved its quality for the remake. [14] The game also includes a mission named "Lost Mission of Area 42" that was scrapped during the development of the original game. [15] Black Forest considered developing the remake as a "natural continuation" of their work after finishing the development of Fade to Silence as they learned more about utilizing the technology and designing large, open areas. [16]

THQ Nordic acquired the intellectual property rights from THQ in 2013. In 2017, the firm reaffirmed that the company realized the demand for a new game in the series and added that they were exploring options to revitalize the franchise. [17] The game was officially announced in June 2019. An extended gameplay demo was launched at E3 2019. [18] It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One and Stadia. [19] [20] [21] A standalone multiplayer spin-off, titled Destroy All Humans! Clone Carnage was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows via Steam, on May 31, 2022. [22]

Reception

Destroy All Humans! received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. [23] [24] [25] [26]

Sales

Destroy All Humans! sales exceeded THQ Nordic's expectations. [38] By May 2021, the game had sold over 1 million units. [39]

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References

Notes
  1. ↑ Original game developed by Pandemic Studios.
  2. ↑ Brad Welch was the director of the original game. [1]
  3. ↑ Gordon Moyes was the producer of the original game. [1] [2]
  4. ↑ Brad Welch was the lead designer of the original game. [3]
  5. ↑ Adam Iarossi was the lead programmer of the original game. [1]
  6. ↑ Fiona Francois was the lead artist of the original game. [1] [3]
  7. ↑ Tom Abernathy was the writer of the original game. [1] [4]
  8. ↑ Schyman was the composer of the original game. [1] [5] He provided the development team with the recordings of his original score to be used in the remake, but did not compose any new music. [6]
References
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pandemic Studios (June 21, 2005). Destroy All Humans (PlayStation 2, Xbox). THQ. Scene: Credits.
  2. ↑ Healey, Nic (January 16, 2013). "Accelerator program opens for Aussie mobile-gaming devs". CNET . Red Ventures . Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Francois, Erin (June 30, 2019). "Destroy All Humans: A Trip Down Memory Lane". The Nerd Daily. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ Kreuch, Martin (July 28, 2020). "Examining the satirical humor of Destroy All Humans!, out today". PlayStation Blog . Sony Interactive Entertainment . Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Garry Schyman Scores Destroy All Humans!". Games Industry. Gamer Network. June 6, 2005. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ Vieversys, Ignas (May 10, 2022). "Garry Schyman – I've gotten to satisfy my love for composing through game scores". Gamemusic. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ Kayser, Daniel (2019-09-03). "Players enjoyed more than 100 Unreal Engine games at gamescom 2019". Unreal Engine . Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  8. ↑ Goslin, Austen (June 7, 2019). "Destroy All Humans! remake is heading to PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2020". Polygon . Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  9. ↑ Tarantola, Andrew (June 12, 2019). "'Destroy All Humans!' returns to finish the job in 2020". Engadget . Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  10. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (June 7, 2019). "Destroy All Humans hands-on — A remake with pretty landscapes and mean aliens". VentureBeat . Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  11. ↑ Cardy, Simon (June 21, 2019). "Destroy All Humans! New Twists to An Old Formula". IGN . Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  12. ↑ Wise, Josh (June 14, 2019). "Destroy All Humans remake development details revealed". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  13. ↑ Tucker, Kevin (June 12, 2019). "Destroy All Humans remake dev talks changes and features". Shacknews . Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  14. ↑ McCarthy, Cathy (June 7, 2019). "Playing The Strange Destroy All Humans Remake Left Us With One Question: Why?". USgamer . Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  15. ↑ Khan, Imran (June 7, 2019). "Destroy All Humans: Alien Nation". Game Informer . Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  16. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (June 7, 2019). "Destroy All Humans: How Black Forest Games is bringing the maniacal aliens back". VentureBeat . Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  17. ↑ Batchelor, James (July 5, 2017). "How THQ Nordic will build a successful brand out of a failed one". Gameindustry.biz. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Destroy All Humans Remake - 15 Minutes Of Cinematics And Extended Gameplay Demo | E3 2019". GameSpot . June 13, 2019.
  19. ↑ Romano, Sal (19 August 2019). "Destroy All Humans! remake adds Stadia version". Gematsu. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  20. ↑ Phillips, Tom (April 28, 2020). "Destroy All Humans revival lands in July". Eurogamer . Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Destroy all Humans!™ Makes PlayStation®4 Debut | THQ Nordic GMBH".
  22. ↑ "Multiplayer spin-off Destroy All Humans! Clone Carnage now available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC". Gematsu. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  23. 1 2 "Destroy All Humans! for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  24. 1 2 "Destroy All Humans! for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  25. 1 2 "Destroy All Humans! for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  26. 1 2 "Destroy All Humans! for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  27. ↑ Makedonski, Brett (August 1, 2020). "Review: Destroy All Humans!". Destructoid . Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  28. ↑ Juba, Joe (July 27, 2020). "Destroy All Humans Review – An Obsolete Invasion". Game Informer . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  29. ↑ Leri, Michael (July 27, 2020). "Destroy All Humans Remake Review - The extraterrestrial with extra enhancements". Game Revolution . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  30. ↑ Carr, James (August 3, 2020). "Destroy All Humans Review - Two Arms, Two Legs, And An Attitude". GameSpot . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  31. ↑ Shive, Chris (July 27, 2020). "Review: Destroy All Humans! (2020)". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  32. ↑ Stapleton, Dan (July 27, 2020). "Destroy All Humans! Review". IGN . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  33. ↑ O'Reilly, PJ (June 28, 2021). "Destroy All Humans! Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life . Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  34. ↑ Tailby, Stephen (July 27, 2020). "Destroy All Humans Review (PS4)". Push Square . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  35. ↑ Hawkins, Josh (July 27, 2020). "Destroy All Humans! review: Back in the saddle". Shacknews . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  36. ↑ Musgrave, Shaun (July 12, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Ender Lilies' and 'The Silver Case 2425', Plus the Latest Releases and Sales". TouchArcade . Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  37. ↑ Wise, Josh (July 27, 2020). "Destroy All Humans! review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Destroy All Humans! Remake Sales Have Exceeded Publisher's Expectations" . Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  39. ↑ "FULL YEAR REPORT 2020/2021 AND Q4 WEBCAST PRESENTATION" . Retrieved 20 May 2021.
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