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Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed - Review

Crypto returns for more carnage and innuendos
Score: 3/5
Reviewed by Joe Wilcock on PS5 - October 05, 2022   



Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed is a repetitive mixed bag, repackaged for the modern age. When it’s firing on all cylinders, it can offer some thrilling moments through its inventive combat and relentless satire. When it’s not though, it can devolve into a frustrating loop of mediocracy and cringe. That’s not to say that its flaws are fatal. Some are quite charming in fact, akin to a high-production B movie, which the game’s tone fittingly plays into.

Structural issues and fundamental problems aside, all of which are hangovers from the original Destroy All Humans 2, the facelift Reprobed has received is marvellous. The graphical prowess of the remaster fits right in with current generation graphics, it can look outright beautiful at times. Incredible detail and effort litter the game’s varied locations, making for some appealing backdrops for Cryptos’s mischief. Player models still look rather dated and there are some questionable audio glitches, but overall it does Destroy All Humans 2 more than justice. 

Old fans will rejoice at the treatment it's received, but is it worth a play for newcomers? 
 



Our Man Crypto
 

Set in 1969 across several vibrant locations, players assume the role of Cryptosporidium, a Furon who is hellbent on taking down the KGB after an early game altercation. Accompanied by the hyper-sexualised femme fatal, Natayla, Crypto must pillage his way across San Francisco, London, Tokyo, Siberia and the Moon as he seeks his vengeance.

Crypto is undoubtedly the star of the show in this globetrotting adventure but he is a divisive figure. Most of the game's humour leans heavily on Crypto's narcissism and misogynistic tendencies, which may not be to everyone's liking. His line delivery is never in question though, he's sarcastic yet sinister, but oftentimes the writing is juvenile and childish enough to potentially deter some.
 

The Alien Who Probed Me


The narrative serves as little more than a vessel for Crypto to apply his comedic talent. With that said, there are moments within it that are genuinely inventive and clever. Dialogue trees offer either extra exposition or character background, which isn't anything new, but sometimes it will allow you to blatantly berate, annoy or antagonise characters to no significant end. Other times, characters will ask you questions regarding the plot and key events that have come to pass, wrong answers can even get you killed. This forces players to tune in and pay attention to the story, lest they get caught out and punished. 

Destroy All Humans' main selling point is its novel concept, it always has been. Putting the players into the shoes of an irrelevant extra-terrestrial allows for the use of some interesting abilities and story beats. Telekineses, mind control, shape-shifting and weaponised amnesia are all at Crypto's disposal and Reprobed is at its best when it utilises these abilities, particularly when you are required to combine them. The most memorable missions are the multi-phased ones, classic espionage and subterfuge mixed with massive skirmishes culminating in either a boss fight or a flying saucer segment. 
 



From Russia With Guns
 

Crypto also comes equipped with several alien weapons that serve as your tools for destruction. The gunplay can feel similar to the recent Ratchet and Clank titles when it throws enough enemies at you. Some weapons will last long in the memory such is their capacity for calamity. The Meteor Gun, for example, can open up a portal that reigns down Meteors on your foes. A true sight to behold

It's so powerful in fact that it can bring down entire buildings, as can many other weapons. Destroy All Humans is renowned for its impressive destruction and it is on full display here with the remaster. Buildings can be set ablaze and crumble into blooms of smoke and fire, leafs dynamically burn off trees, and the Death Ray scorches the earth it touches as it obliterates all in its path. Towns can be virtually levelled leaving little more than ruins. Even by today's standards the fundamental mechanics of the destructions is amazing. 

Traversing these landscapes couldn't be more fluid either as Crypto comes equipped with a jet pack and rocket roller skates. The S.K.A.T.E manoeuvrability never gets old, it allows for smooth and hasty travel around the game's large maps.   

Add to all of that some intriguing side missions, hilarious ambient NPC dialogue and awesome skins for both Crypto and his saucer as well as two extensive skill trees and we're left with a pretty unique experience. 
 



Aliens Stole My Brain Stem
 

Unique though it is, Reprobed is riddled with flaws. There are long stretches of the game that will no doubt frustrate players to no end. 

The biggest sin Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed commits is its mission structure. It's mind-numbingly repetitive, severally lacking any kind of variation or reprisals from the monotony. It's a one-trick pony that fails to realise its own potential. Almost all of the missions in the game follow the exact same format; Crypto needs information and in order to ascertain it he must Cortex Scan a more knowledgable other, he then takes this information and assassinates, destroys or disables a person and/or facility. This formula accounts for almost two-thirds of the entire missions list and it's painfully noticeable when it follows it for three, four and sometimes up to five missions in a row. 

The story doesn't pick up the slack either. The narrative is more of an inconsequential sequence of events rather than a cohesive narrative. It says an awful lot whilst saying nothing at all. Players will oftentimes be left wondering what their motivations are as the story progression gets muddled during the second act. Some missions are simply redundant as well, Crypto will engage in side endeavours without any benefit to himself, sometimes even to his detriment. 

The production value can be shocking in parts too, especially around key events. The omission of any fanfare or cutscenes upon entry to a new location makes that first impression feel hollow. Sounds effects are completely missing for the majority of the cut scenes, killing some of the game's flagship moments. It is also prone to crashing if things get too intense. 

The game itself can feel very easy for large portions too. As awesome as the guns are, they're extremely overpowered and telekinesis can dispose of any imminent danger pretty efficiently. Crypto will breeze past whole armies of the military to extract some information without receiving so much as a bullet graze. It is admittedly thrilling at the start but the enemies don't scale as much as they should.
 



The Good, the Bad, and the Furon
 

Destroy All Humans is as easy to love as it is to hate. The first act exemplifies everything positive about the game, but as soon as that mid-game repetitiveness sets in, it can become a chore to play. Its core is full of good ideas and the effort put into the remaster, and the original game is evident. However, it so rarely pushes itself to mix up its gameplay loop. For every mission, it gets right the proceeding two will follow that damning formula. That being said, when that one in three mission does come along, it's pure unadulterated fun. 
 


Check back with DailyGamer for more reviews.

 

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