Gameplay

So, the question remains, was it fun? Well, kinda actually yeah. As mindless as it was, it was pretty entertaining to run around and shoot stuff up. There was some strategy involved; stuff like ducking behind walls and popping out to fire a grenade worked a lot better than running in, guns blazing and out of control. The bullets were perhaps a bit too easy to sidestep . . . I'm no Keanu Reeves, and even I had little trouble with it. In fact, I had little trouble with the demo; I beat it my first time through on "Normal" difficulty level. One would think that it'd get harder when you have to make your lives last longer than one stage, though, so I don't see challenge as being a problem with the game.

Shoot. A lot.

I love this gun

One thing that was, if not a problem, an annoyance, was the boundaries of where one could walk. It would have been nice to have the levels opened up a bit, and perhaps give the game a slightly less linear and confined feel. There were places that just begged, "explore me, explore me!" which were surrounded by invisible walls. There are some hidden areas scattered through the levels, though, so there is enjoyment and power to be gained from searching off the beaten path.

Fire at will

Not a message you want to see

The aliens did have decent AI, which was nice. For example, when there was a barrier between the marine and them (which, oddly, the marine's bullets destroyed, but theirs were ineffectual against), I moved my marine up to it to see what they would do. Instead of hording toward him, they formed a formation that kept him from being able to take them all out. Also, if you aren't careful, the aliens will make a point of surrounding you and catching you in a crossfire.