Review: Alien Breed for PS Vita

Alien Breed is a bit of a classic. At the start of the early '90s, it was the game that made Team17 a success and allowed the studio to go on and create the huge Wormsseries.

20 years later, it sure feels prehistoric, with level design that boils down to "here are some doors, corridors, and aliens - have fun!"

And yet we found ourselves warming to this special edition release, because it's the definitive way to play Alien Breed - instead of overhauling the game entirely Team17 has lovingly restored it so that modern audiences can see what the 16-bit generation got so excited about back in 1991.

An alien in modern times

Alien Breed involves slowly but surely exploring a space station that has been infested with alien creatures.

You play from a top-down perspective, blasting enemies with your big beefy guns, collecting cash and keycards, and forging a path to each exit.

Along the way you can use your cash to purchase items and upgrades from the shop. Whether you choose to blast through doors with your gun or purchase keycards to move through the ship entirely is up to you.

There's no denying that Alien Breed is showing its age. The action becomes hugely repetitive after a while, and modern twin-stick shooters do everything this game has to offer but better.

If you played through Alien Breed many moons ago, you're probably not going to want to revisit it, lest it tarnish your memories.

Breedom

But there's a saving grace to Alien Breed on PS Vita, and that's just how much attention has gone into making this edition the best money can buy.

From the UI to the new visuals to the various extra game modes and level packs - plus the fact that the entire original game in all its glory is packed in here - Team17 clearly cares about its age-old game, and really would quite like to share that love with you.

And that's not to mention the online functionality. You can play through the entire game online with a friend, which seriously increases the enjoyment levels.

There's also online leaderboards for each and every level, mode, and game. You have to give credit to Team17 for ploughing so much effort into this game.

Alien Breed isn't as much fun as it once was, but this Vita version is chock full with content and love. If you've never played Alien Breedbefore, give this version a bash.