Alien Overkill

For some reason best known to its creator, Alien Overkill is not a twin-stick shooter.

Enemies come at you in waves from all sides but you must rigidly fire straight ahead with arms apparently locked in fear.

Even 45 degrees would be a reasonable concession but, in a title so devoid of charm, originality, or excitement, it’s hardly surprising the controls are unrefined as well.

With no real plot to speak of, you are placed in the shoes of one man fending off waves of generic alien enemies across a trio of themed levels (space ship, ice world and, inevitably, the xenomporph hive).

Most enemies don’t have any trouble finding their way around the bland, sparsely furnished maps, as they zero in on the hero with homing missile-precision – though some get stuck on scenery and have to be hunted down.

Along with a basic rifle there are four other weapons to pick up - like the over-powered shotgun, which fires spray shots that can travel from one side of the map to the other.

The flamethrower and RPG might seem like attractive options for more efficient alien genocide, yet - thanks to the clunky controls - they’re more dangerous to your health bar than those of invading critters.

Movement relies on an unreliable virtual joystick, which likes to lock at inconvenient moments and makes moving the hero generally about as smooth as steering a tank with one track.

Firing and weapon-switching is handled with a single button, exactly where the second joystick would be if Alien Overkill’s gameplay had been properly thought through.

Speaking of bizarre design blunders, who thought that making everything (movement, bullets, enemies) move at snail pace would get the blood pumping? It’s like the maps are smeared in treacle, or you’ve accidentally flicked on a slow motion switch.

Perfectly suiting its beyond-bland name, Alien Overkill is quite simply a drab, ultra generic, and deeply unambitious shooter that produces about as much adrenaline as a match of lawn bowls.