Alien Breed 2: Assault
A 2010 isometric shooter continuing the Alien Breed saga.
Alien Breed 2: Assault is a 2010 entry in Team17's long-running Alien Breed series, marking the second new game in the franchise since 1996, following *Alien Breed Evolution*. It was made available on Steam and Xbox Live Arcade. The story picks up directly from *Alien Breed Evolution* (and by extension *Alien Breed: Impact*), following engineer Theodore J. Conrad as he battles aliens aboard the spaceship Leopold.
In the plot, Conrad, the Leopold's chief engineer, tries to restart the engines of a hostile, alien-infested ghost ship that has collided with his vessel, dragging both toward a planet. When that fails, the android Mia boards the ghost ship, and Conrad must escort her to the bridge so she can hack its computers and restart the engines. Once there, Mia discovers she must physically connect herself to the ship's main computer. The ship's artificial intelligence then kills her and takes over her body, revealing itself as the former chief science officer, who became an AI seeking immortality. It explains the vessel is a 300-year-old missing Earth research ship, and that the science officer created the aliens. Conrad sets out to destroy the AI to restart the engines, ending the game on a cliffhanger. In multiplayer co-op, players control Barnes and Vance, sent by Mia to find Conrad; they locate him but are separated by an alien attack and presumed dead.
Gameplay is a top-down shooter with an isometric perspective, set in a futuristic spacecraft. Players control Conrad through levels, completing missions to advance the story. Enemies attack on sight, and the player uses various upgradable weapons and tools. Ammunition and med kits are only available at computer terminals, which also serve as save points. Conrad can move freely in any direction, and the camera can be rotated at will. Environmental hazards like explosions, fires, electrical disturbances, and enemy turrets can damage him. Each level contains data pads with story information. A survival mode challenges players to fight as many aliens as possible before being defeated, and it supports both single and multiplayer.
Reception was mixed or average across platforms, according to Metacritic. IGN gave a positive review, noting that the game feels larger than its $10 price suggests.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Alien Breed 2: Assault
- Developer
- Team17
- Series
- Alien Breed
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Arcade), PlayStation 3 (PlayStation Network)
- Released
- Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 / 22 September 2010 / PlayStation 3 / NA · 7 December 2010 · PAL · 8 December 2010
- Genre
- Shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Alien Breed 2: Assault is an immediate sequel to Alien Breed: Evolution. The plot follows Conrad, Chief Engineer of the starship Leopold, as he attempts to restart the engines of a hostile, alien-infested ghost ship that has crashed into his ship, dragging both towards a planet's surface. When this fails, the android Mia boards the ghost ship, and Conrad must escort her to the bridge so she can hack into the ship's computers and restart the engines. Upon arrival, Mia finds she must connect herself to the ship's main computer. The ship's artificial intelligence then kills Mia and possesses her corpse, revealing itself to be the ship's chief science officer who became an AI to achieve immortality. It reveals the ship is a 300-year-old scientific research vessel from Earth that went missing, and that the chief science officer is responsible for the creation of the aliens. Conrad then sets out to destroy the AI to restart the engines, ending the game on a cliffhanger.
Reader's Guide
Alien Breed 2: Assault is a third-person shooter played from an isometric perspective. The player controls Conrad across a series of levels, completing missions to progress the story. Enemies include a variety of aliens that attack on sight. The player is provided with weapons and tools that can be improved. Ammunition and items such as med kits are obtained only through computer terminals, which also serve as save points. Conrad can move freely in all directions, and the camera can be rotated at will. Conrad can be damaged by explosions, fires, electrical disturbances, and enemy turrets. Each level contains data pads with story information. The game includes a survival mode where the player fights as many aliens as possible before being defeated, playable in single and multiplayer modes. Multiplayer co-op lets players control Barnes and Vance, sent by Mia to find Conrad; after finding him, they are separated by an alien attack and both are presumed dead.
Did You Know?
- Alien Breed 2: Assault is the second new title in the Alien Breed series since 1996.
- The game's story ends on a cliffhanger, with Conrad setting out to destroy the AI.
- Multiplayer co-op characters Barnes and Vance are both presumed dead after an alien attack.
- The ship's AI reveals it is a 300-year-old research vessel from Earth that went missing.
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