Alien Breed 2: Assault
A third-person isometric shooter continuing the Alien Breed saga.
Alien Breed 2: Assault is a 2010 title from Team17, marking the second new installment in the Alien Breed series since 1996, following Alien Breed Evolution. It launched on Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network. The story picks up from Alien Breed Evolution (and by extension, Alien Breed: Impact), following engineer Theodore J. Conrad as he battles aliens aboard the Leopold spaceship.
The plot directly follows Alien Breed: Evolution. 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 this 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 connect herself to the main computer. The ship’s artificial intelligence then kills Mia and takes over her corpse, revealing itself as the ship’s former chief science officer, who became an AI to achieve immortality. It explains the vessel is a 300-year-old missing Earth research ship, and that the 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; after locating him, they are separated by an alien attack and presumed dead.
Gameplay is a third-person shooter with an isometric perspective, set in a futuristic spacecraft. Players control Conrad through levels, completing missions to advance the story. Alien enemies attack on sight, and the player uses various upgradable weapons and tools. Ammunition and items like med kits are only available at computer terminals, which also serve as save points. Conrad moves freely in all directions, and the camera can be rotated. Environmental hazards—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 dying, playable in single or multiplayer.
Reception was mixed or average across platforms, according to Metacritic. IGN gave a positive review, noting it is a small game that feels big while playing, a notable achievement for a $10 title.
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 toward 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 further reveals that 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. The game ends on a cliffhanger. Multiplayer co-op consists of players taking control of Barnes and Vance, who have been sent by Mia to find and help Conrad; after finding him, they are separated by an alien attack and both are presumed dead.
Reader's Guide
Alien Breed 2: Assault is a third-person shooter set in a futuristic spacecraft and played from an isometric perspective. The player controls Conrad across a series of levels, tasked with missions to progress the story and finish each level. While accomplishing these missions, the player encounters a variety of alien enemies who attack on sight. The player is provided with a set of different weapons and tools that can be improved. Ammunition and items such as med kits can only be obtained through computer terminals, which also serve as save points. Conrad can move freely in all directions; the camera can be rotated at will. Conrad can be affected by the environment, receiving damage from explosions, fires, electrical disturbances, and enemy turrets. Every level has data pads containing relevant story information. The game includes a survival mode that puts the player to fight as many aliens as possible before being taken down, playable in both single and multiplayer modes. According to the review aggregation website Metacritic, the game received 'mixed or average reviews' on all platforms. IGN gave a very positive review, stating, 'It's a small game that feels big while you are playing it, a laudable accomplishment for a $10 title.'
Did You Know?
- Alien Breed 2: Assault is the second new title in the Alien Breed series since 1996 after Alien Breed Evolution.
- Multiplayer co-op features characters Barnes and Vance, who are sent by Mia to find Conrad.
- The game ends on a cliffhanger, with the follow-up Alien Breed 3: Descent released on 17 November 2010.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Alien Breed 2: Assault?
It is a third-person isometric shooter developed by Team17 and released in 2010. The game serves as the second brand-new entry in the Alien Breed franchise after a long hiatus that stretched back to 1996.
Who do you play as in Alien Breed 2: Assault?
You control Theodore J. Conrad, the chief engineer aboard the spaceship called the Leopold. His central task throughout the game is fighting through waves of hostile aliens while attempting to get the ship's engines running again.
What platforms was Alien Breed 2: Assault released on?
The title launched digitally on Steam for PC, Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360, and PlayStation Network for PS3.
How does the story of Alien Breed 2: Assault connect to earlier games?
The plot is a direct continuation of Alien Breed Evolution, which itself followed Alien Breed: Impact. In Assault, a ghost ship infested with aliens has rammed into the Leopold, and Conrad must fight through its corridors to restart the damaged engines.
Why is Alien Breed 2: Assault notable in the series?
It broke a roughly fourteen-year gap between new Alien Breed releases, rekindling a franchise that had been dormant since the mid-1990s. Team17 used it to reintroduce the series to a modern audience across multiple digital storefronts.
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