Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed Review (PS5)

good
key review info
  • Game: Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
  • Platform: Playstation 5
  • Show system requirements
  • Reviewed on:
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed key art

For a certain generation of gamer Crypto will always be the equivalent of a gray, violent, trigger happy and yet funny alien, and not some currency. After the first part of Destroy All Humans! made fun of the 50’s America, the second part took gamers to 60’s and presented an alien take on the hippies, free love, the Cold War and anything associated with that period. Now the game has been remastered using Unreal Engine 4, and some minor new content. Is it still fun to try to conquer Earth or should this alien invader phone home for good?

The game picks up 10 years after the events of the first part with Crypto successfully replacing the US president, while his commander, Pox has the time of his life in the mothership. The Age of Aquarius couldn’t make Crypto happier, the free love and drugs being the best party favors our alien anti-hero can ask for. Things become a bit more complicated when the KGB finds the time for a side hobby next to the Cold War: alien hunting season.

The story did not evolve and remains an ironic framework that makes more or less tasteful jokes about all the stereotypes associated with the end of the 60’s. Likewise the gameplay remains the one of a game released in the PS2 era, Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed featuring a series of side quests that focus on action. The remastered does not alter in any way the recipe of the original game, trying to be fun and accessible for as many gamers as possible.

Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
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You can still use your alien powers to mind control humans around you, to make them forget that they ever saw you and even take on their appearance for a while. All the while Crypto is keeping himself from getting bored with witty one-liners. If everything else fails you can pop-out your laser gun to crisp up humans, you can blow them to atoms or you can fry them till their brains pop out. The fun remains the same no matter if you are roaming in the US, UK, Japan or in Russia.     

What changed is the presentation: the Unreal Engine 4 really makes the game pop, the colorful visual style coming to life with the graphics engine, making it a fun experience to explore the various locations. An extra incentive to canvas every corner and fulfil the side activities are the new costumes that turn Crypto in a series of whacky characters from hippie to hell spawn.

The list of collectibles is pretty long, and next to your look you can also customize the look of your spaceship. But the advantages for collecting odds and ends is not just cosmetic, since the tech landed on Earth after the mothership went “Dasvidania” is part of the evolution both of the abilities and the arsenal of our cranky alien friend. You will need to invest in yourself to be able to keep up with the ever-growing number of opponents.

The publisher of the game took a stance on cross platform compatibility, addressing the game only for the current gen and PC. As a result, the detail-oriented visuals are impressive, especially if we take into account the size of the open game world. The developers are targeting a 4K resolution with 60Hz fps, and for most time they accomplish it.

There are moments though when the framerate becomes severely choppy and only a restart of the game fixes the issue. Also, the flying of your saucer around is not the smoothest experience, this adding up to the other technical issues. Hopefully the bugs and other issues will be addressed through a day 1 patch.

Overall, in around 10-15 hours you can finish (again) the second chapter of the Furon invasion on Earth. The co-op mode is a welcome extra, that elevates the fun, while the four different difficulty levels keep the challenge in check. There are moments though when the game could have used a bit more balancing, like the fight with Gojira. Even with all the new improvements Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed remains a AA title that offers a glimpse in the PS2 era.

Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
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The Good

  • Shiny new graphics
  • Same whacky humor
  • Well integrated minor improvements

The Bad

  • It needs better optimization
  • Boss battles feel very unbalanced

Conclusion

Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed remains a good example about how a remake should look and feel. Although part of the PS2 era, the game has aged well, and it remains largely entertaining. The new elements do not feel out of place, but they also do not overhaul the game experience.

If you loved the original, the remaster will be a pleasant stroll down memory lane. If you are a newcomer, I recommend starting with the remaster of the first game to understand the story and fully appreciate the evolution of the gameplay.

Review code provided by the publisher.

story 7
gameplay 7
concept 8
graphics 8
audio 7
multiplayer 8
final rating 7.5
Editor's review
good
 
NEXT REVIEW: F1 Manager 2022

Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed screenshots (28 Images)

Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed key art
Destroy All Humans! 2 – ReprobedDestroy All Humans! 2 – ReprobedDestroy All Humans! 2 – ReprobedDestroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
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