A likeable Sega beat'em up with three distinct characters and surprising first-person sequences. Short but energetic, great in two-player.
Your verdict
Category
Beat-'Em-Up2 players12+
Co-op
Description
Special space agents battle alien invaders in top-down view in this Sega Mega Drive beat'em up. Published by Sega, released in the United States in April 1991. Isometric beat'em up with three playable characters, various weapons to pick up and varied levels against the aliens.
Alien Storm review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Sega mixes urban brawler and slimy creatures: aliens hidden in vending machines, bins and shop windows, springing out without warning. The three characters, one a robot, each have their own silhouette, and the first-person or side-scrolling phases completely change the graphic treatment.
The accompaniment takes the tone of a science-fiction television series: emphatic synthetic brass, round bass, repeated motifs that set a serial urgency. Each type of sequence gets its theme, and the first-person passages switch to tighter writing suited to their brevity.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Blasting an alien invasion with flamethrowers, smashing the scenery to dig out bonuses and alternating shooting sections: this wild beat-'em-up never lets up. The offbeat humour and two-player co-op multiply the catharsis. Readable, generous and packed with ideas, it distils the pure joy of Sega arcade from start to finish.
Alien Storm is a Sega beat 'em up with an offbeat tone, in which three agents, including a robot, repel an alien invasion across levels blending scrolling brawling, shooting phases and running sequences. The variety of situations and the pulp humor bring real dynamism, and the cooperative playability reinforces the fun. The presentation and repetition betray the era. For fans of retro beat 'em ups and kitschy 90s science fiction, it is a snappy and likable diversion, ideal in pairs.
