Destroy All Humans! is a single-player action-adventure game that places players in control of the alien invader Crypto-137 during a 1950s Earth invasion. The core experience centers on harvesting human DNA while dismantling government resistance through a mix of infiltration, combat, and large-scale destruction. Players navigate open city environments using Crypto's jetpack for traversal and switch between ground-level antics and saucer-based assaults to progress through the story.
Gameplay
The gameplay loop revolves around completing objectives in six distinct 1950s American locations. Missions alternate between stealth segments that require maintaining a human disguise by periodically zapping brains for energy and full-scale action sequences where Crypto deploys an array of alien weapons. Psychokinesis serves as a versatile tool for lifting and hurling enemies or objects, while the jetpack enables quick repositioning and exploration across freely traversable city streets and landmarks.
Weapon variety includes the Anal Probe Gun for targeted takedowns and other psychic or energy-based armaments that encourage creative combinations during fights. The flying saucer adds another layer with its death ray for obliterating buildings and vehicles from above. A shield mechanic provides directional awareness of incoming threats, and Focus Mode allows locking onto multiple targets for efficient crowd control. DNA collected from humans funds upgrades to weapons, health, shields, and saucer capabilities, encouraging repeated visits to cleared areas for additional resources.
Free-roaming elements let players experiment with destruction and abilities outside strict mission parameters. The remake preserves the original's humorous tone through Crypto's dialogue and absurd scenarios while rebuilding environments and mechanics from the ground up for smoother controls and modern visuals.
Game Modes
The primary experience consists of a linear story campaign divided into missions across the six maps, with one map serving mainly as a tutorial area. These missions blend the stealth and action approaches described above, advancing the narrative of DNA collection and government sabotage. A restored Lost Mission set in Area 42 expands the campaign with additional content not present in the original release.
Side activities take the form of four challenge types available in each map after initial story progress. Armageddon tasks players with maximizing destruction using the saucer. Abduction involves capturing humans or objects and depositing them into a moving beam. Race requires following beacons and collecting items along a path. Rampage focuses on eliminating successive waves of enemies. These challenges provide opportunities to test abilities, gather extra DNA, and refine strategies in repeatable scenarios.
Exploration and Progression
Each of the six sandbox-style maps offers distinct 1950s settings filled with buildings, vehicles, and civilians that respond dynamically to player actions. Jetpack flight and saucer controls facilitate broad movement, while psychokinesis supports environmental interaction by flinging objects or enemies. Progression ties directly to DNA harvesting, which unlocks incremental improvements that make later missions more manageable and open new tactical options.
The structure supports backtracking to previously completed areas for challenge completion or resource farming. This setup rewards experimentation with different weapon and ability combinations without introducing unrelated systems or external progression tracks.
Is It Worth Playing?
Destroy All Humans! delivers a focused single-player campaign built around humorous alien invasion scenarios and satisfying power fantasy mechanics. Recent player feedback on the PC version remains very positive, with the majority of reviews highlighting the faithful recreation of the original's charm alongside improved presentation and controls. The game suits those who enjoy third-person action-adventure titles with open exploration, varied combat tools, and light stealth elements in a retro setting.
Its straightforward mission design and challenge variety provide clear goals without unnecessary complexity. Players seeking a self-contained experience centered on one alien protagonist's rampage through 1950s America will find the core loop engaging, especially if they appreciate the blend of destruction, infiltration, and ability-driven gameplay. The inclusion of the previously unreleased Lost Mission adds further value for completionists.
