After Destroy All Humans! appeared on the original Xbox system, it was no surprise that THQ got going on a sequel not long after, this time for Xbox 360. And in this new adventure, titled Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon, bad-boy alien Crypto is taking on the human race in the ’70s. In the time since the first title, he set out for fame and fortune as a hotel/casino owner in a Las Vegas-like metropolis. But the events of the day require him to get out into the world again in search of human DNA from the brain stems of countless innocent victims and a whole lot of destruction.
There’s certainly a lot for players to do in Path of the Furon. The “story” part of the game takes the player through a handful of regions in search of story segments that’ll advance the game. These story missions are marked with a large green beacon rising up from the location like a spotlight, and generally involve going somewhere to complete a task (or tasks), and getting some wild, humorous cutscenes in between all of it.
In addition to the story thread, it provides a series of other tasks. One group are “Odd Jobs” or activities that don’t necessarily connect to the main story, but further Crypto’s standing in the world. There are also “Challenge” activities, such as a race against the clock to finish the X number of gates before the timer runs out. And there are activities that are strictly for opening up spots on the map as landing pads for Crypto’s big battle saucer.
To accomplish each of these milestones, Crypto needs to complete some job or duty, and to facilitate it, he’ll occasionally receive a new item…most of which are offensive weapons and many of them weird. Among the diverse arms available are an Ion Detonator, which is like a sticky grenade with a big blast radius; a Superballer, which tracks down the nearest target and bounces it away in higher and higher arcs, leaving a rainbow trail behind; and the returning Anal Probe gun, which homes in on the target’s tail pipe. In his saucer, he has such tools as a destructive Death Ray beam and the Seeker Drone homing missiles.
DNA that Crypto gains in the course of tapping brain stems, as well as in payment for jobs well done, is the game’s currency. It’s usable for when you go into the Upgrades screen, where each weapon can be boosted with such enhancements as more ammo and stronger damage. While they’re not like cash for purchases, Path of the Furon also has items strewn around in each level that are collectibles that go toward the game’s completion status (and certain achievements).
The death and destruction that Crypto wreaks doesn’t come without risk. Path of the Furon has a Grand Theft Auto-like system of escalating law-enforcement involvement. At the start, he has some free reign to run rampant, but then raises the attention of the authorities. When an alert is put out, it first brings just the local police. If Crypto keeps being bad, SWAT van and teams will roll out. Eventually, the army is called in with missile-tossing tanks and helicopters.
Crypto also has psychokinetic (PK) powers that come into play in a number of ways. On the basic level, he can get into people’s heads to read their thoughts—which sometimes offers clues—and blast their brains so he can collect their DNA. He can also snatch their bodies, inhabiting them to get close to people who might not react so well if they knew he was a three-foot-tall alien, but it also helps (in conjunction with a Disco Fever infestation he can put on a group that puts it into an uncontrollable fit of line dancing) to lower the alert level when the law is on his tail. And then there are offensive PK abilities, such as throwing objects and enemies; and magnetizing items and even humans. Stopping time temporarily is helpful to putting together a strategy or getting out of there when you’re swarmed.
Oddly enough, Path of the Furon many failings and deficiencies aren’t necessarily in the gameplay area. As an open world, you can take Crypto around the current region you’re in, then do the story missions, jobs and challenges as you choose—though there are some that won’t appear until you complete others, so the whole map isn’t immediately populated with every task available at the start. If you just want to tear up the town and its population to build up your DNA cache, you can keep yourself busy on the crowded streets and properties.
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