Path of the Furon In Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon, players will pick up where prequel Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed leaves off, controlling Crypto in the Funked Out 1970s when a mysterious new enemy attacks, launching a conspiracy that unravels Crypto's groovy new way of life. Also I liked the amusement park addition in the fourth ring of furon, because after you've completed all the missions and side missions and gotten every upgrade; there wasn't much to do besides destroy all humans (and some furons), but making a few minigames was a nice way to break up the time, like a chilled version of killing all the humans. Path of the Furon, players will pick up where prequel Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed leaves off, controlling Crypto in the Funked Out 1970s when a mysterious new enemy attacks, launching a conspiracy that unravels Crypto's groovy new way of life and threatens the very survival of his Furon race.
Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon | |
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Developer(s) | Sandblast Games |
Publisher(s) | THQ |
Director(s) | Jon Knoles |
Writer(s) | Micah Wright Jay Lender |
Composer(s) | Garry Schyman |
Series | Destroy All Humans! |
Engine | Unreal Engine 3[1] |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360[2] |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon is an action-adventurevideo game developed by American studio Sandblast Games and published by THQ. The game is set in the 1970s and is the fourth and final installment in the original Destroy All Humans! franchise. It was released December 1, 2008 in North America for the Xbox 360.[3][4]Path of the Furon expands on the open world format of the previous Destroy All Humans! games, with five open worlds on the ground and in the air to obliterate with weapons and alien powers.
On November 26, 2008, the North American PlayStation 3 version was canceled citing 'development issues'.[5] However, the PlayStation 3 version was still released in Australia on February 12, 2009 and Europe on February 13, 2009 alongside the Xbox 360 release.[6]
Gameplay[edit]
Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon has over 30-story missions, 20 side quests, and multiplayer modes. As with previous games, most story missions can be played in a non-linear order. Creative director Jon Knoles stated that the side quests would be related to the story, would also be creative, and 'epic'. Knoles added that the achievements are tied to statistic tracking in the game, and they are unique to the weapons and abilities found, allowing the player to experiment with different possibilities. For example, IGN noted that when the player takes the 'Sunny' off of the Sunnywood sign they get a cutscene and one of the more creative achievements.[7][8] There are also challenges and mini-games that the player can return to repeatedly to better their score and collect more rewards. There are five new open-world locations based on Las Vegas ('Las Paradiso'), Hollywood ('Sunnywood'), Hong Kong ('Shen Long'), Paris ('Belleville'), and the home planet of the Furons itself, The 4th Ring of Furon.[9]
Multiplayer[edit]
This game features split screen offline multiplayer. Most challenges are player versus player, although one is co-op. The maps are scaled down versions of their single-player counterparts. The games are Ion Soccer, where players use their ion detonators to shoot a ball into each other's goals, Brain-O-Matic, where players PK humans into a machine that will extract their brains for processing, and Abductorama, basically a competitive game of 'keep away', in which the goal of the game is to abduct the ball, and keep it out of the reach of the other player until the player color fills up the bar, or get the bar filled up more than the other player and keep it like that until time runs out. There are no co-op single-player missions, nor can the player play through the story with co-op.
Plot[edit]
After the events of Big Willy Unleashed, Cryptosporidium 138 (Crypto) (J. Grant Albrecht) crashed his old saucer into the Space Dust casino in Las Paradiso while drunk, perishing in the crash. His cohort Orthopox 13 (Pox) (Richard Horvitz) clones Crypto 139, and they take ownership of the casino, which they use to maintain a steady flow of cash and human DNA. They discover that the local mob seeks to gather information on them. Crypto defeats the mob, destroying their profits and taking control of the city.
Soon he begins hearing an etheric voice beckoning him to the path of enlightenment. As Crypto begins to discover the potential of his powers, strange creatures arrive and attack. Pox identifies them as Nexosporidium warriors (Nexos), who are supposedly extinct. In an act of desperation, Pox orders Crypto to destroy all of Paradiso to erase any evidence of their being there. Crypto reluctantly does so, and the pair flee to Sunnywood. In Sunnywood, the duo assume Curt Calvin (Andre Sogliuzzo), leader of the Lunarian Church of Alientology, to be another DNA harvesting Furon on Earth.[10] They stage an alien landing to draw Calvin out. Crypto confronts the cult leader and demands he show his true Furon form. A Nexosporidium walker appears and steps on Calvin, revealing he is actually human. After defeating the walker, Crypto is shot in the neck with a dart and faints.
Crypto awakens days later in a monastery ran by a Furon known as The Master (Darryl Kurylo). He reveals that one hundred years ago imperial traitors marked Emperor Meningitis, ruler of the Furon Empire, for death. He stopped the assassination, but was in turn marked for death. Fleeing to Earth, he crash-landed off the coast of China near the town of Shen Long. He soon realized eastern philosophies could help him improve his mental abilities, and so immersed himself in their culture. He built an academy and passed on knowledge to followers. His apprentice, Saxon (James Horan), became power hungry, forming a triad to oppose him. When Crypto next returns to the monastery, he witnesses Saxon kill the Master. He interrogates the villain at gunpoint amidst the sudden appearance of Nexos, and Saxon dies in the confusion. Pox deduces that the Nexos have been cloned on Earth, and only one organization could accomplish such. They then set off for Belleville, France, home of the Francodyne corporation.
Crypto infiltrates the mansion of Francodyne's CEO Henri Crousteau (Michael Lonsdale), but Crousteau escapes. Pox and Crypto learn Crousteau intends to create a virus to destroy the Furon DNA within the human genome. Crypto sets out to destroy his Nexo manufacturing operation. He causes a riot between the workers and destroys the Nexo laboratory. However, Crousteau still manages to create the virus and sends four Nexo walkers to distribute it into the river. Crypto destroys the walkers and defeats Crousteau in a final battle at the Belleville tower. He learns that Crousteau only wanted to destroy his own race to stop the planet from being polluted, that he was feeding the Nexos synthetic DNA, and that he wasn't responsible for the attack on the casino. The Nexos that attacked were rogues responding to a signal from the Furon homeworld. Crypto realizes that Emperor Meningitis (Nolan North) is responsible. He and Pox set off for the Fourth Ring of Furon to confront the emperor.
Upon arriving, Crypto immediately attacks the palace. The emperor expels them from the city and erects a large shield. Pox and Crypto manage to deactivate it and re-enter the city. Pox reveals that since he once worked for the emperor, his biometrics are still in the system, allowing them to open the palace door. Crypto and Pox download Pox's clone data from the imperial repository and clone Pox a new body, Orthopox 14. However the wrong mold is used, and Pox exits the machine with a simian appearance. Pox informs Crypto they'll need a distraction, and to start a human riot in the artificial human habitat. As the riot ensues, Crypto confronts Meningitis, defeating him, but the emperor disintegrates from old age before he can be interrogated.
The Master then reappears from the Jade Talisman Crypto inherited from him, revealing that he was the conspirator who set everything in motion and controlled the Nexos. The Jade Talisman was actually a cloning device used so that after Meningitis was defeated, he could become the new emperor. Crypto becomes infuriated and motions towards Pox to slam The Master against a wall, killing him. Feeling defeated, Crypto tries a canister of synthetic DNA, but vomits at its horrible taste. Pox tells Crypto that as long as synthetic DNA cannot be stomached, their mission wasn't a sham. Crypto realizes that Pox is right, and decides to return to Earth. Pox then tells Crypto he isn't returning with him, and takes the throne. As Crypto walks out of the palace, the other Furons begin running in to greet their new emperor.
Development[edit]
The musical score is performed by composer Garry Schyman. According to the game's creative director, Jon Knoles, there are approximately 15,000 lines of spoken dialogue in the game.[8] There is more back and forth banter between Crypto and Pox, interactive conversations, and more human minds to read. There are between 30 and 50 thoughts for each human in the game and about 2000 in total.
Reception[edit]
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Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon received 'generally unfavorable' reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[11]
Reviews of the in-game soundtrack fared generally better. GameZone said, 'The score still has that sci-fi B-movie feel with a heavy dose of '70s-styled funk and disco tossed in for good measure.'[19]
References[edit]
- ^Anthony, Gallegos (April 4, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans!: Path of the Furon (PS3)'. 1up.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
- ^'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon'. THQ. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
- ^Goldstein, Hilary (February 2, 2007). 'Red Faction, MX to Return THQ lists six franchises for its fiscal future'. gamepro. Retrieved December 17, 2008. – THQ CEO Brian Farrell mentions work on the Destroy All Humans franchise for the 2008 fiscal year.
- ^Gibson, Ellie (November 28, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans PS3 coming to Europe'. Eurogamer. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
- ^Faylor, Chris (November 26, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans PS3 Cancelled'. Shacknews. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^Faylor, Chris (December 1, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans! PS3 Not Cancelled in Europe'. Shacknews. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^Ahearn, Nate (April 4, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon Hands-on'. IGN. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
- ^ abGoldstein, Hilary, Geddes, Ryan (April 1, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans: Prepping for the Next Invasion'. IGN. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
- ^Chester, Nick (April 7, 2008). 'THQ Gamer's Day: Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon impressions'. Destructoid.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
- ^Watters, Chris (April 4, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon Hands-On'. GameSpot. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
- ^ ab'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon for Xbox 360 Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
- ^Hayward, Andrew (December 2, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans!: Path of the Furon Review'. 1UP.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^Sterling, Jim (December 12, 2008). 'Destructoid review: Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon'. Destructoid. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon'. Edge: 89. February 2009.
- ^Gibson, Ellie (February 13, 2009). 'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon Review (Xbox 360)'. Eurogamer. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- ^'Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon'. Game Informer (190): 85. February 2009.
- ^Noble, McKinley (December 22, 2008). 'Review: Destroy all Humans! Path of the Furon'. GamePro. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^Thomas, Aaron (December 9, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ abValentino, Nick (December 9, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon – 360 – Review'. GameZone. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^Geddes, Ryan (December 11, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon Review'. IGN. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^'Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon'. PlayStation Official Magazine. April 2009.
- ^Lewis, Cameron (December 1, 2008). 'Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon'. Official Xbox Magazine. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
System: X360 | Review Rating Legend | |
Dev: Sandblast | 1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid | 4.0 - 4.4 = Great |
Pub: THQ | 2.0 - 2.4 = Poor | 4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy |
Release: Dec. 1, 2008 | 2.5 - 2.9 = Average | 5.0 = The Best |
Players: 1-4 | 3.0 - 3.4 = Fair | |
ESRB Rating: Teen | 3.5 - 3.9 = Good |
However, buried beneath Path of the Furon's plethora of problems lays the same Destroy All Humans experience that one would expect. Players will once again take to the air in a suped-up UFO, blasting enemies and abducting locals. New UFO landing sites will once again require you to perform a small task for Arkvoodle in exchange for the right to use them. Crypto can still complete an abundant supply of humor-infused missions while gaining new weapons and powers to help him along the way. Collecting human brain stems still provides Crypto with Furon DNA that can be used to further upgrade his tools of destruction.
While the heavy usage of the words 'still' and 'again' in my descriptions of the gameplay may seem repetitive, it is actually quite appropriate because this game doesn't really try anything new. Sure, there may be a few new weapons and abilities, but they do little to distract players from the fact that all of the missions in the game severely lack variety and some even feel like they were extracted directly from previous games in the series: destroy X number of buildings/objects using your UFO; keep character X safe until a timer runs out; read this person's thoughts and assume that character's body to proceed, etc. and repeat endlessly.
Even the game's multiplayer has taken a big step backward. Gone is the ability to have a second player help you through the game's story. In its stead are three fairly lame mini-games that you'll likely not want to play more than once or twice each. One has you and a friend in separate UFOs trying to hang onto an abductee to fill an onscreen meter. Another consists of using Crypto's psychokinetic power to grab and hurl pedestrians into a rotating brain harvesting machine. The only one that might provide the slightest amount of fun and replayability is called Ion Soccer. Here you and your opponent use the Ion Detonator to direct a sphere into goals to score points. This mode can be entertaining but since there is no real variety to it, it also fails to keep you interested past the first few matches.
In the end, Path of the Furon fails to raise the bar for the Destroy All Humans franchise, even taking some dramatic steps backward. While new weapons like the Venus Human Trap and new powers such as the ability to freeze time can be useful and amusing, even they can't disguise the repetitive and uninspired nature of the game's missions. Players can no longer play through the story side by side, instead getting three halfhearted mini-games to ignore after only a few matches. Add in some fairly lackluster graphics, numerous glitches, and recurring framerate issues and Path of the Furon becomes even less fun to play than the series' previous iterations. If you absolutely need a new Crypto game to play, then rent Path of the Furon. Otherwise, you may just want to revisit one of his previous exploits.
By Adam Brown
CCC Staff Contributor
This game doesn't look too dissimilar to its predecessors on the last generation of consoles. That is, except for all of the glitches and framerate issues that continually plague the entire experience.
The game controls fairly well except for some problems that arise when trying to aim at specific enemies.
The original voice actors are back and continue to do a great job.
Repetitive and uninspired missions abound as do glitches that can make completing missions more difficult or even impossible without reloading. The lack of a co-op mode for the campaign is also a huge letdown.
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.
Destroy All Humans Path Of The Furon Ps3 Isos
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