Chicken Invaders 4

 
Developer: InterAction Studios
Steam Release: Jun 2014
Hours Played: 6.3
Similar To: Drive To Hell / Sky Force Anniversary / Titan Attacks / Xenoraid
Rating: 5/5 Parsnips

GAMEPLAY
Not a game to be judged by its tacky outward appearance, Chicken Invaders 4 happens to be one of the most absorbing and satisfying space-invader type shooters you can get. What's more, numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 all make an appearance on Steam! You take control of a large ship in outer space and essentially gun down wave upon waves of chickens who seek your demise in a myriad of different ways... a hundred to be precise; for each wave consists of a different attack configuration: sometimes they'll come at you in a swirling circle; sometimes in the traditional space-invader way; other times they'll be in spaceships or behind metallic barriers; in other waves your ship will turn slowly 360 degrees while at others you'll have to crack open their eggs first. It's always different and dynamic and you get five lives to go as deep as you possibly can.  

BALANCE & PACE
To keep you busy, there are a variety of drops to collect as you smash the hordes to pieces and watch the feathers fly. Collect 50 items of food such as burgers or drumsticks and you'll be given a one-use all-powerful rocket-missile; pick up gift-wrapped boxes or swirly orbs and your weapon increases power; keys are currency to buy unlockable perks outside the main game and so on and so forth. Just remember the eggs are not food - they will blow you up. The game is divided into 10 chapters or star systems of 10 waves each culminating in a decent but doable boss fight. Fun and frivolity is definitely what the developers are going for here - it's highly satisfying but not overly easy or overly hard. The main tactic is to keep collecting those floating upgrades to increase weapon power and not to die which will reduce it.

PRESENTATION & DESIGN
The Chicken Invaders series are also mobile games and InterAction Studios do not go for high production values so menus are kept basic. Your pointer is a fork which can only be moved up or down through choices in the menus. Another slightly annoying feature is that when you start a new game there are five time-consuming cut-scenes that you have to click through before getting to the start of the game with no option to dive straight in. The design of the game itself though, despite obviously not hailing from a Triple A budget, is a satisfying joy to play. Chickens squawk and cluck as they're mown down and eggs crack nicely as they split open. Sound for the food being chomped on as you collect it also brings a sense of well-being to the fore. There are also clearly audible warnings and alerts when your weapon overheats.

PROGRESS SYSTEM
After clicking Fly Solo for the single player game, you're given a few choices in how to play. Rookie, Veteran or Superstar Hero gives you your level of difficulty. Start New Mission throws you in from Wave 1 and of course this is the best opportunity to achieve a high score. However if unlocking levels is your bag then you can Continue Mission to start a game from the beginning of the chapter or the star system from where you met your demise in the last game. This completing-the-game-in-batches-of-10 idea works well. On the main menu you may peruse your medals (achievements), view your stats or display your unlockables (bought with dropped keys) which are essentially perks to make the game well-rounded. Ultimately, of course, you have a high-score chart accessed from the Hall of Fame in the main menu which displays your Top 10 scores. 
 

CONCLUSION

Some may bemoan the lack of an online leaderboard but this little known title is a fairly big favourite among those in-the-know; its popularity limited by the fact that it's a budget title that's had its day in the mobile sun and not exactly given pride of place in the Steam Store. But I guess that's the type of burden many indie games have to bare. Let it be known that if you are a fan of the space-invader type 2D shooter then you owe it to the cause to get this game and number 5 (1, 2 and 3 aren't as good). Variety is most definitely the spice that brings this particular game to life. It may become familiar - but in that satisfying way that makes those dabbles with Chicken Invaders 4 less about chore-like repetition and more about zany entertainment.