The flip side of sci-fi is comically presented as you take control of an alien out to take control of the human race.
Set in the Cold War 1950s, you take on the role of Cryptosporidium, a Furon here to extract needed DNA from humans to use in the cloning process of your race (and a clone of a crashed Furon who failed the same mission). Via both third-person shooting and saucer-based missions, you'll encounter humans in a variety of environments, ranging from rural farmland, new post-WW2 suburban developments, military installations, and large cities. Much of the gameplay is borrowed from GTA, including escalating force response based on how much attention you bring to yourself, side missions that can be repeated, and 'hidden packages,' here probes with DNA to collect. Weaponry is both traditionally futuristic and mental. While you have a typical sci-fi ray/disintegration/bomb spewing gun (and, yes, an anal probe), you also have mental powers that allow you to put people to sleep or to hurl people and objects into the distance, or even better, into other enemies. The whole time you see your exploits explained away in the media as Communist subversion or the work of monkeys, and eventually discover this version of the 50s has a bit more technology than the history books indicate. Eventually you'll come face-to-face with the head of Majestic, the special anti-alien military branch who dogs you the entire game, and begin your conquest in earnest.
While nothing in the gameplay is overly memorable, it plays solid, but not spectacular. The humor is a strong point and near-constant, from thoughts in people's heads, to what they yell when chasing ("Stop, in the name of Joe McCarthy and all that's holy!") or fleeing you ("Orson Welles was right!"). Clever pop culture references are also nearly always being used, and while the youngest players may not quite get who Audie Murphy or Joe McCarthy are, they'll get the riffs on The X-Files. A liberal physics engine when using your PK skill to lift and hurl items adds a bit of visual fun when seeing the tank you just shot off careen into buildings and off other vehicles. The effect used when using your disintegration beam is nifty, and you'll never get tired of it, especially when it catches people in the middle of dodging.
The sound suffers many quirks, from lines of dialogue that get skipped in cut-scenes, voice that enters slo-mo for no reason, and people who somehow continue their dialogue after you've killed them. A map would've been nice, especially in saucer missions where it can be tough to get your bearings as there's sadly no way to tilt the camera to get a better view. The upgrade system never forces you to make any tough choices or leave room for customization, as there's typically only one upgrade available between missions, and you always have enough collected DNA to buy it.
Even if uninspired in the story and action mechanics, all the controls work well, though having the unused L2 button cycle backward through weapons (R2 cycles by default) would have made accidentally going past the weapon you want less agitating. The graphics have a more 'fun' feel than realistic, befitting the game's premise. While voicework does have a multitude of problems, the score is a wonderful play off of old sci-fi, melodramatic music. There's only one difficulty level, and with sidequests that really all repeat, there's not much to do after the game's completion, though there's some bonus unlockable archive/making-of material for completing levels 100%. It may have been a bit of a disappointment in the value department at its original price, but its elevation to Greatest Hit status makes up for this. It's certainly a worthwhile gaming experience, but for those who really watch what they spend their money on, a rental might be more in order.