Ultimate Alien: Ben Cosmic Destruction

The new game that introduces the new alien heroes: Water Hazard, Armodrillo, AmpFibian, Terraspin and NRG from the Ultimate Alien: Ben Cosmic Destruction television series, allowing players to tunnel or beat through evil alien enemies, unleash water blasts, emit radiation beams, shoot electricity bolts and fire, wind attacks, and more, with a unique experience system which lets them upgrade alien attributes and abilities. The game also provides all-new game enhancements such as Quick Switch, which allows players to switch alien forms faster than ever, and Quick Time Events which creates a cinematic experience that guides players through fierce boss battles and challenging puzzle elements.

Action takes the form of a platform puzzler, and the game is well paced to ensure there's a decent balance between these elements. Neither are particularly fun but they're not too awful either Ultimate Alien: Ben Cosmic Destruction excels in being utterly run-of-the-mill in most respects.

The graphics are pretty poor for an HD title – natural, I suppose, when a game is ported across so many systems. The levels, too, look very drab – there's very little aesthetic flourish on offer here. Controls are decent, though combat is pretty dull – and, to be fair, members of the target audience probably aren't old enough to be playing Arkham Asylum.

Despite these misgivings, the gameplay actually isn't all that bad. It's a pretty short playthrough, but the mix of puzzles, platforming and enemy-bashing are diverting enough. Pacing is good, and there's enough of a challenge on offer to mean there's some satisfaction to be found in completing the game.

The aliens at your disposal can be upgraded using collectable points and there's a decent amount of bonus content on offer, including a short making-of documentary. These sorts of franchise titles, especially ones aimed at children, are often unforgivably lazy, and at least it feels like some effort has been made here to provide value.

The parents of Ben Alien loving kids won't feel shortchanged by Cosmic Destruction. But they won't be tempted to play. Children's cartoons and their video game adaptations probably weren't much better in my day. But I still can't help but feel that a title that has no ambitions to cater to anyone beyond a niche audience is something of a missed opportunity.