Review: Space Invaders Forever – PS5, PS4

I remember playing Space Invaders as a kid on one of those plug-and-play consoles that was basically a controller that you hooked up to your TV. I don’t remember if I liked it, but the fact I remember is something, I suppose. That was well over 20 years ago now, and here in 2021, Space Invaders doesn’t really have a place. It was once the pinnacle of gaming, but these days its seen as a sad relic that keeps getting dragged from its grave for one more tour.
That’s not to say that there isn’t anything to like about this small compilation if you’re a die-hard Space Invaders fan. The package includes three Space Invaders games, though only one of them managed to hold my attention for more than a few minutes.

Space Invaders Extreme is, well, Space Invaders, but extreme. It’s the same simple gameplay of pinging away aliens as they mooch their way down the screen, but with the added twist that there are powerups and boss battles. But by and large, it’s still just Space Invaders.
Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE is Space Invaders with a bigger playing field and the addition of multiplayer. My boy, Charlie, who at 4 years old is already quite the gaming expert, was not interested in the slightest and begged to be able to go back to Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. I obliged because I wasn’t really feeling the game either.
Lastly, we’ve got Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders, which is at least a little more interesting than the other two games in this three-game deal. But really, is blending one dead franchise with another the best way to revive either? Not really, but I enjoyed the change in scenery and the change in gameplay. Rather than sending a little gun across the bottom of the screen to ping tiny little bullets upwards, you move a slab around and deflect the enemy fire back at them. But even then, this is a simple port of a smartphone game. It might be fun to play while waiting for your Rona test to come through, but it’s not really fitting for a good old-fashioned sit-down session on the big screen. At least it’s a little fun, though, and it makes use of the PS4 and PS5 controller touchpads for its gameplay, which is a rarity these days.

The package as a whole is not all that great and the asking price of $29.99 is far too high. I hate to say that any game series should die (aside from Crash Bandicoot) but I think Space Invaders has had its time in the sun, but now it’s time to be put to rest. The 80s was a great time, as far as Hollywood has told me, but not everything from that decade needs to be dragged up and paraded around every few years. Eddie Murphy got the hint, and now it’s time Space Invaders did, too.

Space Invaders Forever PS5, PS4 Review

• 4/10
  Overall - Bad - 4/10

4/10

Summary

Space Invaders Forever is a three-game deal that only really has one worthwhile entry, and that’s a port of a smartphone game. There are only so many ways you can rehash the ancient space shooter, and even pairing it up with another dead franchise hasn’t given the series any kind of rejuvenation.