10 Best Alien Invasion Games To Play Right Now

Last week we celebrated the launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon launch by exploring some of the best space games on tap right now. This week we are going to take a look at a less than optimal outcome of space travel – an alien invasion! Not all aliens will come in peace, and some won’t even come from outer space. No matter where they come from, Earth will need some heroes to step up and save humanity. If you think you have the mettle to keep the worst the universe has to offer at bay, then playing through our list of the top 10 alien invasion games is a great way to prove it.

10 – Space Invaders

  • Developer: Taito
  • Release Date: 1978
  • Platform(s): Arcade (original), clones on pretty much any device with a CPU

Welcome to the OG of alien invasion games. The gameplay is outdated and the graphics are about as basic as you can get without going full-on ASCII but Space Invaders clones are still coming out 40+ years later. 

9 – Phoenix Point

  • Developer: Snapshot Games
  • Release Date: December 3, 2019
  • Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

If you want a strong pedigree for your turn-based squad battles, you need look no further than the “spiritual successor” to the X-Com games, Phoenix Point. With Julian Gallop (of X-Com fame) at the helm, indie developer Snapshot Games easily funded its Kickstarter for Phoenix Point back in 2017. Finally released in 2019, Phoenix Point’s launch was mired in controversy after Snapshot chose to go with a one-year exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store. For those who could look beyond that decision, Phoenix Point is one of the best turn-based strategy games of recent history.

8 – Earth defense force 5

  • Developer: Sandlot
  • Release Date: December 7, 2017
  • Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PC

If aliens and Godzilla had babies then their offspring would be featured in Earth Defense Force 5. When you jump into this arcade shooter don’t expect any little gray men. EDF5 is all about fighting off wave after wave of giant bugs and behemoth monsters. Saving Earth doesn’t always have to be a solo effort – recruit 3 friends for online or local split-screen mayhem. Our reviewer here at GameSpace wasn’t a fan, giving EDF5 a 4 out of 10, but our community has been a little more forgiving with an average rating of 9. Which side of the spectrum do you fall on?

7 – Halo: The Master Chief Collection

  • Developer: 343 Games
  • Release Date: November 11, 2014
  • Platform(s): Xbox One, PC

You’re the Master Chief, the biggest, baddest Spartan in the UNSC, and just happen to be the last, best hope to stave off the Covenant invasion and save the Earth. With Halo Infinite set to launch when the Xbox Series X arrives later this year, there’s no better time than the present to pick up Halo: The Master Chief Collection and play through the best first-person shooter series ever!

6 – Remnant: From The Ashes

  • Developer: Gunfire Games
  • Release Date: August 16, 2019
  • Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Remnant: From The Ashes isn’t technically an alien attack story, but interdimensional evil is close enough, yeah? As you trudge through the levels of Remnant: From The Ashes you never know what type of boss you’re going to come across next. Not in the, “Oh, I’ve never seen that type of monster before” way, but in the boss list is randomized with each playthrough kind of way. Dark, gritty maps accentuate the tough, Dark Souls-esque fights in this third-person shooter.

5 – Destroy All Humans!

  • Developer: Black Forest Games
  • Release Date: June 21, 2005 (original),
  • Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Destroy All Humans! is a true 50’s era alien invasion, and this time you get to play the attacking alien instead of the wimpy humans defending the planet. If you missed the chance to play this homage to 1950s sci-fi B-movies during its stint on Xbox Games With Gold, you can still get the remastered versions for PS4 and XB1 but you might as well wait for the THQ Nordic remake that’s set to release July 28 on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. You can even pick up a demo on Steam.

4 – Nier Automata

  • Developer: PlatinumGames
  • Release Date: February 23, 2017
  • Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PC

Spoiler alert – in Nier Automata the aliens didn’t just come, they kicked our asses. Thousands of years in the future, with humanity clinging to life on the moon, you must take charge of android warriors to reclaim our planet. It takes multiple playthroughs to progress through the whole story, with 5 main endings, so enjoy the replayability of this fantastic ARPG.

3 – Gears 5

  • Developer: The Coalition
  • Release Date: July 19, 2019
  • Platform(s): Xbox One, PC

When it comes to fighting off an invasion I can only think of one person that could give Master Chief a run for his money. That person is Marcus Fenix from the Gears of War series. In Gears 5 Marcus takes a back seat to a new protagonist, Kait Diaz, and she proves you don’t have to be a gritty old bastard to kick some ass.

2 – Half Life: Alyx

  • Developer: Valve
  • Release Date: March 23, 2020
  • Platform(s): PC

When it comes to Half-Life you currently have three options. Your first option is to boot up HL1 or 2 and relive the greatness of an aging series. Second, you could just sit on your butt mumbling to yourself about how awesome it would be if Half-Life 3 ever materialized. Or, if you have a couple of thousand dollars to spare, you could pick up a VR headset and a PC powerful enough to run it and immerse yourself in Half-Life Alyx.

1 – X-Com 2

  • Developer: Firaxis Games
  • Release Date: February 5, 2016
  • Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

When X-Com had a reboot in 2012 I was one happy camper. When X-Com 2 came out four years later I was an even happier camper. With just enough base building tossed in with the tactical battles we have grown to love, X-Com 2 was my chance to redeem myself for the failures I had in the original. You can do the same, just don’t get too attached to your soldiers.

 

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