Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection is now available for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, bringing together six classic games from the 1990s with a host of new features. The collection, released by Commodore, Team 17 and Anstream, includes the original top-down shooters and the 3D Doom clones, all enhanced with quality-of-life upgrades.
Six iconic games in one package
The collection features Alien Breed from 1991, Alien Breed: Special Edition from 1992, the ECS and AGA versions of Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues, the Amiga and Amiga CD32 versions of Alien Breed: Tower Assault, Alien Breed 3D from 1995, and Alien Breed 3D II: The Killing Grounds from 1996. While it omits the modern reboots from the 2000s, these are the most iconic entries in a series that still holds up today.
Inspired by the Alien movies, the original Alien Breed and its sequels are top-down shooters where players hunt for keys while blasting Xenomorph-styled monsters. The never-ending alien assault, moody visuals, limited ammo and maze-like levels create compelling action.
Balancing challenge and innovation
Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues offers faster, more intense gameplay, with improved visuals and refined mechanics, though its first stage can be annoying. Alien Breed: Tower Assault strikes the best balance, with superb level design and a challenging but not relentless pace.
The two 3D games are particularly noteworthy. Alien Breed 3D, from 1995, embraces first-person visuals popularised by Doom and Wolfenstein, though its graphics appear basic even for the time. Alien Breed 3D II: The Killing Grounds is a technological leap forward, with free-aim mechanics and jumping making it feel more modern and playable.
Modern upgrades and bonus content
All games benefit from quality-of-life upgrades, especially controls. The top-down games can be played like twin-stick shooters, and Killing Grounds supports dual-analogue aiming. Screen filters, save states and bezels are also included. The interactive Alien Breed Archives, presented as a top-down stage, offer bonus materials like developer interviews, timelines and forgotten concept demos from the PSP, including footage of a planned fantasy version of Alien Breed.
The Horde mode, found within the archive, pits players against endless alien waves. While it provides short-term fun, the other games offer hours of replay value. The collection earns a verdict of 4/5.
