Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks

The Ben 10 franchise has spawned a lot of games since its debut in 2005. While most of those games have been shovelware at best, there’s the unusual “hidden gem” among the rubble for any franchise, and in this case, that gem would be Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks. Combining action platforming with puzzle-solving, Vilgax Attacks is an entertaining game for younger audiences, or for those who enjoy the action-packed Cartoon Network show.

Multiple aliens, multiple versions

Ben 10 receives his name for his ability to transform into ten different alien species with the power of the Omnitrix to fight the baddies and to save the day. It wouldn’t be a proper Ben 10 game if players weren’t able to turn into those aliens, and Vilgax Attacks won’t disappoint fans there.

Nine of those aliens are available in every version of Vilgax attacks: Spidermonkey, Humungosaur, Big Chill, Swampfire, Goop, Brainstorm, Echo Echo, Chromastone, and Jetray. Here’s where the game differs according to which version you get, though. Every version of the game includes Cannonbolt as the tenth alien, except for the Nintendo DS game, which gets Murk Upchuck instead.

An alien for every occasion

Each of the seven levels of the game presents players with a mix between beat ‘em up action and puzzles. These puzzles aren’t as complicated as, say, the ones in The Legend Of Zelda, but more like the simple ones found in games like Lego Star Wars.

Many of the riddles require that the player alternates between aliens, as each creature has special abilities that will help Ben overcome obstacles. In combat, each alien also has their dedicated move set and particular strengths.

Being aimed at younger audiences, both combat and puzzling is never too complicated, ideal for first-time gamers and kids who enjoy the show. Similarly, the game’s upgrade system is very straightforward, with every alien being able to unlock new moves and some simple stat upgrades.

Shoot ‘em up

Between levels, players get the chance to pilot a ship across space and blast some asteroids. The game seems to acknowledge how out of place these moments are by giving the player the option to skip these segments. There’s nothing to be gained from these sections in the main game, and their inclusion seems puzzling at best.

Additionally, there’s a clear lack of balance when it comes to the aliens. Even though each alien plays differently, players will quickly become accustomed to using a single alien in every combat encounter, and that’s fine. Other than solving puzzles, there’s no real reason to change from your favorite alien.

Just like the cartoon (?)

Unlike many other cartoon-based video games, Vilgax Attacks doesn’t go for the obvious cel-shaded style. Instead, the game uses simple and colorful textures to portray the characters and levels.

This is both a blessing and a curse for Vilgax Attacks: on one hand, this helps the game look better on lower resolution consoles, like the PS2 and Wii, but at the same time, it makes the game look awfully dated.

Pros:

• Responsive controls
• Simple puzzles are great for young players
• Each alien feels truly unique

Cons:

• Drab visuals
• Not enough content to warrant a second playthrough
• Uninteresting plot