Alien Breed 2: Assault

Why is it that in every "Discover a ghost ship swarming with zerg-like aliens" game, there is identically colored alien goop covering half the ship?

Wait.

Why is that even a question?  Is the sci-fi branch of survival horror so saturated with zerg-infested derelicts that a new ultra-specific genre has been born?

For that matter, if you've given me an assault rifle and as much ammo as I can use, why is this survival horror again?  There is neither fear nor even really tension, even on "veteran."  Just a lot of beasties popping out of monster closets and getting mown down by my character, a former Space Marine with "super-human"  determination and tenacity.  Also the longest active-duty service record in more than three centuries.

This. Is. Not. Survival. Horror. 

I'm not enjoying this game.  However, it hasn't managed to kill me yet, so onward we slog.

We start off in the middle of the story.  This is the middle entry of a trilogy.  As I recall, I picked it up in a steam promotion that gave it away free, or nearly free.  I can't think of any other reason why I'd buy a game out of continuity.  

Anyway, we start off have cleared the aliens from our own ship, so now we have to go investigate the ghost ship we're tangled with and find a way to unstick ourselves.

Back to the original question.  Why is it that in every "Discover a ghost ship swarming with zerg-like aliens" game, there is identically colored alien goop covering half the ship?  Yes, its an infestation or something.  I get it!  But the buggers aren't living on the decks, most of them are living beneath the decks.  What is the stuff even supposed to be, anyway?  Generalized biomatter?  Alien shit?  Creep?  ...and we're back to zerg...

Bio-junk. As gross as possible

The human corpses scattered throughout the ship appear more dessicated than gnawed on.  I wonder if the aliens eat each other or something.  No time for pondering the mysteries of the space bugs.  Must shoot them all and loot the corpses!

Loot, loot, loot the dessicated corpses!

One of the features of the Alien Breed franchised is upgradeable gear.  Which occurs at automated store kiosk things scattered throughout the ship.  Regrettably, upgrades are also hella expensive, so I have to hoard my precious loot.

A store.  With ammo for sale.  On a Ghost ship.  Yes, this makes sense

Must turn on the engines.  The mini cutscenes every time I flick a switch are getting annoying.  I want to be killing things

It's a giant machine engine thruster thing!

Pretty lights invariably means more bugs

Now that the engines are back on, I get to go deal with a boss.  Giant alien bug-squid-thing.  It's smart enough to throw explosive canisters at me, but too dumb to attempt to evade bullets.

Which I rapidly run out of.  Turns out hoarding monies for upgrades was a mistake.

Ok fine, I draw my requisite infi-ammo sidearm and BB the damn thing to death.  Eventually.

Post boss-battle.  No health and little ammo.  Uh-oh

Dear Team 17.  Please explain to me how forcing a semi-side view in a isometric game using 3D models and a single perpendicular plane of motion makes ANY sense.  If you're going to change to view on me, change how my aiming works to compensate.  Please?

Anyyay, working my way (in the damned forced side-on view) through the maintenance shaft, I finally emerge at the top near a store, with enough credits to buy some medpacks restore my health.  Excellent.

Finally a store.  Health packs FTW

Of course, beating the level immediately afterward means my health is fully restored.  ::facepalm::

Level finished. 

 Time for a break.  Chapter 2 to follow when I finish it.

Or die, horribly devoured by a hydralisk "mauler."