I played a couple of great games this year during PAX West at the Versus Evil booth, but perhaps the standout title for me was Let Them Come. Though I really enjoyed Antihero, I have an obsession with oldschool, hardcore pixelated beauties like this. Developed by Klemen Lozar, Let Them Come is one long machine gun sequence against an unending horde of merciless alien scum.
It plays out a bit like the movie Alien, which had to have inspired it. You play the last man standing on a space station that has been overtaken by vicious monsters. They express a great range threats, running the gamut from tiny spiderlike critters that leap at your face to two legged runners to gelatinous blobs which explode when nearby. Besides the variety of minor foes, all of which can turn you into a pool of blood and guts on the ground, there are also insane boss fights against massive foes who can end you in an instant.
The gameplay plays out in waves of foes, and in the demo, the boss fight occurred after the 25th wave. The good news is, it’s not game over if you die. Depending on how many enemies you can kill without dying first, you’ll get points that can be redeemed between waves for various upgrades. These range from basic ammo upgrades to new secondary weapons, such as stun grenades and molotov cocktails, to things like new tunes to listen to while you get your kill spree on. You will also occasionally be rewarded with temporary upgrades as you play, such as health recovery, a barbed wire barrier and much more.
I have to say, I was very surprised by just how much I fell in love with Let Them Come. It’s challenging, addictive, easy to get lost in and very atmospheric. The pixelated graphics are buttery smooth and the music is just ominous enough to keep you on your toes. I’m very excited to try out the final build when it releases sometime in the future for PC and mobile, and hopefully even some consoles. For a better of idea of why I enjoyed it so much, check out the Let Them Come trailer below!
