Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side is a downloadable game you should definitely check out. It is rare when a game can keep audiences enthralled with its core gameplay for 19 years but such is the case with InterAction Studios’ Chicken Invaders, a shoot ‘em up in the vein of the classic Space Invaders from Taito that first hit the PC all the way back in 1999.
Its latest release, coming in November 2014, built upon what was introduced in previous Chicken Invaders’ releases but stuck closely to the core gameplay upon which the title is based.
How to Download Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side
You can download the free demo installer of Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side by clicking the Download button below the review. You can also immediately purchase and download the full game from Steam. The game is a lot of fun so you should avoid using any cheats that can be found online. If you like the title you can also check out special versions of the game: Christmas Edition and Halloween Edition.
The Game Review
Shoot ‘em ups are notoriously difficult games for even the most gifted gamers. Part of their appeal when they first hit the arcades back in the 1980s with the release of Space Invaders was that they were challenging and addicting at the same time.
Some of the games in this genre can be downright unforgiving and a lot of the challenge not only depends on the game’s enemies but also upon how fast the action moves. Think R-Type: If you speed up the SNES classic title R-Type you get a much more challenging game.
A lot of this mirrors the changes that have come to Chicken Invaders. As time has progressed the game has increasingly become capable of doing more things thanks to improved technology. Not only that but it has made its way to multiple platforms outside of the personal computer including Android and iOS smartphones as well as Linux and OS X.
Piloting a spacecraft against a horde of chickens in spaceships, the game is undoubtedly heavily situated in humor and parody. But this shouldn’t let you think that its gameplay is not as intense as possible. Not only is it difficult but also the humor can almost seem mocking at times of truly intense gaming challenge. Weapon upgrades are scattered throughout and building up your weapon is almost a matter of chance as it is preference.
Collecting drumsticks from defeated chickens enables you to earn missiles that can later be used to devastating effect in the game. Basically, if you find yourself in a bind these missiles act much like Contra’s bombs do and wipe out everything on the screen save your spaceship.
When it comes to delivering bang for your buck value few games can match Chicken Invaders. Like Space Invaders from which it takes a lot of its inspiration, Chicken Invaders is an endless game that pits you against an infinite loop of enemies. You will never finish the game as there technically is no ending to the title.
Amazing, eh?
This means that a lot of the fun and challenge from Chicken Invaders comes from progressively improving how good you are at the game. Since you don’t have to worry about a narrative or a certain ending, the game encourages mastery as a core element of what makes it so much fun.
In this way, Chicken Invaders is more of a throwback game than perhaps its creators ever realized. It both offers a compelling, classic challenge while putting it in the guise of a cynical, humorous take on the genre at large.
