Gameplay

Ben Tennyson returns again to save the world from imminent destruction. Based on the third incarnation of the long running Cartoon Network Ben 10 series, Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction places you in the shoes of the show’s hero. A cosmic storm rests at the edge of the galaxy, threatening Earth’s destruction and Ben must use his ability to transform into the many alien species at his disposal in order to stop the large new foe, a To’kustar. Problem is, he isn’t powerful enough to fight him alone and must traverse the globe in order to find and combine a set of Galvan artifacts that can upgrade the Ultimatrix to a form capable of beating him.

Levels vary in look and feel with locations like Rome, The Amazon, Tokyo, and The Great Wall of China. Each has its own enemy subtype with different attack variations for each type. Before starting each level, players are given the option to choose four of the ten (eleven possible after beating the game once) available aliens with the game offering its recommendations. Ben can switch between the chosen aliens with a combination of the L trigger and a flick of the right stick. Each alien also has four special attacks that can be performed by holding the R trigger along with one of the face buttons. Special attacks range from projectiles to charge moves and, in the case of Echo Echo, producing clones.

Each of the selected alien’s abilities are used to solve various puzzles throughout the level in order to proceed. For example, you may need Humungasaur to move a large block to allow Spidermonkey to access an out-of-reach grapple point that swings him to a bridge where Water Hazard can use his blast to move a truck, saving some civilians. As elaborate and challenging as this sounds, it ends up being ruined because Gwen appears before each puzzle and tells you exactly how to complete them. This is easily the worst part of the game. Many of the more interesting and elaborately designed puzzles are completely ruined by the appearance of Ben’s know-it-all sister beforehand. I understand the target audience for this game are younger players but she turns the game into nothing more than a guided trek through each level.

Graphics/Video

In between levels, the story is pushed along by CGI scenes of the characters and their fight against the To’kustar. It offers a good mix of funny moments that set up the levels that you’ll be running through next. The quality is great and it provides a different spin on the look of the characters and villains. Fans of the show will appreciate the style used here.

Supporting 1080p resolution, the graphics engine behind Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction doesn’t particularly push the Xbox 360. Regardless, the character models present here are faithful representations of the cartoon versions. I particularly loved the design of Big Chill. He was by far the coolest looking character and the levels requiring him were much more elaborate and fun to play, especially the Great Wall, which ended up being my favorite level.

Audio/Sound Effects

The sound track features different tunes for each of the levels and generally involve a soft steady beat guiding the rest of it. During the boss battles and the ultimate scenes that the game is known for, a heavy guitar riff is introduced. It’s all standard fare for this type of game and I didn’t find any of the songs particularly memorable. On the other hand, Ben 10 Ultimate Alien Cosmic Destruction features some excellent voice work by show’s cast. Dee Bradley Baker returns as the narrator and several of the alien forms. The great John DiMaggio reprises his voice role as the newscaster Will Harangue and the unlockable character Rath. The rest of the main cast also returns so fans will appreciate the immersion that occurs here.

Overall

Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction captures everything that’s great about the show and delivers a fun, puzzle laden experience that fans will absolutely love.  If you could just get your sister to stop telling you what to do all the time, it’d be awesome.

ComicsOnline gives Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction 3.5 out of 5 alien transformations.

Buy it here on Amazon today!

Keep it here at ComicsOnline for more video game reviews and Everything Geek Pop Culture!