Grab New Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side for Christmas - It's Super-Fun
For those of you who've been a long-time fan of the Chicken Invaders saga, there is no better Christmas gift than the brand new fifth iteration of the poultry blasting space crusade. Interaction Studios released Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side, and as usual, it is available as a demo download and a full version worth €11.25, or $13.80. It is discounted price from the regular €22.50, and we're guessing it must be valid around Christmas and New Year at the very least.
Here ad D3k, we played all the previous versions and reviewed them here, here and here. No, wait, nearly all of us had something to say about this hilarious space shooter, so head over here and choose a review you like best. I must admit that as time goes by, the games' charm does not wear off, especially if you have kids. The premise is simple, the visuals are glam, and the gameplay is really fun while you can pick the difficulty fit for your skill level.
3-in-1
If you haven't played Chicken Invaders, yet, Christmas is the right time to get acquainted with this stellar family game. All CI full games come with three editions – standard, Easter and Christmas, each with new levels and special themed designs.
No Rest for Heroes
Story-wise, you ride a spaceship and shoot your way through the waves of… well, chicken invaders that want to colonize, or destroy altogether, mother Earth. The fifth release dubbed Chicken Invaders 5: Cluck of the Dark Side starts where the previous one ends – with you heading towards the Space Burger after you kick the feathered slime from the Solar System. What happens next is pretty predictable – they've regrouped and came back, so those juicy burgers and crispy wings will have to wait.
Cross-Platform
The game features great cross-platform support, and your full version will grant you them all – Windows, Mac and Linux. Android ports are available free of charge, which is great, and we plan to review the tablet HD version.
Multiplayer and New Perks
The desktop game allows for up to 4-player cooperative gameplay on the same computer, over LAN or via Internet. Besides the regular leader boards, Cluck of the Dark Side features visibly evolved graphics because the trailer and screenshots look dazzling.
You will get to travel across 12 galactic star systems shooting and blasting through 120 incoming waves of egg-pooping hens all dressed to kill, literally. In previous games, you only fought in the open space while CI 5 takes you on exciting planetary missions, where you fight chickens in strange and beautiful locations of far away planets.
Secret Bits and Bobs
As usual, you will be able to collect and upgrade different weapon types, and this time they can be taken as far as to 12 upgrades, with the latest 12th being a secret super-upgrade. Another perk is the secrets, which you unlock gradually as you play.
As far as soundtrack is concerned, if it follows the same Chicken Invaders line, I am afraid to turn it on because it is aggravatingly catchy, and when I think of Christmas, I hear Chicken Invaders 3 and 4 Christmas edition bells instead of the traditional Jingle Bells.
Controls
Finally, you can use your keyboard, joystick, mouse or gamepad controls, and have the game's UI run in your native language. Notably, the game supports Win XP and up to 8.1, and overall requirements are not draconian.
If you purchase the full game from the developer's website, it's yours for life and even if you lose your installer exe file, or God forbid, your computer crashes, or you want to install it on all your devices simultaneously, or worse, you lost your authorization code, you can download it again, unlimited number of times by providing Interaction Studio the name or email address you used when buying.
All things considered, Chicken Invaders 5 is an all-around great family game – fun, lighthearted and beautiful, and if in doubt, download and play the free demo!
