Looking for Aliens Review

Aliens exist, right? I’d like to believe that in the vast space out there, something exists that isn’t of this planet. It would be foolish to think we are alone in the universe. But have we already unknowingly made contact and are the aliens hiding in plain sight? That is the question posed by Looking for Aliens, a delightfully quirky hidden object game that views life on Earth from the perspective of the aliens themselves.

Presented as a TV show being beamed into the houses of aliens across the universe, Looking for Aliens points the finger at humans and our quirks, almost as much as the aliens themselves. Remember when everyone was going to storm Area 51 by Naruto running through the main entrance? That is here, along with humans falling asleep on the job and a real smorgasbord of quirky individuals.

Looking for Aliens has you looking for a lot more than just aliens. Across twenty-five levels you will be looking for humans, aliens, umbrellas, spaceships and pretty much everything else within these explorable and interactive settings. In fact, there are over 250 items in total to find.

But there are also a boat load more items to click on. Looking for Aliens has a fantastic art style with these areas looking hand drawn. Some are far larger than others too; there is a real variation in size. Most earth-based levels have a brown monochromatic look that is far prettier than it sounds. But each one also has a featured colour whether it be a light blue or dark pink that stands out against the surroundings. These usually indicate an interactable object, as well as being addictive to click on. You may not always find the specific hidden objects you are looking for using this method, but you will encounter any number of fun little things hidden away.

The artwork in Looking for Aliens is top notch. Whilst it may look initially like a Cyanide and Happiness clone, it is clearly a lot more than that. It quickly takes on its own identity and looks excellent no matter whether you are zoomed out or fully zoomed in.

The music is also in keeping with the theme of aliens. It has a very 60’s family sci-fi sitcom to it and may well get stuck in your head the longer you keep playing.

There are three categories of objects to find: mandatory items, a series of the same item numerous times and a single art card in each level. The mandatory items can range in number from just a couple to over fifteen in some levels. If you struggle on these, you can highlight them in the bottom menu and get a cryptic clue to help you narrow down where they could be. For the most part, these clues are very useful, with only the odd one being a bit too obtuse to make any sense of.

The art card can be easily found by paying attention to the little stars that pop in and out of focus around the area it can be located.

The hardest things to find are the repeated items, as there are no clues for these. Remember to look thoroughly and don’t be afraid to open up boxes, garages, tents, cupboards and more. Basically, if it has a door on it, something will be hiding behind it.

If you really struggle with a level though, there is help at hand. Looking for Aliens is a Chilidog Interactive game, so the Chilidog cheat code works here. It isn’t quite as iconic as the Konami code, but it keeps popping up. Input Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Right, Left, Left, Right and finally X to skip the level and move on.

Using the cheat code also grants you the achievements for that particular level. You could use it twenty-five times and unlock most of the fifty-eight achievements associated with Looking for Aliens, but you’d also be missing the point of the game entirely. Each level has two achievements associated with it; one for finding every mandatory item and a second for finding all other objects as well. The remaining achievements are for clicking on food, computer monitors and humanoids specific numbers of times. There is nothing too stressful and an easy achievement and Gamerscore completion regardless of whether you use the code or not.

Looking for Aliens has a real quirkiness to it, one that the hidden object gameplay lends itself to rather well. You can get fully absorbed in the landscapes and explore them completely, as you search for the items required. The tapestries are also highly interactive; almost every object can be touched and will perform an output. 

There is good amount of levels and objects to find and a really good sense of humour bringing together the overall Looking for Aliens package. Don’t let this hidden object hidden gem pass you by.

Join in the hunt with Looking for Aliens on the Xbox Store