Console: PlayStation 2 (also available for Xbox).

Developer/publisher: Pandemic/THQ.

Genre: Action.

Number of players: One.

ESRB: T for Teen.

Premise: You are Krypto, an alien chosen to lead attacks against planet Earth preceding its invasion during the 1950s, starting in the suburbs of America, a place where residents live and enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as family drives in the muscle car, smoking a cigarette and a fresh coat of lead paint on their homes.

Game play: Although the "destroy the world" motif has been done several times in gaming history (take the old-school "Rampage" series, for example), never before has it been done with such clever execution of story.

As Krypto, you carry out a mission by using your arsenal of weapons and special powers. While your primary attack is to vaporize any enemy in sight, the game requires more meticulous methods, such as shape-shifting, scanning humans' cortexes, hypnotizing them and extracting their brain stems for DNA (which allows you to buy upgrades).

Certain missions will require multitasking. For example, one task you must complete is to take the shape of a human, hypnotize the newly crowned Miss Roswell and take her to your saucer for scientific research.

While the game play is quite good, the icing on the cake is the humor. The dialogue between Krypto and his leader, Crypto Sporidium 137, is great; spin-filled headlines that appear at the end of a level or when you die are priceless; and there's an inexplicably hilarious moment in the game where you pose as the mayor of the town.

Good/bad: The only bad thing about this game is that it is incredibly short, which may disappoint many gamers. Also, parents may find the cartoonish violence and suggestive dialogue inappropriate for young gamers.

Tip: If you feel you are losing support from the audience during your speech as the mayor, don't hesitate to resort to bashing communism or childish insults of other towns to win back their hearts.

My take: For all the effort behind it, "Destroy All Humans!" never lives up to its potential. While it plays its chintzy, B-movie setting to the hilt, what shoots this game in the foot is its lack of innovation when it comes to game play and its brevity. There is no doubt in my mind this will be a popular game, which is good because that may lead to a sequel. Despite its drawbacks, the game is fun and offers a good time for anyone who decides to pick it up.