Line #10 VideoGame/AttackOfTheEarthlings


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/attack_of_the_earthlings_header.jpg]]
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3	''Attack of the Earthlings'' is a TurnBasedStrategy game developed by Team Junkfish. It received a Platform/{{Steam}} release on February 8, 2018.
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5	The Swarmers are a highly aggressive alien species, that devour other lifeforms and convert their biomass into more drones...and in this case, [[VillainProtagonist our protagonists]]. The human-led Galactoil energy corporation is hell-bent on harvesting the universe's energy for profit, and one of their colony-sized drills has chosen the Swarmers' world as a target. As [[PerspectiveFlip the aliens,]] the player is tasked with eliminating all of the staff aboard the drill, starting each level with a single Matriarch and increasing their unit numbers through human consumption.
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8	!!This game makes use of the following Tropes:
9	* AlienInvasion: Inverted; you're an aggressive native species protecting your home world against humanity.
10	* ArmourPiercingAttack: Sulkers and Banshees go through armour like tissue paper.
11	* BadBoss: Both Pecker and Dennis, but bonus points go to Pecker for preparing to exterminate on the lowest level for [[YouHaveFailedMe sheer incompetence]]...before realizing your aliens are at fault.
12	-->'''Pecker''': ''Well, boys, looks like your disciplinary exercise has just become a bog standard alien elimination.''
13	* BlackHumor: Plays the concept of an alien attack for all the laughs it's worth.
14	* BizarreAlienReproduction: The Swarmer Matriarch can spawn numerous grunts, which can then morph into one of three different evolutions, after the species collectively consumes enough biomass (including fallen brethren).
15	* CampingACrapper: The Matriarch's entrance into level 3.
16	* CloseRangeCombatant: Swarmers by default,[[SwarmOfAlienLocusts obviously,]] with the exception of disruptors, who can shoot spines. Also Banshees.
17	%%* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Regional Manager Dennis Dickinham, voiced by Creator/SungWonCho.
18	* DragonAscendant: Pecker (literally) usurps Dickinham's chair in the final battle, and traps him in his own mech suit, preventing him from retaliating. Might have done him more good if the swarm wasn't breathing down his neck...
19	* DeathByMaterialism: There are many regular, unarmed members of the staff too occupied with their own greed to notice approaching Swarmers.
20	* EliteMooks: Aside from the elite guards, which are just normal guards with more health, there are several on both sides, each with a rock-paper scissors relationship:
21	** Banshees, [[CloseRangeCombatant Close Range Combatants]] who penetrate all armour and [[TakingYouWithMe explode upon death.]] Countered by [[LongRangeFighter Disruptors,]] who can kill them from a distance without being counterattacked.
22	** Heavies, who have [[HeavilyArmoredMook armour]] and carry [[GatlingGood a minigun]] that can cut through even brutes. Countered by [[StealthExpert Sulkers,]] who have an ArmourPiercingAttack and enough damage to one-hit them.
23	** Scanners, who have 360 vision and 2 (weak) attacks a turn, allowing them to forstore all ambushes. Countered by [[HeavilyArmoredMook Brutes,]] who can armour up enough to tank all their shots, leaving them open to retaliation.
24	* EatTheEvidence: Devouring the humans' corpses prevent them from raising the alarm, in addition to providing delicious biomass for your enjoyment.
25	* ExplosiveBreeder: The Matriarch can pump out one swamer a turn without impeding any of her other actions. Can be Exploited by placing another swarmer down to attack somethings just out of reach, for example.
26	* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:At the end of the game, when his protective barrier finally breaks, Pecker admits defeat and accepts his fate. [[UndignifiedDeath Unfortunately for him, that's when Dickinham's now-out-of-control mech crashes through a wall and crushes him]].]]
27	* FedToTheBeast: Occurs to a hapless henchman in level four, allowing the matriarch to escape containment. Parodied in that Dickinham set up a "Cellsharing" policy to build camaraderie between man and beast, without realizing the [[EatenAlive logical result]] of leaving the former with the latter.
28	* GatlingGood: Heavy Troopers.
29	* HiveQueen: The Matriarch, natch.
30	* HordeOfAlienLocusts: The Swarmers, as opposed to the humans, who are "mere" PlanetLooters. Downplayed in that they haven't moved off-world, and it's implied the Matriarch's attack started in order to avenge her multi-jointed kin.
31	* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Naturally. At least when humanity is represented by a corporate incarnation of greed and ignorance, anyway!
32	* ItCanThink: You are literally outgunned and outnumbered at the start of each level, and have to use stealth and guile to get enough Swarmers to win.
33	* IncompetenceInc: Glactioil. The only thing worse than their quality assurance is the employee life expectancy, and the only thing worse than that is your [[BadBoss choice]] [[PointyHairedBoss of bosses.]]
34	* ManChild: Dickinham; his office includes a private movie theater, a mini-golf course, and a one-horse carousel ([[CompanionCube affectionately named Pearlie]]).
35	* OneBadMother: The Matriarch is the strongest unit you have at the start and only gets stronger with additional upgrades.
36	* OnlyInItForTheMoney: The motivation of all encountered employees on the Galactoil drill.
37	* OnlySaneMan: Pecker immediately realizes the imminent danger, but is considered a coward by his boss.
38	* PerspectiveFlip: Think {{Film/Aliens}}, but from the perspective of said aliens.
39	* PlanetLooters: Galactoil's business model.
40	* PointyHairedBoss: Dickinham.
41	* PuzzleBoss: The final challenge. [[spoiler:Pecker is holed up in Dickinham's office, while the boss himself is trapped in a large mech. The Swarmers need to activate three power switches so the defense systems are overloaded, which turns Pecker into a GetBackHereBoss.]]
42	* SpiritualAntithesis: To [[VideoGame/XComEnemyUnknown X-Com, specifically Enemy Unknown]]. In X-Com you play as the humans, but in ''Attack of The Earthlings'' you play as aliens. The former focuses on cover, the latter focuses on stealth. The former has a large number of randomly generated missions, the other has a small number of longer, set-pieces based missions. Finally, while X-Com's soldiers are each unique assets you want to keep alive for as long as possible, all the Swarmers (with [[HiveQueen one exception]]) are expendable and identical.
43	* StealthBasedGame: Placing your Swarmers in line of sight is a sure recipe to getting them shot at and killed: instead, you must focus on outmaneuvering and outwitting your foes.
44	* StealthBasedMission: Level 4, where attacking your foes is not even an option until the lab's power goes out.
45	* RocketTagGameplay: The swarmers or humans who can last for more than 2 of an average gun hits can be counted on one hand, and most are effectively one-hit-point wonders.
46	* ThereWasADoor: In the penultimate mission, [[spoiler:Dickinham wonders why his subordinates stuck around and fought instead of using the emergency ladder, which he activates right in front of the Swarmer Matriarch]].
47	* VillainProtagonist: The Swarmers. Lampshaded by one of the level titles.
48	-->''Things don't look good for our...Heroes?''
49	* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou: If the Matriarch dies, it's game over.
50	* WeCanRuleTogether: [[spoiler:Following Pecker's death, Dickinham offers the Swarmer Matriarch a job at Galactoil...[[TooDumbToLive while lighting a cigar, and standing in oil spilled from his crashed mech]].]]
51	* WeHaveReserves: While it's impractical to do so as a main tactic, you can afford to lose the occasional Swarmer in the line of duty as they can be replaced by the Matriarch.

Context VideoGame / AttackOfTheEarthlings