‘Let Them Come’ May Be This Year’s Best Dumb Game

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As discussed before with games like Okhlos and Like a Boss, the catharsis factor can play an important part in contributing towards a game’s enjoyment. Sometimes all that we need is something simple, addictive, and seemingly brainless, yet still well-designed. So far, 2016’s Doom has been the best game filling those requirements this year, and the top contender for this year’s title of Best Dumb Game, but it looks like Versus Evil and developer Klemen Lozar are ready to put up some stiff competition with Let Them Come, where you play as a lone human attempting to ward off an entire alien army, one hallway at a time.

The gameplay in Let Them Come couldn’t be any simpler: you have a gun, you tilt it up and down to aim at enemy aliens, you shoot aliens before they reach you. It’s classic arcade action, and controls simple and incredibly well, but note that in that opening paragraph that I said all we need is something seemingly brainless. After all, much like action films such as Demolition Man, the best dumb games are the ones that only look dumb, and Let Them Come makes great use of some tower defense elements as well to help create a more fulfilling experience. So much like other games in the genre, you have different types of enemy units to keep an eye on, including some that move quickly, some that move on the ceiling, some that can explode and be used to your advantage, and more that you have to prepare for.

To do so, you have a customizable loadout that you can fill up with items purchased in between games such as knives for going melee on enemies that get too close, grenades for taking care of larger hordes, barbed wire to wrap around your barricade for further defenses, faster guns, and much more. It’s not terribly complex, but it adds just the right amount of strategy for a more action-packed game such as this. The inventory is where you can also select your favorite music from the game’s pulse-pounding soundtrack to play as you mow down extra-terrestrials, which perfectly fits the mood. The old-school graphics are also stunning, with emphasis placed on the lighting effects caused by your gunfire a particular treat (that also makes for some intense levels set in the shadows or entirely in the dark).

Let Them Come is currently set to come out later this year for PC and mobile devices. It really does feel like a game more fit for portable devices, again due to it giving off vibes of classic arcade games as well as having quick play sessions of a few waves, but hopefully it finds a successful home on any platform it heads to. It may indeed feel like rather dumb fun, but its potential for easy to play yet addictive gameplay still makes it some insanely bloody, macho fun nonetheless.

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