The Destroy All Humans series has a unique take on the sci-fi genre. The games follow the shenanigans of the many clones of Crypto: an alien determined to take over Earth and harvest everyone's brains. The series is known for its dark and often crude humor. The entire concept is a parody of classic science fiction tropes, and for the most part, has a lot of fun cramming in a variety of references and easter eggs.

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Each game in the franchise is known for its chaotic gameplay. The storylines have always been a little silly, so instead, the focus tends to be on allowing players to cause as much mayhem as possible. The series has definitely been hit and miss at times, but it is still a classic franchise for many people. But, which game is the best?

5 Destroy All Humans: Big Willy Unleashed

Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed: The Wii game front cover - Big Willy mech attacking a street

Destroy All Humans: Big Willy Unleashed is the third installment of the series and, unfortunately, began a drastic decline in quality. Set in 1975, the game focuses around the Big Willy restaurant franchise, owned by Crypto's mentor Orthopox. The plot revolves around protecting the company from threats such as rollerbladers attempting to steal Big Willy's secret recipe. The storyline isn't very engaging, especially in comparison to Crypto's previous adventures. The game still has some classic Destroy All Humans chaotic gameplay, but for the most part, it is pretty lackluster.

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The fact that this game was a Wii exclusive certainly didn't help. The limited release ensured that not as many fans got to experience the game, which might be for the best. Big Willy Unleashed has worse graphics than the previous installments, rather generic missions, and doesn't even feature the same voice actors. It feels more like a spin-off from an alternate universe rather than a canon release in the series.

4 Destroy All Humans: Path Of The Furon

Destroy All Humans! Path Of The Furon: Main poster of the game - Crypto holding a laser gun

By the time Destroy All Humans: Path Of The Furon had been released, the series had lost a lot of its credibility. Following on from Big Willy, the game also takes place in the 1970s. The previous clone crashes into a casino and dies (which seems to be a tradition in the series). A new clone, Crypto 139, is sent to replace them, taking over the casino. From there, the game follows Crypto's progress in discovering new powers and attempting to stop a scheme to wipe out all Furon DNA. The storyline is a bit of a mess and doesn't come close to matching the first two games.

As with Big Willy, Path Of The Furon is pretty disappointing. Its jokes are predictable, the dialogue is boring, and the graphics are lacking too. The game still has the chaotic gameplay that players expect from the series, but it isn't enough to keep most people entertained. Path Of The Furon seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for the series (until the remastered release in 2020). Fans had to be satisfied with hilarious memes instead.

3 Destroy All Humans! (2005)

Destroy All Humans! (2005 version): Poster for the game - Crypto shooting at two farmers

Destroy All Humans is the game that started it all. After a previous clone is shot down and captured by the U.S. military, Crypto is sent down to Earth to rescue them (while also harvesting a few human brains along the way). Set in the 1950s, the game is full of cultural references, acting as a parody of the era's science fiction. The story is short and probably not the most replayable, but it is incredibly satisfying to complete. The game has a fantastic mixture of dark humor and establishes an entertaining world for the franchise to explore.

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Destroy All Humans allows players to get to grips with a wide range of extraordinary abilities and alien technology. Once players had the basics out of the way, they can go off and get into all sorts of chaos. Although not an open world, the game plays like a sandbox, allowing players to have fun terrorizing the various neighborhoods. Destroy All Humans sometimes forces players to grind to progress (an aspect the remake fixes), but it is still a fantastic experience for the most part.

2 Destroy All Humans! (2020)

Destroy All Humans! (2020 version): Crypto shooting a laser gun at night - Crypto flying over a street using his jetpack

A remake of the classic game was released in 2020, allowing both new and old fans another opportunity to dive into the world of Destroy All Humans. The remake doesn't just enhance the graphics and details of the original, as a lot of effort was put into improving the overall experience. Quality-of-life fixes that the developers implemented in the sequels were brought to the original game's remake. The gameplay is mostly the same, but with simple changes to the controls and interfaces, it is far more enjoyable to play.

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There is a lot of additional content in the game as well, such as unlockable skins. The remake also includes an entirely new level that allows players to explore Area 42. This level was called The Wrong Stuff and was cut from the original release. This addition, along with all the other enhancements, makes the remake well worth a playthrough.

1 Destroy All Humans! 2

Destroy All Humans! 2: The poster for the game - Crypto causing an explosion on a street

Destroy All Humans 2 is a fantastic example of a sequel done right. The game takes the fun aspects of the first game and builds upon it. Destroy All Humans 2 takes place in 1969, ten years after the events of the first game. A new clone, Cryptosporidium-138, has to take over the previous clone's mission of posing as the President of the United States while also seeking out revenge for the destruction of the Furon mothership. The game has a more in-depth story than its predecessor, with a variety of side quests too.

Destroy All Humans 2 has enhanced graphics, the weapons have been improved, and there are more features to play around with, including the destructive meteor strike! There are even minor ease-of-life improvements, such as the option to skip the cutscene for getting into the flying saucer.

With Destroy All Humans 2 having a more open-world feel, the player has countless opportunities to cause mayhem. The sequel took the franchise's central concept and went wild with it. It's a fantastic experience and well worth playing. It seems that a remake for this classic game is in the works, although nothing official has been released yet.

NEXT: Destroy All Humans: 5 Things We Love About The Remake (& 5 That We Don't)