Few games these days let you freely run amok and terrorize the human race. Whether it’s smashing through city blocks in The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, reducing structures to rubble in Mercenaries, or simply rolling up bystanders in the oddly charming Katamari Damacy, titles that embrace chaos for the sake of fun are surprisingly rare. Rarer still are the ones that deliver this level of mayhem with a comedic, nonsensical edge. Capcom’s Under the Skin sits neatly in that category – an odd little experiment that thrives on mischief.
Developed and published by Capcom in 2004 exclusively for the PlayStation 2, the game follows Cosmi, a blue alien who crash-lands on Earth only to be told that his true purpose is to sow disorder and, in doing so, impress his father. From there, the premise unfolds in straightforward fashion: you’re dropped into compact levels with one goal — cause trouble. The levels are quite varied (city streets, casino, desert town and more), but nothing about them impresses much. You can attack unsuspecting humans, set traps with bombs, needles, or other trick items, and collect the coins they drop. The catch is that you’re not alone; a rival alien is after the same prize, and you can just as easily slug them in the face to snatch their earnings. Whoever has the biggest haul at the end wins.
On paper, it sounds simple, and in practice, it is, but that doesn’t mean the game lacks teeth. The AI opponent doesn’t dawdle — waste time fooling around, and they’ll quickly outpace you. Humans also don’t take kindly to your antics. Hit them and they’ll get annoyed. And once you’re caught, you’ll lose your human disguise after two hits, forcing you to scramble for another before you’re exposed to deadly attacks. This cycle of disguise, sabotage, and coin-grabbing gives the game its arcade-like rhythm. Remember, you mustn’t lose your human disguise. You’re pretty much powerless in your original Alien form.
Presentation is another of its strengths. The cel-shaded graphics (seemingly using similar renderer as Auto Modellista), catchy soundtrack, and light story, along with the solid controls, all work together to give Under the Skin a playful Saturday-morning-cartoon feel. Unfortunately, some cracks show when the action ramps up. The camera struggles during busier stages, and it’s frustrating to waste useful weapons by misjudging a throw. The repetition also sets in early. There are no deeper mechanics to uncover and little variation in objectives — just keep causing havoc until the timer runs out. The campaign can be finished in an hour or two, which makes it a pleasant diversion but not something built for long-term investment.
Once you’ve cleared the main stages, a multiplayer mode opens up where you can battle a friend for coins. Players will also be treated to a lighthearted cameo from Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira and Nemesis duking it out in a cartoonish version of Raccoon City — a fun surprise for Resident Evil fans, even if it doesn’t add much replay value (except the unlocking of a Rocket Launcher). In truth, Under the Skin doesn’t offer much incentive to return once you’ve seen everything. Unless you’re chasing higher scores, extra character and modes, you’ll likely shelve it after one run. What’s strange after finishing the campaign is that the game suddenly overwrites your previous save, forcing you to do everything all over again. You’ll be pressed to finish the game multiple times, with different characters, to truly unlock everything.
For what it is, though, the game succeeds. It was clearly aimed at a younger crowd, built around accessible mechanics and slapstick humor. The good thing is that adults can still enjoy the game with their loved ones or a friend via multiplayer, though. So, if you’re in the mood for something silly and low-stakes, Under the Skin delivers a short but amusing dose of cartoonish chaos.
