Game reviews: 'Tinykin,' 'NHRA: Speed for All,' 'Pac-Man World" Re-Pac,' 'Detroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed'

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Here is a roundup of three recent game releases:

DESTROY ALL HUMANS! 2 REPROBED

Originally released back in 2006, the effort from Black Forest Games has you racing around an unsuspecting town in the 1960s, doing recon on the populace that will lead to invasion.

There's a jokey feel to the proceedings, with a tone reminiscent of the movie "Mars Attacks!" You deal with exaggerated takes on 1960s stereotypes, such as hippies and overzealous KGB agents.

The gameplay and visuals get considerable boosts, but the tone still feels dated, even for a game that was meant to be a parody of a previous era.

While some of the humor hasn't aged particularly well, the 3D platforming and resource-grabbing loop is still as entrancing as ever.

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP DRAG RACING: SPEED FOR ALL

There's a lot more that goes into drag racing than the few seconds that the actual races consist of. "NHRA Championship Drag Racing" Speed for All" discards "Fast and Furious" trappings in order to replicate the real deal.

This is a hardcore sim. Team6 Game Studios works to nail the feel and rhythms of a drag racing career, from mundane activities in the garage to the high-intensity showdowns at the track.

I found myself frustrated by the slight missteps that could violate the sport's rules and lead to a disqualification, sending my middling career path into turmoil.

Those hoping for a more arcade-style pedal-slamming venture will be disappointed, but anyone who craves the minutiae of tuning, tire pressure and parts-swapping will lose themselves in this one.

PAC-MAN WORLD: RE-PAC

The campy 1999 platformer gets a new-gen refresh. Bandai Namco Games takes the bare bones of the original game and rebuilds it from the ground up. The result is a fresh-feeling platformer jammed with plenty of retro nods for Pac-Man superfans.

You play as the rotund, ever-hungry hero, chomping through six lands of Ghost Island in an effort to rescue friends and family and set up a showdown with the nefarious Toc-Man.

Along the way, you harvest collectibles such as letters, fruit and pellets, trying your luck on between-levels slot machines to haul in even more goods.

The difficulty level is tame — opposed to the nightmarish challenge found in mainline Pac-Man games — but the lighthearted gameplay and knowing looks back at the past keep things entertaining.

TINYKIN

This "Pikmin" clone not only lives up to the standard of the Nintendo franchise it emulates, it surpasses those games in significant ways.

You play as Milo, an interstellar traveler who arrives on Earth and attempts to make sense of his surroundings by researching and exploring the confusing surroundings. You unearth, dissect and analyze mundane surroundings by collecting and unleashing armies of small creatures at the objects of your intrigue.

To find the resources you'll need to clear your challenges, you'll have to leap, float and climb to out-of-the-way crannies in the environment. A gentle guiding hand keeps you on track, rarely letting you get snarled up in bottlenecks.

A joyous tone, bubbly visuals and toe-tapping soundtrack pace the adventure, keeping the journey smooth and engaging. "Tinykin" is one of the most pleasant indie surprises of the 2022 gaming year.

Publishers provided review codes.