Game over man, game over
In terms of the single player experience, the game marginally improves on the feel of episode one. The great news is that the co-op component of the game has evolved beyond the stringing together and rehashing of single player levels. Alien Breed 2: Assault is a set of three levels separate from the single player campaign, where you and a friend, online or offline, must make your way through a given area of the ship and escape. To do this you will be given a series of objectives to complete and a sea of aliens to conquer. On occasion, you will come across an action set piece that sees the sea of aliens become a Tsunami. Unfortunately, these supposed exhilarating moments are quickly deflated by a distinct lack of imagination; which is also seen in the solo sections of the game.
In terms of handling, the game works well with both characters' movements confined to the same screen. This means that no one can run off and be a hero/dead meat. To combat the fact there are now two shooters, Team 17 up the enemy quotient and really hammer the players. Luckily, provided one player stays alive for long enough, the other can respawn with half of their health replenished. This mechanic ultimately leads to a gameplay tactic of a series of dashes forward as you strive to reach a much needed checkpoint. This is often interrupted with moments of stagnation as you wait for your partner to respawn, creating a start-stop play experience, ruining the sense of flow in the game.