Dr Who - Invasion Of The Daleks

Overview

Dr. Who - Invasion of the Daleks delivers a perplexingly barebones experience that leaves players questioning its purpose. Early impressions reveal a stripped-down arcade shooter that fails to leverage the rich Doctor Who universe, reducing the iconic TARDIS and Daleks to simplistic sprites in a repetitive alien-invasion formula. While the minimal 6MB download size suggests modest ambitions, players report even this feels excessive for what amounts to a shallow, forgettable time-waster devoid of narrative or mechanical depth.

Gameplay: Space Invaders Without Substance

The core experience mirrors classic arcade shooters in the most rudimentary way possible. Players control a pixelated TARDIS stationary at the bottom of the screen, firing upward at Daleks that descend one by one. The invaders shout their signature "Exterminate!" before either retreating off-screen or exploding when hit. This single-note pattern repeats endlessly with no variation in enemy behavior, level design, or environmental interaction.

What little engagement exists evaporates within minutes, as the simplistic mechanics offer zero progression or challenge. No power-ups, boss fights, or difficulty scaling emerge to justify continued play. The TARDIS—a dimension-hopping marvel in the series—feels tragically reduced to a static turret with no special abilities or movement options. This squandered potential transforms what could have been a nostalgic tribute into a mechanical disappointment.

You just spin around in the phone booth and blast the invading robots. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of this game and once you do, you’d most likely want to put it back where you got it from.

Gohst

Narrative Void and Presentation

Unlike the cerebral time-travel adventures of the franchise, Invasion of the Daleks completely abandons storytelling. No opening crawl, mission context, or character dialogue establishes why this conflict matters. The Daleks appear as generic targets rather than terrifying galactic conquerors, stripped of their menacing presence and reduced to repetitive sound bites.

Visually, the game resembles early mobile phone titles from the 2000s, with basic sprite work and minimal animation. The static background and cookie-cutter explosion effects amplify the monotony. While the Dalek voice samples provide fleeting fan service, they quickly become grating due to constant repetition without contextual purpose. This lack of audiovisual ambition makes the experience feel like an unfinished prototype rather than a commercial release.