Expendable (GOG)

A bug-infested alien occupation turns humanity’s last counterattack into a loud, gleefully disposable war of attrition. Expendable is a late-1990s isometric action shooter built around the Millennium Soldier program, which sends cloned super-soldiers into hostile planets, industrial compounds, and creature-filled battlefields. Its mood sits somewhere between arcade bravado and B-movie science fiction: every mission is packed with explosions, grotesque extraterrestrials, and machinery designed to be reduced to scrap. The campaign rarely slows down long enough for reflection, which is exactly the point.

Players guide one of two heavily armed soldiers through angled 3D arenas, pushing through enemy swarms while aiming weapons, dodging incoming fire, and hunting for the route onward. Blasters, rockets, flamethrowers, spread shots, and other pick-ups change how safely you can handle a room, while health, ammo, bonuses, and hidden supplies reward careful scavenging amid the chaos. Levels mix straightforward extermination with switches, locked paths, environmental hazards, and occasional light puzzles, preventing the action from becoming a pure corridor crawl. Enemy pressure escalates steadily, culminating in larger alien and robotic bosses that demand movement, weapon management, and a willingness to spend every explosive tool available; local cooperative play lets a second player share the carnage.

What makes Expendable memorable is its commitment to destructive spectacle before twin-stick shooters became a familiar PC staple. The chunky 3D environments can show their age, but their destructible props, busy battlefields, and exaggerated enemy designs give the game a distinct arcade identity rather than a sterile military look. It feels closest to a top-down take on run-and-gun games such as Alien Breed, with a little of the explosive excess associated with classic console shooters. Players who enjoy brisk old-school action, score-hunting pickups, and couch co-op will find plenty to like, while newcomers should expect demanding enemy density and controls that reflect its era.