Taking over each area is several hours' work, but the reliably hilarious writing and newfound mission variety ensure that this is time well spent. You'll get to assassinate hippies, probe certain orifices, fly a pimped-out UFO, abduct humans, ruin lives (that's a specific mission type), take on the military, found an alien cult, and lots, lots more.
Just about every major gameplay system has received major upgrades. Crypto's alien powers are greatly expanded, and he can now scan, body-snatch, charm, and do other awful things to innocent people at a moment's notice. This makes for some terrific gameplay scenarios, where clever use of his powers of influence can be key to escaping. The weapons (rife with upgrade opportunities) are also fun, particularly the amazing dislocator gun. Anything hit by it will begin flying around at random, increasingly high velocities. If nothing else, know this: flying buses make for hilarious fun.
DAH!2 takes well to its new open-endedness. The graphics are solid, with less pop-up than before and consistently smooth movement. The '50s/'60s-themed audio is as evocative as ever, and there's even a split-screen co-op mode if you want to let Cryptosporidium-139 in on the action. All said, it seems an excellent evolution of the original concept, so fans of the original should remain vigilant. The invasion commences on October 19th.
