With the release of a new movie in the Alien universe, the public’s interest in the previous installments of the series, as well as in video games based on the films, has increased somewhat. This is how marketing works, or how our consciousness works. Or perhaps both at the same time. In fact, there have been a lot of games somehow related to the Alien universe over the 45 years of the franchise’s existence. Much more than movies. It’s not so easy to sort them out: some of these games have identical or almost identical names. However, there are very few of them that are worthy of a modern gamer’s attention, and even fewer that impress. Let’s recall some of them. And also some “historical” artifacts that were released in parallel with the first films of the franchise. This material is a kind of a second series of articles about the Alien universe, for those who want to continue.

 

First attempts

By today’s standards, the first Alien game was released in 1982, which is quite late, given that the original movie was released in 1979. And what a game it was! It was just like Pac-Man, only with slightly modified characters. Today, almost any graduate of a six-month programming course can create a game like this as their course project. And even then, it wasn’t an independent masterpiece, just a clone.

Warning. Some of the videos below contain very harsh low-bit sounds, so be careful when you start them.

The next in line was a more interesting game, although it will be quite difficult for a modern player to play it, even if they find it in a browser version or on an emulator. Alien (1984) is a strategic adventure game. As in the original movie, an Alien is hiding somewhere inside the spaceship Nostromo. It has hatched from the body of one of the seven crew members, and the remaining six need to neutralize it before the ship returns to Earth or they run out of oxygen.

The third was Aliens: The Computer Game (1986) based on the movie Aliens. The game consists of five mini-games, each of which recreates key moments of the movie. Players control various characters, including Ripley and the Marines, completing tasks ranging from driving an APC armored personnel carrier to rescuing colonists and the final battle with the Alien Queen. Each level has different tasks. Some require strategic planning, while others require quick reflexes in action scenes. Critics at the time praised the game for its fidelity to the movie’s plot and innovative approach to adapting a movie into a video game.

After this game, the era of platformers based on Aliens began. The first of them was Aliens: Alien 2 (1987), where the player has to run after Ripley with a machine gun and shoot.

Next came Aliens (1990) and Aliens 3 (1992), which were roughly the same in terms of gameplay, but with improved graphics and a different storyline.

In the mid-1990s, the era of first-person shooters began, and most Alien games since then have been of this genre. For example, Alien: Trilogy (1996), a perfectly acceptable doom-like shooter that I had a chance to play a bit on the Nintendo Switch (the game was originally released on PlayStation 1 and Sega Saturn).

But let’s move on to the more modern games in the series. Well, relatively modern. At least those released in this millennium.

 

Alien: Resurrection

Release date October 10, 2000
Genre first-person shooter
Platforms PlayStation

Well, okay, almost from this millennium. After all, October 2000 belongs to the twentieth century. But let’s start with this game for the first PlayStation. It was created based on the fourth (eponymous) movie of the franchise, released three years earlier. Like in the movie, the main character here is the omnipotent clone of Ellen Ripley. The action takes place on the USM Auriga spaceship, where experiments on cloning Aliens have gotten out of hand.

The game is characterized by a dark, claustrophobic atmosphere that very accurately captures the spirit of the movie. The gameplay focuses on survival, so the player has to save ammunition and skillfully maneuver to avoid deadly Aliens. A special feature of the game is the ability to aim up and down, which was innovative for PlayStation shooters at the time. Despite mixed reviews for the controls, the game was praised for its atmosphere and sound design.

 

Aliens: Infestation

Release date October 11, 2011
Genre metroidvania
Platforms Nintendo DS

A metroidvania with elements of exploration and fight against Aliens. The story takes place after the events of the movie Aliens and follows a group of marines exploring the abandoned ship Sulaco. The gameplay combines elements of side-scroller, exploration, and shooter, and in general resembles a 2D survivalist with very good controls and good shooting. There’s even a scope lock, like in Contra, but the upgrade system is very limited and rather situation-specific, as for a metroidvania. Players can upgrade their equipment, find new weapons, and open new areas of the ship.

An interesting feature of the game is the system of permanent death: each marine has his own personality and backstory, and if he dies, he cannot be brought back. This adds tension to the game and makes players be careful. At the beginning, you have four soldiers, but you can not only lose existing ones but also meet new ones that will join the squad. Critics have praised the game’s atmosphere, which successfully conveys the spirit of the Aliens movies, as well as the retro style of graphics and gameplay. In fact, it is a very worthy representative of its genre, and it is a pity that it was released on only one platform.

 

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Release date February 12, 2013
Genre first-person shooter
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

A game that is a sequel to the movie Aliens, where the player controls a squad of colonial marines. The story takes place after the events of Aliens 3 and returns players to LV-426 and the USS Sulaco. The game offers both a single player campaign and a four-player cooperative mode. The gameplay focuses on teamwork and the use of classic weapons from the movies, such as the pulse rifle and the smart pistol. The game features a weapon and character upgrade system that allows players to customize their playstyle.

The game became one of the most annoying Alien games. Perhaps because more was expected of it: Randy Pitchford, the “father” of the beloved Borderlands series, was responsible for its development.

The game has received a lot of criticism for technical flaws and inconsistent gameplay. The artificial intelligence of the enemies often demonstrates strange behavior, which reduces the intensity of the battles. The visuals of the game also did not meet expectations, especially compared to previous demonstrations. The plot and dialogues were criticized for being formulaic and poorly motivated. Despite these shortcomings, the multiplayer mode received more positive reviews, offering interesting asymmetrical battles between marines and xenomorphs. The game was also significantly improved by patches. So Aliens: Colonial Marines has its fans, who love it for its atmosphere and the opportunity to explore locations from the movies.

 

Alien: Isolation

Release date October 7, 2014
Genre survival horror
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 3 / 4, Xbox 360 / One, Nintendo Switch

A first-person atmospheric horror game where the player controls Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley, who is trying to survive on the Sevastopol space station. The main threat is a single xenomorph that chases the player throughout the game. The uniqueness of Alien: Isolation is the incredibly intelligent AI of the xenomorph, which constantly adapts to the player’s actions. You will have to hide, distract the monster, and use limited resources to survive. Yes, you are not a superhero here, you just need to survive. And, by the way, I advise you to play with headphones and listen to a variety of sounds: in Alien: Isolation, sound is extremely important.

Although this game is perhaps the only true masterpiece among the Alien games, there were those who did not like it because of the monotony and slow development of events. Nevertheless, many players praised these features because they create the very atmosphere that accurately conveys the spirit of the original 1979 Alien movie. Critics were satisfied with the intense gameplay, graphics, and sound design that enhances the feeling of constant threat. All this actually makes Alien: Isolation the best game created in the Aliens universe to date.

 

Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Release date August 24, 2021
Genre cooperative shooter
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One /Series X/S

A cooperative third-person shooter where a team of three players fights waves of xenomorphs and other enemies. The player creates his marine with the help of a constructor, and he arrives on the Endeavor ship, essentially a hub with NPCs. The main events take place outside the ship and begin with one story campaign. There are four in total, each of which reveals new aspects of the story and adds new challenges.

The story starts 23 years after the original trilogy of films, in 2202. A ship receives a distress call from an orbital processing station and sends a team of colonial marines to the site. As you may have guessed, the plant is filled with xenomorphs and almost no one survived. And once again, the sinister Weyland-Yutani Corporation is to blame, and our brave marines will have to unravel it all.

Basically, you have to break through from the beginning to the end of the level or dig in and repel enemy attacks. The progression system allows you to improve your equipment and unlock new perks and lore notes. The game features a variety of xenomorph types, including new species that require different tactics to win. Critics have noted the intense gameplay, atmosphere, and fidelity to the Aliens universe, especially since the game is similar to the second movie in the series, i.e. Aliens. And in general, playing Aliens: Fireteam Elite is quite interesting and fun, especially in the company of friends.

 

Aliens: Dark Descent

Release date June 20, 2023
Genre tactical strategy
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One / Series X|S

Aliens: Dark Descent is a tactical strategy game from Tindalos Interactive that combines the atmosphere of the Aliens movies with tactical overhead view gameplay and near-pause control. Players control a squad of colonial marines on the planet Leta, where a xenomorph epidemic has broken out.

The game offers a character development system with five classes of fighters, each with their own abilities. The stress mechanic plays an important role: marines can panic under the pressure of a constant threat, which affects their effectiveness in combat.

The locations are nice, detailed, and atmospheric, and the sound design perfectly conveys the tense atmosphere of the movies. The xenomorphs behave unpredictably and aggressively, forcing players to be on the alert at all times.

Between missions, players manage the Otago ship, train fighters, improve equipment, and plan the next operations. The plot, while trying to add something new to the Aliens universe, generally does not contradict the canon.

Aliens: Dark Descent turned out to be quite balanced and received good reviews from critics and players. It boasts elaborate locations, interesting mechanics, and a constant sense of tension. The only significant drawbacks are problems with optimization and some bugs.

 

Aliens with Predators

While the Alien Predators crossover movies were extremely unsuccessful, video games, on the other hand, are among the favorites of gamers. Among the very first games were strategy and platformers, and then there were quite interesting shooters. If we briefly describe all the games together, we should say that there are three sides to the conflict in this universe. These are the Aliens, the Predators, and the humans. Aliens are monsters that follow their survival and capture instincts. Humans and Predators, on the other hand, are more advanced life forms. In fact, predators have quite powerful technologies, although they were not created by them. Predators also know how to use the DNA of other races to improve their own and have a clear hierarchy (alpha, king, fighters, recruits).

 

Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000

Release date April 15, 2000 (original), January 15, 2010 (re-release on Steam)
Genre first-person shooter
Platforms Windows

A classic shooter that laid the foundation for the AvP series. The game offers three campaigns as an Alien, a Predator, and a Marine, each with unique gameplay. The marine survives and shoots, relying on firearms and limited resources. A predator uses stealth technologies and exotic weapons to hunt. The alien can climb walls and ceilings, using speed and deadly melee attacks. We can say that the multiplayer in this game was revolutionary for its time: it offered asymmetrical gameplay.

 

Aliens versus Predator 2

Release date October 30, 2001
Genre first-person shooter
Platforms Windows, Mac OS

The sequel to the successful first AvP with improved graphics and gameplay. This game also has three story campaigns – as a Predator, Marine, or Alien. Each of the campaigns takes place simultaneously with the others, so you can evaluate the plot from different perspectives.

And the series’ specialty is that the gameplay style is very different depending on who you play as. So, as a marine, we have a full-fledged shooter with a variety of weapons, gadgets, and a horror atmosphere. The predator, on the other hand, has access to wider and more interesting locations, arsenal, and stealth features. If we are playing as an Alien, then we are already facing something like a slasher. Players will be able to experience the full life cycle of this terrifying creature, gradually turning into a supermonster that can move very fast and on any surface and perfectly navigate in complete darkness. The game received high marks for its exciting campaigns and expanded multiplayer. Critics praised the balance between the three races and the atmospheric story.

 

Aliens vs. Predator (2010)

Release date February 16, 2010
Genre first-person shooter
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Once again, we are offered three different campaigns where you can play as an Alien, Predator, or Marine. Each race has unique abilities and playstyle, but the implementation of these ideas is not always successful. Marines rely on firepower and tactics, Predators use stealth and high-tech weapons, and Aliens rely on their speed, agility, and deadly melee attacks.

However, the campaigns suffer from linearity and repetitive locations. Players go through the same places as different characters, which quickly gets boring. The gameplay for each race has its drawbacks: playing as a Predator is reduced to automatic jumps in stealth mode, the Alien gets its grapplers from nowhere, and the Marine quickly loses the sense of danger due to the weak AI of the enemies.

Multiplayer, while allowing all three races to clash in intense battles, suffers from technical problems and imbalance. Aliens are the weakest in online battles, and the progression system is limited to cosmetic changes.

Despite these shortcomings, the game still features detailed graphics and sound design that create an atmosphere of horror and tension. For fans of the Alien and Predator franchises, the game may be an interesting experience, but for other players, it may seem unfinished and repetitive.

 

Other games?

Perhaps we forgot to mention a game from the Alien universe that you liked? For example, mobile games or something from the past? We invite you to comment.