We've been here before, seeing the shattered remains of a space colony corridor, the smoking vents of gas, the pulsing strobe lights, the sounds of scraping metal as an obscene insect horror descends on us. This is Aliens guys, possibly the most mined movie in video game history. Without aliens, there would be no Gears of War; not halo. But while the influence of James Cameron's frenetic 1986 sci-fi sequel has proven to be an inspiration for some of the best games of all time, it's often far worse when it comes to providing truly licensed Alien games. Alien fans, I'm here to reassure you: Aliens: Fireteam Elite, the new three-player team-based shooter from Cold Iron Studios, is good. Very good, maybe. Not great, mind you, but if you're a fan of the near-perfect movie, this is your best chance to experience its in-game action.
Aliens not so isolated
What Aliens: Fireteam Elite does that no other Aliens game has ever succeeded in is the thrill of the hunt. Taking inspiration from the Left 4 Dead series, it beats Valve's classic team shooter in this regard. Shot from a third-person perspective, you're overwhelmed by HR Giger's terrifying creation from every angle.
![Aliens: Fireteam Elite Marines se enfrentan al enjambre de xenomorfos]()
(Image credit: Cold Iron Studios) Dozens upon dozens of xenomorphs fill the screen during the many battles of Aliens: Fireteam Elite, bursting out of vents, running across rooftops, and plunging down dark tunnels. Equipped with the iconic weapons of the series, from turrets to smart cannons, divided into four classes for your three-man team to choose from, you certainly have the firepower to take down these foes. But the battles are tough and difficult to win, especially when "special" xenomorphs such as Spitters, Warriors, Prowlers, and Drones appear, behaving exactly as they sound.
![Aliens: Fireteam Elite Marines se enfrentan al enjambre de xenomorfos]()
(Image credit: Cold Iron Studios) There's barely a chance to breathe; stop to regroup and the anxiety-inducing motion tracking cue will chirp again; You'll turn around to find another brigade bearing down on you, so race to the top. You must take the next target. immediately. The fact that there is no checkpoint between levels can seem harsh and cruel, especially when some levels can last up to forty minutes. But it reinforces the importance of teamwork and survival in every race, and adds to the sense of hopelessness an alien-based game should have.
Not bad... for a human
The Meat of Aliens: Fireteam Elite is that basic run, gun and survive game. It does a good job of mentioning the iconic locations and sound effects of the series, including the new Prometheus-era movies, with a score that references James Horner's militaristic Aliens soundtrack perfectly. The campaign is not particularly long; I'd say you'll get through its four chapters (separated into three missions each) in seven to eight hours, depending on the difficulty level and the quality of your teammates. This is an important point to emphasize, because if you go solo, you will be matched up with "synthetic" AI squads. It's trash, which makes my love for the heroic android Bishop even stronger. Over time, you'll find some aggressive synthetics blowing up in the campaign (the only point where the game's useless cover system comes into play), and individual players will appreciate the opportunity.
![Aliens: Fireteam Elite Marines se enfrentan al enjambre de xenomorfos]()
(Image credit: Cold Iron Studios) You will be encouraged to replay missions to unlock customizations for your created Marines and earn new weapons and abilities for your class and rank. But the work here to get the best gear will be hard, and probably best left to the most die-hard fans alone. More interesting are the challenge cards that can be applied at the start of a mission to add an extra challenge in exchange for higher XP rewards, like a multiplied number of upgraded xenomorphic villains, for example. But despite XP challenges like this, the upgrade metagame here is a bit redundant, and thankfully mostly ignorable, unless you really want to get your money's worth with Aliens: Fireteam Elite.
Game over, man?
Then there are the headshots. Oh, the headshots! Aliens: Fireteam Elite is worth your money for its headshot sound alone, a Pavlovian stab of what sounds like the snap of violin strings whenever you slam a xeno into its bulbous head. My three-man Xbox Live Marines squad ended up running through the levels imitating their satisfying "dulo-loo" sound every time we heard one.
![Aliens: Fireteam Elite Marines se enfrentan al enjambre de xenomorfos]()
(Image credit: Cold Iron Studios) This is a point that highlights both the strength and weakness of Aliens: Fireteam Elite: if, like me, you sit down to play with some of the cheesiest Alien fanboys in town, it's great. Playing the role of the "ultimate badass colonial sailor" absolutely fantasizes, with all the toys in tow. But a team-based shooter like this, with everyone on the chat channel, does nothing to help Aliens: Fireteam Elite in what As far as atmosphere goes, any real scare potential is mitigated by having your friends in the future, and while Aliens has always been more of an action movie than Alien with its horror addictions, there's very little to fear here. The best? The Alien franchise has always been a tale of two halves: unbridled and inevitable terror of Alien vs. thrilling Alien battles. Alien Isolation has perfected the game's version of the former, and while Aliens: Fireteam Elite isn't the body Perfect for channeling James Cameron's sequel, it comes closer to him than any game before it, and I for one am happy that we can live in a gaming landscape where both versions of the franchise can exist. Game over, man? Nah - Aliens: Fireteam Elite breathes new life into the action-oriented part of the series. Hopefully there's a sequel ready to blow up before too long. Aliens: Fireteam Elite is out now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The publisher has provided a copy of the game for your review.