Aliens: Colonial Marines - PlayStation 3

Not The Kind Of Bug Hunt We Were Looking For

Jeff Cork — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:48:00 GMT

All the parts were there. Five years ago, Sega announced that Gearbox was going to develop an FPS based on the Aliens franchise. The studio had demonstrated its chops through the Brothers in Arms series. Not only that, but Aliens: Colonial Marines had Fox’s blessing to tell a canonical story that bridged Aliens and Alien 3. It looked pretty good in demos, and for a moment it seemed as though, after being disappointed for decades, Aliens fans were finally going to get the game they deserved. Unfortunately, the result of the long wait is something that feels like an abandoned mod.

As for Colonial Marines’ much-hyped story, there’s clearly a reason why a canonical bridge between the films didn’t exist: Absolutely nothing of any consequence happened. A bunch of no-names walked through the aftermath of Aliens (Nuke? What nuke?), fought some more xenomorphs, and met up with a familiar face in a ridiculous bit of revisionism. Plenty of nods to memorable events pop up, but it feels like walking through a funhouse with the lights on. It makes once-powerful moments seem shabby and low-rent. It’s great to see Bishop (or part of him at least) in a hangar, but at the end of the day, it’s just a pair of gooey pants. Colonial Marines understandably wants fans to soak up their favorite moments, but it doesn’t offer any new thrills in return.

Take the xenomorphs, for example. In the films, the creatures are unrelenting and terrifyingly fast. Here, they’re a nuisance. The first time you spy them, there’s an anticipatory thrill – you’ve seen them before, and you know what they’re capable of. Then you blast a few dozen apart, and you start to notice the problems. They look great when you can’t really see them, but you end up seeing them a lot. After a few encounters, I couldn’t help but start to pick it all apart. When they rush at you from around a corner, they look as though they’ve been pushed onto a stage by an unseen hand; they’re oddly off balance, and they seem to be just as startled to be there as you are to see them. The ones who fall from the ceiling tiles do so with all the agility of a scarecrow. They’re hardly the graceful monsters the films introduced us to, and that one detail sucks a tremendous amount of oxygen from the experience.

The entire xeno life cycle is represented, including chestbursters (who can pop right through armor plating!) and facehuggers. The facehuggers in Colonial Marines are silly pests who seem as though they’re just going through the motions. At one point, I yanked one off me and flung it onto a crate, where the still-living creature lost all interest in me. Apparently I hurt its feelings.

Colonial Marines also introduces a few new xeno types, but they don’t do much to alleviate the overall sense of sameness. One large triceratops-like beast charges around, leaving his soft back parts exposed. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before. My favorite new alien type came during a forced stealth section. There I was, stuck in a sewer with a crowd of gray, husk-like xenos. Only they weren’t dead! Sometimes, they’d spring to life and patrol their immediate area. The only way around them was by holding still until they passed. Their prancing walking animation (think little kid impersonating a T-rex) was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time, and it literally made our video producer fall out of his chair laughing.

Then there are the people. I was stunned at how ineffective my squadmates were, particularly my pal O’Neil. I don’t know how this mouth-breather managed to squeak through basic training. He’d routinely sweep a room by darting into the nearest corner and keeping a close eye on both walls. There were moments where I’d glance at him in a firefight, and he’d just be staring off at nothing, the tip of his Smartgun clipping through a snarling xeno’s domed head.

Fortunately, the Weyland-Yutani goons that eventually show up aren’t any brighter. I can’t recall seeing worse AI this generation. I lost count at how many times I’d open a door, only to see a completely oblivious enemy facing me a few steps away. I almost felt guilty killing them, but once I remembered that they were standing between me and the end of the game, I got over it.

Any real difficulty comes from the underpowered weapons. The arsenal is familiar, with pulse rifles, shotguns, flamethrowers, and that Smartgun. Aside from the Smartgun, the loadout is weak to a fault. It’s not so bad at close range, but when you’re stuck trying to plink away at distant targets, weapons are unforgivably terrible. There’s a goal-based upgrade system in place, but those upgrades only make the weapons slightly less bad.

Multiplayer holds a glimmer of hope, and could provide a temporary distraction for folks who pick up the game. Players control colonial marines or xenomorphs in a variety of matches, ranging from standard team deathmatch to a territories-like mode, and a tense battle to simply stay alive before time runs out or your squad is dead. The problems that plague the single-player campaign persist in multiplayer, however, so be prepared to see dopey alien animations. Players who select the xenos can expect to see screen-obscuring wagging tails and doorways that have to be entered at precise angles. Overall, I had the most fun with the multiplayer, but even that couldn’t salvage Colonial Marines.

I’ve been playing Aliens games since the days of Doom mods, and for all the technological advances we’ve seen, this stands among the worst – including the Jaguar version. I love this universe, and I even enjoyed Rebellion’s Aliens vs. Predator. For my money, the Colonial Marines’ campaign in that release is exponentially stronger than Gearbox’s attempt, even though it was merely one third of the overall AvP package.

Take away the Aliens license, and you’ve got a shooter that has no reason to exist. It would be like stripping the terraforming from Fracture or playing Inversion without its gravity-defying gimmick. At its best, it’s barely mediocre. The license is all there is. Aliens has cast a long shadow in the gaming world, inspiring plenty of excellent games throughout the decades. It’s a shame that the actual license hasn’t spawned anything approaching those levels of success. Aliens: Colonial Marines’ odious mess can be smelled from low orbit, and only the most ardent Aliens fans will find anything redeeming.

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Sega Officially Announces Colonial Marines' Season Pass

Jeff Cork — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:17:57 GMT

Sega has officially announced that Aliens: Colonial Marines is getting the season-pass treatment, which will include four post-release add-ons for the game. The first download is a mode called bug hunt, a wave-based challenge that includes three new maps.

The season pass will cost $29.99, or 2,400 Microsoft Points, which Sega says is 40-percent off what you'd pay if you bought it all individually. The first batch of DLC is bug hunt, a mode where players have to survive wave after wave of unrelenting enemies. The vanilla game includes four multiplayer modes, including team deathmatch, escape, survivor, and extermination.

Check out this recent trailer for another look at the game's xenomorphs in action.

Aliens: Colonial Marines' Close Encounters Of The Violent Kind

Matthew Kato — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:03:25 GMT

Humans look forward to the day when we have contact with an alien species, but this is probably not what anyone has in mind.

Sega and Gearbox Software's newest trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines is actually an extended cut of an already released trailer, but it's worth seeing again.

Aliens: Colonial Marines comes out on February 12 for the Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3, and in March for the Wii U.

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For more on the game, check out this earlier video detailing the alien types.

Tactical Trailer Highlights Special Alien Types

Adam Biessener — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:26:00 GMT

Nobody at Gearbox played any Left 4 Dead, no sir.

Just when you thought xenomorphs were bad enough, new types show up that spit acid, blow up when you shoot them, and resist tons of damage while charging your group and laying waste with brutal melee attacks.

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Aliens: Colonial Marines comes out on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on February 12. The Wii U version should be out shortly thereafter.

Colonial Marines Bring The Talk In New Aliens Trailer

Jeff Cork — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:22:00 GMT

Sega has released a new trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines that shows off some action narrated by a rousing speech. It's almost enough to make you want to head over to enlist and go through space boot camp.

There's plenty of action to accompany the talk, including shots of xenomorphs getting torn apart and a nice exoskeleton neck-snap move. All that speechifying does seem a bit like overcompensation, however. The Colonial Marines may be the best that humanity has to offer, but we all remember how that last bug hunt went. Maybe they should save the bravado and champagne for when the mission's done.

For another look at the game, take a look at an earlier trailer. It shows what's inside a xeno hive. Warning: You may want to wear rubber boots before you set foot inside.

Look for Aliens: Colonial Marines on February 12.

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New Aliens: Colonial Marines Video Takes You Inside The Hive

Andrew Reiner — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 04:59:00 GMT

Gearbox Software's interpretation of the Alien hive is spot on: Eggs are scattered across the floor, humans are strung up in gooey sacks on the walls, and for whatever reason, this high-tech spaceship has a rusty fan with a flashing red light behind it.

Check out the video below to see Aliens: Colonial Marines' version of the hive in both concept and in-game forms.

We'll hopefully be able to flamethrower the living hell out of this room when the game hits PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on February 12. A Wii U version is also in development, but an exact release date has not been revealed.

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Killing Machines Scurry In Aliens: Colonial Marines Story Trailer

Andrew Reiner — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:51:00 GMT

"Right now, we're worried about what's killing our marines in there. This is a liquid situation. In about 30 seconds, that horizon is going to turn black, as the most dangerous killing machines in the universe rise up over it." Wait a second... Predators are in this game?

Jokes aside, Gearbox Software's story trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines paints an exciting picture. Dropships, misplaced starships, human betrayal, and swarms of slithering aliens abound in this brief look at what 20th Century Fox is calling a canonical entry into the Alien series.

Check out the trailer, and let us know what you think of it in the comments section below. And before you go, tell us which species deserves the title of "most dangerous killing machine in the universe." Is it the Aliens or Predators?

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New Aliens: Colonial Marines Video Takes You Inside Hadley's Hope

Kimberley Wallace — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Gearbox Software's Aliens: Colonial Marines's latest trailer gives you a glimpse into Hadley's Hope, a human colony featured in the movie Aliens.

For its return in Colonial Marines, the interior is in absolute disarray as it's "structurally unstable." Obviously, nothing pretty is going on here. The short video below solely focuses on making the bleak, eerie atmosphere take center stage. The trailer ends with your objective revealed: find survivors from the crash. Who - or what - do you think you'll find?

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Aliens: Colonial Marines is set to release on February 12th for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. A Wii U release is also planned, with no set date.

Your Team Will Die In Survivor Mode

Jeff Cork — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:06:00 GMT

Survival has been a theme of the Alien films since the first adorable facehugger popped out of its egg. Aliens: Colonial Marines has an appropriately themed multiplayer mode, which Sega has revealed through a new trailer.

Survivor pits four Colonial Marines against unrelenting waves of xenomorphs. It's possibly the best implementation of a horde-like mode we've seen in a long time. You'll be able to set up fortifications like machine-gun turrets and grab special weapons such as flamethrowers. And as the trailer plainly states, you will all die. It's not the most hopeful message, but at least it's honest.

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Look for the game on February 12.

Gearbox Offers Two Aliens: Colonial Marines Screen

Kyle Hilliard — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:24:00 GMT

It's not much, but there is a Xenomorph and some a couple of marines, so technically it showcases everything implied by the game's title. So, uh, here you go! Take a gander!

Aliens: Colonial Marines releases February 12 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Aliens: Colonial Marines Pre-Order Brings Back Iconic Marines

Matthew Kato — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:59:21 GMT

Sega has just released a new trailer celebrating some of Aliens' finest marines.

The pre-order campaign at GameStop lets you play online as Hudson, Hicks, Apone, and Drake from the Aliens movie in multiplayer (no Vasquez?!), and also lets you get your hands on Ripley's flamethrower and other customization options.

Aliens: Colonial Marines comes out for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on February 12.

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[Full Disclosure: Game Informer is owned by GameStop]

Holding My Own In Escape Mode

Tim Turi — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 03:41:00 GMT

The film Aliens is all about a crew of space marines trying to survive against packs of deadly extraterrestrials. There’s no climactic scene of total empowerment – survival is earned through blood and sacrifice. Escape mode in Aliens: Colonial Marines taps into the struggle to survive a gauntlet of Xenomorph attacks while moving from one end of the map to another. Think Left 4 Dead in outer space.

The map I played at PAX Prime 2012 looked a lot like LV-426 from Aliens. In Escape, a team of four space marines progress towards the end of the level while enduring waves of player-controlled Xenomorphs. We played as the marines. Like Left 4 Dead, sticking together is key. The aliens are quick and hardy, but not invincible. Getting pinned by one spells certain doom, but you can be saved easily by an attentive teammates’ rifle. Players can also cover their own backs with deployable auto-turrets.

I suited up with a trusty plasma rifle during my playthrough. The shooting mechanics are tight and fast. Looking down the sights and quickly lining up shots on xenomorphs feels good. It’s a good thing the shooting is as reliable as it is, because your reflexes are your most important weapon.

The goal of Escape for marines is to make it to the end of the map within 10 minutes. The Xeno’s only objective is to kill the marines before they do so. A variety of ranged and melee Xenomorphs will be playable, but Gearbox wasn’t allowing PAX attendees to play as the extraterrestrials at the show. It’s a simple concept, but it distills the essence and tension of Aliens into a single, highly replayable mode. Aliens: Colonial Marines hits 360, PS3, and PC on February 12, 2013.

Aliens: Colonial Marines Behind The Scenes Featurette Talks About Creating Tension

Kyle Hilliard — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 01:16:00 GMT

The latest developer documentary behind Aliens: Colonial Marines talks about creating tension, and features some of the most dramatic glasses removal and placement ever caught on film.

Aliens: Colonial Marines released February 12.

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Gearbox Provides Another Behind-The-Scenes Look At Colonial Marines

Jeff Cork — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:09:44 GMT

Gearbox has released the second part of its behind-the-scenes look at Aliens: Colonial Marines. In the latest video, the studio explores the iconic xenomorph enemies, weapons, and more.

In the clip below, the team explains how they wanted to show new xenomorph types and delve into aspects of the Aliens lore that hadn't yet been explored. In one section, Gearbox's Randy Pitchford enthuses about the pulse rifle, and how the game lets player see what's displayed on the weapon's overlay screen. Apparently, the Colonial Marines in the movies saw mundane details such as ammo counts and targeting information, as well as killstreak information. Did Vasquez and Gorman get a "Suicide -100 points" message in their final moments in the vents?

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Aliens: Colonial Marines hits the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on February 12. Take a look at Tim's hands-on impressions of the game here, or check out the first installment of the dev diary over here.

Behind The Scenes With Aliens: Colonial Marines

Matthew Kato — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:22:54 GMT

Ridley Scott's Alien franchise is beloved among movie, video game, and sci-fi fans, therefore Aliens: Colonial Marines developer Gearbox Software knows it has to get every detail right. Check out the team and the game's progress in this behind-the-scenes video with the developer.

In the video, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford and other key members of the development team discuss working on a video game based on such an important franchise. No pressure.

For more on the game's multiplayer, be sure to read Tim's hands-on impressions.

Aliens: Colonial Marines hits the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on February 12.

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