A tedious and unpolished bug hunt.
Not the definitive Aliens game we were hoping for.
Alien is one of the best sci-fi films ever. It's success has produced a worthy sequel, along with the not so great, AvP spin-offs. There's also been some decent video game adaptations, but the definitive Aliens game still remained nonexistent. When developer Gearbox Software announced they were developing Aliens: Colonial Marines, it seemed rather promising. The game has had a rough journey. With six years in development, countless delays, and changes in developers, it's finally made it to shop shelf's. With such a long haul, you would expect a decent game to show for it. Unfortunately, Aliens: CM is a mess that does little to capture the atmosphere of Ridley Scott's sci-fi classic, Alien. Gearbox, the studio behind Borderland, sure have taste when it comes to shooters. It's just a shame Aliens: CM isn't to the same standard.
Taking place roughly seventeen years after the original Alien. You take the role of Corporal Chris Winter, a Colonial Marine who is currently onboard the USS cruiser, Sephora. When a distress signal is sent from the USS Sulaco, Winter and the rest of his squad are sent to investigate the missing ship, currently orbiting around the LV-426. The ship is infested with xenomorphs, and it's not long before they realise their not alone. This is when things start to turn nasty.
The game does have some authentic features that fans will appreciate. From the sound of the Pulse Rifle, to the noise of the blip on the motion tracker. Hearing the real sounds taken from the movie archive is a treat. It's just a shame everything else doesn't sound as good. Voice acting is rather bad, the visuals are extremely dated on console, gameplay feels bland, and there's many noticeable glitches. With so long in development, Aliens: CM is an embarrassment. It hurts me to say it, as I was looking forward to it, but it's true. Even the core fans will find this very poor in today's gaming standards.
One of the biggest issues is it's lack of atmosphere. You never truly feel in danger, neither do you feel hunted by smart xenomorphs. Most of the time, aliens will simply leap out in front of your aim, making it an easy target. It becomes tiresome very quickly. There are a few moments, like a stealth section which forces you to use the motion tracker. It's moments like this what begin to show how great the game could have been. It's a shame, when the majority of your time is spent moving from A to B, shooting everything in your path. It feels like a standard run-and-gun shooter.
The games lack of polish doesn't help matters either. Visually, the game looks extremely dated and rough around the edges. Textures are very low and pop-ins are everywhere. It's also full of bugs which break up the experience. From characters moving through each other, to objects simply appearing in front of you. Frankly, it seems unfinished and lacks major polish. It's very confusing, considering it's length in development. It's a shame that the game is ugly, as the level design is rather good. It does capture the films well, and players will bump into a few nostalgia moments. This is something the game does well at, but the poor visuals and lack of atmosphere simply destroys it.
The campaign can take around 4-5 hours to complete. It's extremely short, and there's not much to entice you back either. There is an XP system throughout the campaign, but it's not enough to keep you interested As you progresses you will earn xp points that can be spent on upgrades. Points are simply earned by killing enemies and completing in-game challenges. Weapons can be upgraded with attachments, and there's a few customization options for your character. It's nothing deep enough to keep your interest, but it's a nice little filler along the way. One the campaign is other, the only other reason to return would be for it's collectibles or 4-4 Co-op. Playing with friends can add a bit more joy to the campaign, certainly more than it deserves too.
The only real redeeming feature is it's multiplayer component. This features a variety of game types which pit you against aliens and Marines. There's your typical team death-match which has Aliens and Marines battling it out. This can be fun for a while, but it soon becomes tiresome. It does feel rather unbalanced, with the marines feeling too overpowering. Playing as the Aliens does allow you to crawl along the walls and hand on the ceiling, but you can die far too quickly. The other game modes, like Escape Mode is probably my favorite This is a 4-4 match which has marines trying to reach a save zone. There is a separate ranking system online that gives you plenty of unlocks, but many will lose interest fairly quickly.
Aliens: Colonial Marines should have been a great game. It's time in development seems like a wasted opportunity. It had lots of potential, but it's bland gameplay, glitches, dated visuals and lack of atmosphere let it down.