Does 'Alien' have potential in games?

In the vacuum of the games industry, no one can here your pleads for a sequel! 

It doesn't get much more classic than Ridley Scott's 'Alien' franchise, the first of which presents a stunningly grounded sci-fi arthouse monster story that elevates itself far beyond its station by merit of the sheer quality of presentation. James Cameron's 'Aliens' would present itself as something of a aspirant to that coveted role, however, itself presenting a much more action heavy, and thriller-adjacent, sequel rife with swarming monsters, explosive machine gun fire and endless quippy and quotable movie moments. For years fans of each have argued back and forth about which is better, an argument I have no horse in personally, because the only question I have to ask with this franchise is thus: which iteration of the franchise has more of a future in the gaming space, and why does it seem like it's only the action-heavy Aliens sequel? Does 'Alien' not also have it's credit and purpose?

Firstly, let's establish the difference. Alien presents a simply iconic and distinct look of the industrial space-age future, one that feels so tactile and believable compared to the technical utopian visual of Star Trek that it's impression is stamped forever on Sci-Fi iconography. Alien stars a highly intelligent yet utterly inhuman monster, one that seems to hunt down and victimise the crew throughout the entire movie tearing them apart as if for fun; hardly ever does it feel like the crew of the Nostromo have anything resembling a chance to survive for be merit of their brawn, and even their sharpest wits seem a mere pittance to the unknowable intellect of the 'perfect organism'. Aliens, on the otherhand, is more visually generic with it's look at space-age colonies, and due to budget constraints their 'xenomorphs' are considerably less impressive and artistically shot. Their monsters are mindless and charging, like stumbling ants with nothing but murder in the brain who charge into death by turret fire with little more intelligence than a computer drone. The movies have their considerable variations of vision.

Yet if we look at the amount of games that have birthed from the original Alien vision, only two really come to mind off the top of my head. One is Dead Space, and Dead Space 2 by extension, which both borrow heavily from the basic premise of Alien as well as the visual motif of 'industry in space', bringing rough and dirty utility to space-faring innovation. Their monsters aren't quiet as imposing and overbearing, as merit of it being it video game through which players are usually expect to go through hundreds of enemies in their campaign to survive, but the 'Necromorphs' certainly carry the 'fear factor' for what they've capable of doing; growing out of the bodies of the deceased on shock body horror glory. 'Alien Isolation', on the otherhand, is direct adaptation of the source material that does everything in it's power to faithfully recreate the world, feel and emotions of Alien to a game playing public. From visuals, to themes, to even the presentation of the Alien as this unkillable, overbearing menace that seems to toy with you as it hunts with an advanced AI that never seems totally stumped by your efforts to sneak around it. Both are gaming classics in their own right, both have very few companions to share that space of their respective subgenre with.

Aliens, on the otherhand, possibly by merit of it's premise, has many more entries under it's wing. You have Aliens Colonial Marines, a legendarily shoddy first person shooter that may or may not have been the operate factor in the smuggling of assigned investment money towards the betterment of Borderlands 2. (Allegedly.) You have Aliens Versus Predator: a severely underrated three-person narrative following various sides of an extra-terrestrial conflict that allows you to play as everyone with a stake in the battle, with a simply sublime multiplayer mode welded ontop for good measure. Aliens Infestation, a side-scrolling DS game. 'Aliens: Fireteam Elite', multiplayer Xenomorph hunting. 'Aliens Trilogy', a doom-like loosely based on the films. Aliens Versus Predator (the originals). And the upcoming 'Aliens: Dark Descent', which sounds like the Alien-Amnesia crossover that no one could have ever foreseen.

On it's surface the reason why should be pretty obvious. When it comes to designing games, we're all more comfortable designing products where the main way of interacting with the world is to shoot big guns extensively, then we are with the types of games that exploit psychological horror in their attempt to unnerve us. A lot of expertise and specialised passion needs to go together to make a game like 'Alien Isolation' work, and nearly as much passion needs be spread about the audience for them to like and get aboard with what it wants to create. But a game about marines shooting aliens? Well, that has some of that all important, investor pleasing, universal appeal; doesn't it? There's FPS lovers and makers popping around this industry like flies ever since the 2000's boom of shooters, might as well capitalise on that by making Aliens themed shooters, no?

To be fair to them, I at least think that some of these shooters are inventive; and almost none have been bottom-of-the-barrel trash. Colonial Marines at least attempted to be a worthwhile shooter with broken squad based mechanics, unimportant new Alien variants and a proposed canon narrative that poked giant holes in some of the most hated plot elements of the Alien canon. Fireteam wanted to bring a cooperative shooter angle to the formula, albeit in a manner I found exceedingly generic. And Alien Dark Descent purposes to throw in some light 'XCOM' style tactical precision with group squad orders and permadeath and all that goodness. Still, I can't help but wonder what would happen if the less trigger happy elements of the Aliens franchise had their day.

The Resident Evil franchise has proved that horror can have it's loud and quiet entries, sometimes one after the other, without the world totally folding in on itself from the sheer paradoxical nature of it all. Alien Isolation has remained the franchise's sole venture into exploring it's traditional roots and it is one of the highest regarded horror games of it's generation. So why have we never gotten anything even close to a sequel? Or heck, any other interpretation of the Alien formula that respects the majesty and integrity of the original design? Or at the very least make a Five Nights at Freddy's reskin, I mean come on! I know that Alien has potential in gaming, I've practically seen it- but I cannot prove that it has a future... which to me is the sorer spot.

Aliens: Fireteam

 They're coming out of the walls!

Ridley Scott's Alien franchise is one that I've never been far removed from in my household, on account of my father ensuring I'd appreciate it as soon as I able to. And whilst, even now, I'm much more of a Blade Runner guy, I'd be a fool to deny how Alien remains on of the most well constructed and influential films ever made. (Not to even to mention 'horror films') Even today I'm infinitely familiar with it's look, it's dialogue, pacing, editing, sound design and all the factors which make it a mainstream art-house masterpiece. And before I get all wistful about what could be achieved if such snippets of brilliance were exported to the gaming world, I need merely remember that Alien Isolation exists and did a pretty decent job creating that very environment. I also remember Aliens, the sequel famous for fundamentally shifting the tone and essence of the first movie whilst still being a solid sequel, and realise how that movie never really got the faithful adaptation that it's fans have been waiting for.

The Colonial Marine fantasy is, as I've heard, a big draw for many out there who loved Ridley Scott's world; all those folk long for the day when they can don bulky armour and splatter explosive rounds at hoards of 'the perfect organism'. Though some might say that very prospect ruins a bit of the Xenomorphs mystique, the truth is that these are really a different kind of Xenomorph being represented in this corner of the franchise; purposefully smaller, duller and less sturdy so as to be dangerous as a swarm rather than as individuals. Fans want to be terrified as that swarm climbs over walls and out of vents, overwhelming them and tearing their defences slowly apart. The want to feel the dread as ammo counts falter and the combat draws ever closer and closer. They want to scream with desperation as the shiny black carapaces descend upon them, and the last noise they can make is the iconic blast of that classic Pulse rifle. And if that's what they wanted they could have played 2010's AVP.

Yeah, I don't know what it is about 2010's AVP that so many people find inherently distasteful; perhaps it's merely the movie namesake that least a linger flavour of 'God is dead and he took all happiness with him'. But if you're really desperate for some Colonial Marine action, that is literally the inexpensive game for you. It's three campaigns are all decently well put together but the Marine campaign in particular is just great, it takes you everywhere you could possibly hope to go in an Alien scenario, from the spaceships down to a hive, and does it all whilst juggling the fear factor of being the only one alive with the adrenaline of mowing down these iconic beasties in a matter of seconds. (That and it only has two missions where you fight androids instead of the Aliens you signed up for.) On the other end of the spectrum there is 'Aliens Colonial Marines' which is every bit as bad as the reviews will have you believe. But maybe what fans really have been holding out for is what this new 'Aliens: Fireteam' has to offer. (Fingers crossed because I don't know what they're looking for anymore...)

This here is a three-people survival-horde game (not that kind of survival, thank god) in which Marines trek across the stars responding to calls of Alien infestations and deploy on bughunts. Therefore here is a title that offers everything you likely instinctively considered when I mentioned that premise. You've got your classes built with abilities to help you play a role within the team, your various out-of-lore Alien variations to warrant complicated tactics, your third-person perspective in order to make you more aware of your surroundings and thus your teammates, and your pointless ugly redesign to the iconic marine armour which is justified by this story taking place a whopping 10 years after the Aliens movie. 10 years was all it took for all the memorability to drain out of the standard Colonial Marine uniform? They must have been decked in Mjolnir Powered Assault Armor before Ridley took her first cryo nap.

Beyond the trailer we have an actual gameplay event which reveals that, unlike with Gearbox's Aliens game, the title does actually look as it does in the adverts, and the sounds do match the way that they're supposed to. (It was sort of hard to tell, but now we know that the pulse rifle is indeed, still a noisy boi) The Aliens all look exactly as they should from the second movie, so far, with their crawling movement being spot on and their attack animations, I'll admit, being leagues better than the 2010 AVP videogame. (It still has other redeeming qualities, okay?) But that's where the nostalgia crutches end. We aren't dealing with characters that we're used to or fighting through environments that we're used to, (at least not at launch) therefore there's a lot of trekking across places indistinct enough to be implacable but with enough visual flair that little parts here and there remind you of the movie. Yeah, the team insists that they put considerable effort into replicate the look and sound of the original, but I'll be honest: I'm hearing it but not always seeing it. (Then again, I am still more a fan of the first movie so perhaps this is a fault on my end.)

I have to wonder, however, at the wisdom of approaching such a game with an online ecosystem dependant model when we're in such chaotic and competitive online times. Hearing the story set-up, or lack there of, and seeing the arcadey streamlining of the gameplay sections (There's not really any room for atmosphere building beyond the typical "Holy crap, we're getting swarmed!") it's clear that someone wants this to pick up and become a 'thing', making this another title I fear for if that doesn't pick up. I wouldn't be surprised if there is no single player for this thing, and the developers have already hinted how the AI companions won't be particularly good, (Big surprise there) so I have to wonder what's in it for folk like more a lot of other players who don't have the friends to take part. I worry because, though I jab, I have to admit the game does look decent. The third person shooting doesn't appear to be the top of it's class (it looks to lack some weight and punch, merely melting opponents over obliterating them) but there's a charm to the very aesthetic that, try though I might, I can't poke big enough holes through. (They've done just okay enough to tap into my Alien sympathies card.) 

In fact, the game looks so decent that I can't help but wonder where it came from. That honoue would go to a small 6 year old studio called Cold Iron Studios. They were bought by FOX in 2018, likely giving them the means to work on the Alien franchise, before being unceremoniously picked up by Disney when the acquisition went through. During which I imagine they continued to work on the game whilst living in daily confusion over whether or not the brass was going to roll by and cancel them that morning. Then in 2020 Scopely, a mobile games creator, bought the Fox gaming vestigial limb ontop of Disney's acquisition, along with Cold Iron. Later that year they'd sell them to Daybreak (Which they'd expressed interest in to begin with) before getting sold once again at the end of that year to Enad Global 7. Good god that's a journey! And to think they weathered this game, or an incarnation of it, through all that turmoil has either got to be a testament to the team's tenacity or a giant red flag about the development hell it must have endured. (Or both) 

Ideally I want for Aliens fans to get ahold of that experience that they've been waiting for (If, indeed, they can all even agree on what that is) and applaud this game if they can do it. I'll admit, three person Alien slaying carnage does sound good on paper, and though the Acid Blood spray might not be as pronounced as I'd like it to be, I bet there are times when this game captures what it's going for perfectly. The test is whether or not that's most of the time or just the occasional glimpse of the Diamond in the rough. We won't have too long to figure out which this ultimately is because the game is quite literally launching post-haste for the summer. Here's hoping for a grand return of the Alien franchise to gaming consoles everywhere!