Aliens: Colonial Marines
It’s been along time since some game has really freaked us out, made us jump or made it an ass freezer to go round the next corner. The last games that properly did that were the Silent Hill collection and the Alien Versus Predator games.
The two things these games both had in common were atmosphere, involvement and all round eeriness. No other games have managed this to such a level apart from Siren but let’s not say anymore about that game. As huge fans of the movies, we expect a game to take huge measures in keeping the game creepy as much as action based. The problem with “horror” games today is, they fail at scaring us. It seems since graphics and gameplay have evolved, the ability to scare us has fallen prey to pathetic monster design, easy gameplay, diminished storylines, laughable lighting and absolutely no character development whatsoever. Of course by this I mean Resident Evil 4.
Aliens Colonial Marines is going to be my last and only hope for a good horror game before I die. Silent Hill: Homecoming failed to scare me and I lost almost all hope. Colonial Marines however has one advantage; it already has a winning formula of action and scares already made up for it. Alien 2, which in my opinion is the best (followed by Alien 1), was an example of how to make the perfect movie, and making a game should not be much different and from what I’ve seen, it has stayed very close.
The best screenshot so far already show’s a whole bundle of awesome features which a good horror game needs. One is no HUD. HUD’s completely wreck horrors games by taking you from getting involved in the game and give you a slap of reality every time you want to check your health.
Second, is the weapons and gadgets. Everybody’s favourite pulse rifle has predictably made its return, as well as the shotgun which Hicks graciously rams down the throat of a Xenomorph in Alien 2. Also, instead of a heads up radar, we get the classic motion sensor. This will undoubtedly mean we cannot hold a Smart gun in one hand while looking for motion signals. We might be able to hold a pistol if we’re lucky so this should add yet another factor into the games tense surroundings.
Thirdly, the environments. They look amazing and keep true to the Alien style surroundings, blood soaked floors covered with forms from laboratory experiments, shadow covered corners and thick metal clamp doors. From just one screenshot we can clearly see how Gearbox has tried to replicate the movies.
You can just see that the gameplay will involve you. Running down a corridor and taking refuge in a lab while your teammate rushes to wield the doors closed. Blasting at facehuggers as they try to impregnate you. We’ll even see some attacks from runners, Drones, Warriors and even the Queen.
The storyline is set after the events of Aliens and Alien 3. One of the places you will be visiting will be the Sulaco which will be interesting as it might reveal more on the storyline. LV 426 and the unknown alien ship where Kane first get’s facehugged will be two more of the visiting places but not much more on locations has been said.
On the downside, the storyline is written by the Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek writers which doesn’t instantly make it bad, but certainly adds the possibility of cheesy characters and a cliché of catchphrases. I would like to see some Hudson, Hicks and Bishop Characters but today, good characters are very rare.
Gameplay will see you investigating the scenes as well as fighting for your life. But don’t expect an Alien Versus Predator game style pacing. This one will be slower, and as a result, creepier. Don’t expect a single Alien to charge you and your friends. Expect him to scout you, tell his friends, and come back with an army. Maybe even expect one to jump from the roof or vent and take you out without even knowing what’s going on. If they can make the game so that you have to watch every vent and floor panel, then this game will truly be a winner.
Twenty Xenomorph running at your smart gun is tense. A single Alien grabbing you from a vent is terrifying. We don’t want another Alien Versus Predator, we really don’t. While they were good and at the time scary, they didn’t scare you enough. We want to feel like we’re really fighting for our survival, and that danger, like in the movies, can come from anywhere. Multiplayer is so far confirmed to be 4 player co-op which is exactly what this game needs. Competitive gameplay has however been rumoured and will probably be integrated.
It would be nice if we could get a soundtrack relating to Jerry Goldsmith’s work but all the films have good scores so I doubt I’ll find anything to complain about in the game.
In all, I think Colonial Marines will be a great as long as it slows down the pacing, keeps action varied and doesn’t make you fight endless hordes of Aliens like the old AVP games. We want to see one or two Aliens stuck to the roof making themselves look like pipes, not thirty Aliens running down a corridor all game. While hardcore action scenes will be awesome, we want a good few sections of tension building first. We want a eerie soundtrack, great single player characters and plot points which will make fans of the movie happy.
And yes, we want to read optional 5 page PDA’s from lab experiments to read while Aliens bang at the pressure doors. If it can keep us as involved as the movies did, then this game will finally give us all what we’ve wanted.
A good horror game from some of the best horror movies made.
Release: Q1 2009.
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