Biggest Games Of 2013: Aliens: Colonial Marines

They say originality in gaming is dead, and judging by the slew of sequels and reboots coming in 2013, it's hard to argue otherwise. But who said it has to be a bad thing? One of the more surprising titles that falls into this category is Sega's Aliens: Colonial Marines. Taking place 4 months after the events in James Cameron's excellent sequel Aliens, a new group of marines return to LV-426 in search of Ellen Ripley and her team. Developer Gearbox has the unenviable task of not just pleasing fans of the Alien franchise, but hardcore first person shooter gamers too. The big question is - can they succeed?

Why It Could Be Amazing

Alien and its sequel are two of the best sci-fi movies of all time, so any game that lets us return to that world is worth our attention. The fact that this game is considered an official part of the Alien franchise's canon excites me more than anything else. What secrets can we expect to find out? Will there be a link to Prometheus? Anything is possible. Don't forget that we can visit some of the most iconic landmarks in the series' history too. The game itself looks beautiful, from the lush jungles to the HUD-less style presentation Gearbox has implemented. Everything is authentically recreated which only adds to the immersion and it doesn't hurt that two top class screenwriters penned the script. Multiplayer looks to be much more than a simple tacked on feature too. 4 player co-op (which looks like a mix between Gears of War's Horde mode and Black Ops 2 Zombies) is sure to satisfy those looking for a more action packed experience once the campaign is over, and did I mention that you can play as Xenomorphs? Who could say no to that?

Why It Could Be Terrible

I was lucky enough to play Aliens: Colonial Marines at Eurogamer a few months ago. Overall, I found it a mixed experience. While I loved the look and tone of the game, it felt as if Gearbox hadn't really decided which direction they wanted to take. Some bits were terrifying while other parts felt too action oriented. The atmosphere of the movies has been carried through perfectly, as even exploring the claustrophobic jungle feels tense and scary, but unfortunately all this changes when bullets start flying. There really is no reason to be scared when you feel so powerful. The weapon damage is devastating, ammo is plentiful and enemies are weak. If Gearbox have tweaked a few things since, it could potentially be a completely different game come release, but as it stands it just looks like another generic shooter using a well established brand as a backdrop.

Potential Rating: 3/5

Aliens: Colonial Marines could be the surprise title of the year. Gearbox have nailed the atmosphere perfectly, but it remains to be seen whether it can offer something unique in an already over-saturated market. Because of the delays to its release, there is no excuse for Sega not to get this right. The campaign alone should rope in fans of the franchise and the multiplayer features sound like they will provide an interesting twist on generic online modes - I'm sure anybody who has seen Alien (or any of the movies in the franchise) will cherish sneaking around as Xenomorphs. As a huge fan of the series, I'm going to give Gearbox the benefit of the doubt. Here's hoping Aliens: Colonial Marines is more like Ridley Scott's masterpiece and less like Prometheus. Aliens: Colonial Marines is out February 12th.

 
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Barry O' Halloran has been a whatculture writer for the last two years and having recently graduated, now plans on writing about games & movies until his hands fall off. Follow him on twitter!