10 Video Games You Know Are Bad For You (But You Play Anyway)
5. Aliens: Colonial Marines
Aliens: Colonial Marines is one of those video game titles that should have been a classic. Taking place soon after the events of the 1986 classic blockbuster from James Cameron, the game had shown enough promise in its initial press demo displays to make people think it was going to be a genuine game-changer as a first-person shooter.
The game was, however, plagued by one of the most tumultuous development cycles in recent memory, with the bulk of the game being outsourced to a number of different companies over six years that would end up seriously impacting the quality of the final product.
Whilst the AI intelligence and a number of bugs drew criticism, it was the huge drop-off between the demo and final graphical quality that drew the most attention from critics. Gearbox and Sega were even pulled into an embarrassing lawsuit argument from two fans for false advertising.
But, the online multiplayer the game possessed was one area of Aliens: Colonial Marines wasn't criticised, drawing in plenty of active players who were all too happy sinking the hours in. Couple this with the improved AI intelligence courtesy of a fan-modder, and Colonial Marines has certainly been able to entice some fans of the Ridley Scott classics back in.