Tindalos Interactive
PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S
HAS there ever been a sequel quite like Aliens? The original movie, Alien (1979), is one of the best horror films ever, with a single, creepy xenomorph stalking the crew of the Nostromo. The 1986 sequel throws most of this away, retaining only Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley and facing her off against the aliens, plural, to create one of the best action films ever.
This split at the franchise’s heart made it tricky to continue – as shown by the endless lacklustre sequels – or to adapt it for other mediums. Depending on how you count, there have been over 50 Alien video games: the consensus is the vast majority are terrible.
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That all changed in 2014 with Alien: Isolation. You are Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen, and we are in single xenomorph territory again. In a brilliant move, you cannot kill the alien – you can only run and hide as you attempt to escape a space station alive.
I loved Alien: Isolation and was disappointed it had no sequel. The good news is the recent addition to the franchise of Aliens: Dark Descent, an excellent game based around the film Aliens. There is no relationship between the games beyond the world they are based in, but the two make a brilliant pair, just like the original films.
Dark Descent opens with a load of xenomorphs being set loose on the space station Pioneer, forcing the crew of the recently departed spaceship Otago to crash-land on the nearby moon of Lethe. You are tasked with hunting for supplies and spares, tackling both the aliens and human cultists who appear to worship them.
The game is split in two. The first part is mostly menu-based and sees you managing personnel and supplies aboard the Otago, researching equipment and tending to people’s wounds. The bulk of the game places you in charge of a squad of four Colonial Marines – the military organisation introduced in Aliens – as you explore Lethe, and it is a pitch-perfect representation of the film.
A typical level sees you deploy in an abandoned settlement, with various objectives. You explore until you encounter an alien and everything kicks off. Your squad fires its main weapons automatically, but you can also access a menu of special weapons. Cleverly, the game goes into slow motion when you pull up this menu, rather than pausing, never quite breaking the tension of being assaulted by xenomorphs.
Depending on how you play, things can get real bad, real quick. Rush into a seemingly empty room and your squad could be wiped out; take time to deploy automated gun turrets, lay mines and fire up the flamethrower, and you can hold off an entire horde. This perfectly recreates the feel of the film, with the marines outnumbered but not helpless.
The game is full of great touches that elevate it beyond a simple bug hunt. At any time, you can opt to retreat from a level, heading back to the Otago to resupply, then resume the next in-game day. That introduces a pushing-your-luck feeling as you wonder whether you can risk opening up the next room or whether you would be better off tending to your wounds. Marines that survive will move up a level, unlocking new abilities, but are gone for good if they are killed, meaning you feel their loss, and supplies you salvage will be available for the next run.
While playing, I constantly find myself switching between fear of the aliens and glee as I tear them to shreds – and what more could you want from an Aliens game?
Jacob also recommends…
Creative Assembly
PC, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and One
Jacob Aron is ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ’s news editor. Follow him on Twitter @jjaron
