PAX East – Aliens: Colonial Marines Could Be A Breakout Multiplayer Smash

I had no idea what to expect when I walked up tot he Aliens: Colonial Marines booth. Here was this big bunker type building, Randy Pitchford, Gearbox Software‘s CEO was all smiles outside. Our developer who narrated our playthrough mentioned what a dream it was to work on this project.

It started out nicely; sure the visuals looked like a crisper Duke Nukem Forever, but there was a great sense of atmosphere involved. There was no HUD, you had to track enemy movement with a motion tracker. When said motion tracker was active, you couldn’t fire. The opening moments screamed classic Aliens, from the 20th Century Fox opening before the demo to the referencing to the fact that the game is, in fact, a true sequel to classic films.

But something happened when the gameplay began: it was simply…generic. Don’t get me wrong, it was pretty tense watching a xenomorph leap onto our hero, but after that moment, the demo consisted of shooting crawling aliens before they even got close to you. Maybe the game was played on the easiest difficulty, maybe the AI isn’t tweaked enough from the demo build we saw. But the single player, while it may have a story Aliens fans will love, one written by Battlestar Galactica writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, and especially if Ridley Scott is indeed involved somehow, the gameplay seems uninspired, at best.

Then something else happened: we tried the multiplayer. After an intense marines vs xenomorphs battle that left my heart pounding and hands shaking, I forget everything I hated about the singleplayer demo. If Gearbox Software can harness the potential here, nevermind finding a way to make enemy AI in the campaign act smarter with their plans of attacks, then console owners may be topping the Xbox Live and PSN most played charts with a newcomer.

There’s nothing special about the actual multiplayer, per say, as it is merely your standard run-of-the-mill deathmatch. But not knowing what dangers lie in the shadows as the enemy jumps from the ceiling and rips your skin apart while another digs his claws into the back of your buddy who was covering you can be pretty addicting. While we, sadly, only got to play the marines during out hands-on time, we can only imagine how much fun playing the aliens can be. Here’s to hoping that each session has both teams playing one side a piece to help prevent players from rage quitting if they’re not aliens.

While there’s no specific release date for Aliens: Colonial Marines, we do know that it is due out this fall for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and even Wii U. Until then, I can’t wait for more multiplayer details.

Share this article:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on tumblr
Tumblr
Share on email
Email
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp

Recent Posts

Fallout - Woman exiting the vault Movies & TV

Amazon’s Fallout Series Teaser Trailer

Live-action video game adaptations continue to get better and better. The Last of Us showed us what was possible when retelling the stories of a great video game on screen. …

Gaming News

GTA VI Trailer Incoming: Here’s What We Know

Get the latest scoop on GTA VI! Rockstar confirms trailer release for Dec 5, hinting a thrilling return to Vice City. Stay tuned for more details!

Gaming News

Bringing L.A. Comic Con 2023 From the Scene to Your Screen

Hey, Fanatics! Buckle up, because L.A. Comic Con is making its grand return to the City of Angels this weekend, December 1-3, and it’s shaping up to be an out-of-this-world …

Gaming News

PDP & VICTRIX REVEAL LIMITED EDITION COD-INSPIRED CONTROLLERS

PDP, Victrix, and Activision have had a great relationship for some time now. Last year they released a special edition Las Almas version of their their Pro BFG Controller. This …

Game Reviews

Lords of the Fallen Impressions | A New Challenger

Are you looking for a new challenge in the Soulslike genre? Well Lords of the Fallen may have what you are looking for.

Pax West (PAX Prime)

Ebenezer and the Invisible World Interview | PAX West 2023

When you mix Metroidvania and the holiday season, you get Ebenezer and the Invisible World. While walking around the PAX show floor this caught my eye. Not only because it …