Summary
While most people primarily think of the movies, theAlienfranchise has also had a significant presence in video games since the 1980s. That presence continues today, with more titles on the way. Each game presents the terrifying experience of encountering the Xenomorph in unique ways.
As video games have become more cinematic over the years,Aliengames have begun to explore the expansive sci-fi horror universe through their own original stories. Some are standalone stories set in theAlienuniverse that have been woven into canon, while others are direct adaptations of the iconic movies.
The plot of theAlien Resurrectiongame is as simple as the movie it’s based on, with a clone of Ripley and several criminals working together to get off a ship infested with a Xenomorph horde. The movie itself is a messy sequel, but the game is often considered better than its source material. It was not only a strong horror shooter, but also told the story of the movie more concisely.
In the game adaptation, most of the strange story choices and tonal shifts are stripped away to create a moreback-to-basics horror shooter experience. Xenomorphs inAlien Resurrectionare hard to defeat, and the dark, muddy textures fit the claustrophobic feeling that theAlienfranchise is known for. Even the Newborn human/Xenomorph hybrid is a more climactic boss than what audiences got in the movie.
Rather than retelling the movies’ storylines,Alien Trilogyis more or less a reimagining of the entire universe, with Ellen Ripley being a fellow marine instead of an officer of the Nostromo. There are bits and pieces of all three original movies, but, for the most part,Alien Trilogysticks to being a standalone adventure with Ripley being the sole survivor on LV-426.
Many games in theAlienfranchise embrace the first-person shooter genre, partly due to the influence ofAlien Trilogy. This gameuses original titles likeDoomandDuke Nukem 3Das models to create an action-packed shooter. In this adaptation, Ripley is reimagined as more of an action hero, similar to Duke Nukem, complete with cheesy one-liners that are sure to make anyone grin.
On the one hand,Aliens: Colonial Marinesis an infamously broken first-person shooter thatrequires mods for it to be salvaged. Even that only delivers a portion of what gamers were promised. On the other hand, it does deliver an intriguing story that attempts to retcon the events ofAlien 3to try and say that Corporal Dwayne Hicks escaped his death by being awoken from cryosleep.
While the canonicity ofAliens: Colonial Marinesis debatable, Michael Biehn reprised the role of Hicks alongside Lance Henriksen as Michael Weyland and Bishop. It is clear that the developers love the James Cameron movie and strive to honor it while introducing new ideas like the Raven Xenomorph. There is also a DLC story where fans can play as Hicks, showing how he was taken by Weyland-Yutani.
The idea of Xenomorphs battling the Yautja Hunters from thePredatormovies has been a beloved concept that has spawned comics, films, and video games that fully utilize its potential.The now-defunct Monolith Productionstook the framework of the first game and madeAliens Vs. Predator 2is even better, with each campaign showing improvements in gameplay and story.
One defining feature ofAliens vs. Predatorgames is the inclusion of three distinct campaigns, each representing the perspectives of the Alien, Predator, and Colonial Marine. The sequel utilized this structure to create interrelated events between the three storylines. While this connection may be subtle, fans appreciated witnessing how the events of one story can have consequences for another.
Aliens: Fireteam Eliteputs more emphasis on the squad-based action sequences than the plot, but the developers did pay close attention to creating a canon storyline that takes place years after James Cameron’sAliens. It focuses on the colonial marines' fight against genetically mutated Xenomorphs on LV-895, which leads to remnants of an Engineer civilization.
Despite the controversial status of bothPrometheusandAlien: Covenant,Aliens: Fireteam Elitegoes above and beyond to create a story that bridges them and the original films. There are even connections toAlien: Isolation, which allows each chapter of slaying waves of aliens, mutants, and synthetics tofeel like everyAlienmoviein terms of visuals, sounds, and threats.
In the 2010 reboot ofAliens Vs. Predator,the villainous Karl Weyland is the biggest link between stories, because he tampers with the Yautja culture on the planet for his and the company’s benefit. He even tries to tame Xenomorphs, which leads toSpecimen 6 as the Alien campaign’s protagonist. This creature evolves into the Hive’s greatest drone, providing more depth to a Xenomorph than fans have ever seen prior.
The other campaigns have strong stories as well and even have different tones. The Predator is more about action, while the Colonial Marine, known as Rookie, has more horror. Fighting Xenomorphs and Yautja Hunters while trying to escape leads to all kinds of twists and turns that honor both theAlienandPredatorfranchises.
Developers have begun to explore a wider range of genres within theAlienfranchise, as demonstrated byAliens: Dark Descent.This game combineselements of squad-based tacticswith intense, frightening gameplay. Despite being viewed from an aerial perspective, the sudden appearance of Xenomorphs from the shadows to attack the marines can still be quite startling, thanks to the game’s dark yet visually striking art direction.
There are also more chances taken withAliens: Dark Descent.The story features new concepts, such as a cult that worships Xenomorphs, which results in new kinds of threats. It even explores the concept of other races that have come in contact with the Xenomorph infestation, creating monsters like the Titan Xenomorph.
Fans were so impressed withAlien: Rogue Incursionas a virtual reality game that the developers are giving the game a non-VR version, which is a testament to its story and gameplay. A common criticism of a lot ofAliengames is the lack of horror, trying to replicate the style of James Cameron’s movie. ButRogue Incursionbalances the styles of Ridley Scott and James Cameron in terms of visuals and tone.
Alien: Rogue Incursionfollows an ex-marine named Zula Hendricks who investigates a distress signal on LV-354, which leads to the discovery of another Xenomorph invasion. This is a rare instance of playing a main protagonist who has a Xenomorph embryo in their chest, thus raising the stakes.Rogue Incursionalso sets up more to come, as it is a two-part episodic adventure.
From the design of the space stationto the terrifying Xenomorph itself,Alien: Isolationset aside action in favor of classic survival horror, where one Xenomorph is enough to plunge an entire space station of people into chaos and death. In the process of trying to recover the flight recorder of the Nostromo, Amanda Ripley has to deal with her own Xenomorph problem.
Amanda’s search for closure after losing her mother is an endearing motivation that, mixed with the horror of the Xenomorph, keeps the player invested. As Amanda progresses, more mysteries unfold: the origin of the new Xenomorph, the revolt of the synthetics, and how events will tie intoAlienandAliens. The revolutionary AI for the Xenomorph also helps in guaranteeing that the game remains terrifying, even over a decade after release.
