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"...I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure." But until then, let's send 6 colonial marines into a desolate colony, along with the only person who knows what they might find.
Swapping between 6 characters, the aim of this version of Aliens (not the adventure version) is to get through the colony safely, destroying aliens as you go. Everyone has a camera on their helmet, like in the movie, so the game is viewed from a command point of view - you switch between soldiers and see what they see, then control their firing when necessary.
The interface is great, it gives a sense of vulnerability because of the 5 isolated characters no matter who you control. Then all but one is dead, and you feel even more in danger! If an alien enters a room occupied by a character, you get a warning and can do something about it. Firing draws attention, so unless you are accurate you will die very suddenly! To make it worse, killing aliens leaves lethal acid pools, and this is visible in front of doors. If you aren't careful where you shoot them, you can be totally trapped, and sometimes doors are hidden behind the mucus cocoons no the walls... This is no pushover!
With limited ammo, and marines sometimes dying before you can even see what the warning was about, this game is usually short-lived and frustrating. It's fair enough in some ways - anyone who has played Aliens vs Predator will know how lethal those critters really are when they find you - but it spoils things if the one marine who's fought through a dozen or more rooms gets it in the forehead. This is a marvellous game, but not one that can be recommended for simple retro fun. If you want this kind of tense, difficult shooter, there are better around now, but it's a nice slice of the past.
Downloads: Advert 2, Advert 3
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| GRAPHICS - 8/10 |
Almost monochrome (red or blue display, grey surround), but an effective use of atmospheric shading and the letterbox-monitor displays that feature in the movie. In fact, if you think about it, the movie is very red and blue too, in the corridors and the labs... The graphics do the job nicely, there are no obvious improvements to be made but it looks a bit dull.
| | SOUND - 6/10 |
Often silent to begin with, but as your marines find trouble the panicky noises start. Disappointing but kinda moody when you get into the game.
| | PLAYABILITY - 8/10 |
Controlling so many people can be a problem, but you can always let a couple die! It's a game with a definite aim and a map that's readily available, so self control is the key to success.
| | OVERALL - 8/10 |
A very good film adaptation, but generally it goes from very slow to way too hectic without enough inbetween. Just like the movie, this will get your heart going, but that's not the only point of a game. It's fun, but a bit too difficult.
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