Debuting in 1979 with one of the greatest Sci-Fi horror films ever made, the Alien franchise has enjoyed a long history in the pop culture landscape. The first Ridley Scott-helmed Alien essentially revolutionized the Sci-Fi horror franchise, and set the precedent for just about any that would follow it. Alien's influence stretches far beyond the realm of cinema, though, with some of the most popular horror gaming franchises using it as inspiration. Without Alien, there'd probably be no Dead Space, no Callisto Protocol, and maybe even no Starcraft. But sadly, Alien's own history of video games hasn't been quite so groundbreaking, though Aliens: Dark Descent might just break the curse.
Over the last few decades, there have been quite a few Alien games. While there have been some stand-outs over the years, namely the Aliens Vs. Predator games on PC in the early 2000s and Alien Isolation, the last few releases have received a mixed reception at best, and have been critical nightmares at worst. But the recently announced Aliens: Dark Descent has a chance to break the cycle, opting to go for a unique gameplay perspective that the franchise hasn't seen yet.
The Disappointing History of Recent Alien Games
Despite some rocky entries over the last few decades, the real Alien game curse begins in 2013 with the release of Aliens: Colonial Marines. Widely considered to be one of the worst games of all time, Aliens: Colonial Marines is a broken mess of a video game. While its core premise is solid, pitting players against hordes of Aliens in scenes ripped almost straight out of James Cameron's Aliens, the execution of just about every element of the game let it down dramatically.
Aliens: Colonial Marines' AI was broken, the gunplay felt unresponsive and too arcade-y for a 2013 AAA game, the graphics and framerate were subpar, and the game's narrative was laughably cliché, all combining to create an experience that lacked any of the excitement or originality of its source material. Aliens: Colonial Marines was, rightly, destroyed by critics and fans alike, and quickly became one of the most infamous video games of all time. Now, Colonial Marines sits right at the top of just about any "worst games of all time" lists, right alongside the likes of Ride to Hell and Big Rigs.
2014 saw the release of Alien Isolation, which in most people's eyes, was the resurrection that the franchise needed. Boasting some immensely intense gameplay due to the game's innovative Xenomorph AI, Alien Isolation was widely considered to be one of the best games in the long-running franchise, and its plot ties to the original series' characters helped to make it feel like an authentic, worthy successor.
Unfortunately, Alien Isolation would mark a high point in the franchise that hasn't been reached since. In the years that followed Alien Isolation's release, a few Alien mobile games were released. While these weren't as offensively bad as Colonial Marines, they also weren't very good, and didn't do much to keep the franchise in the good books.
Just last year, Aliens: Fireteam Elite released, and was quickly met with a mixed reception from players and critics. Taking a third-person perspective, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is essentially the game that Colonial Marines should have been. Taking on the role of a Colonial Marine, players work together with two other players to make their way through a colony full of Xenos. Fireteam Elite was liked by many, with the game's emphasis on teamwork and its ability to capture the charm of the original series being highlights, but its repetitive level design and gameplay left some with sour feelings after a few hours.
What Aliens: Dark Descent Needs To Do To Break The Cycle
Just announced during Summer Games Fest, Aliens: Dark Descent looks to be a squad-based top-down shooter with an isometric perspective, much like Diablo only if it had ferocious 7ft-tall Aliens swarming the player. Though gameplay details are a little scarce right now, with the game just being revealed, the gameplay trailer does give fans a good look at the game's general tone, visuals, and mechanics, and it shows some real potential.
By taking the Aliens franchise in a new direction, with gameplay unlike anything fans have seen before in the series, Aliens: Dark Descent has a chance to really stand out from its predecessors. Though Fireteam Elite was a decent game, it wasn't a particularly original one, and fans are longing for an Alien game that offers a different experience than the standard third or first-person shooter. Hopefully, Aliens: Dark Descent can use its visuals and audio to capture the essence of its source material, while offering some truly unique gameplay for the Alien franchise.
Aliens: Dark Descent will release in 2023 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
