Summary
Audiences are being terrified by aliens known as Xenomorphs yet again with the release ofAlien: Romulus. For over 45 years, theAlienfranchise has been a staple of the theaters, but also video games with a plethora of tie-ins, and original games that expand the universe created by Ridley Scott and Dan O’Bannon.
Typically,Aliengames focus on human characters outrunning or shooting down the Xenomorph menace, but occasionally, developers allow gamers to control said menace. Though not plentiful, there is a collective of video games that feature playable versions of the perfect organism.
Fans of the franchise were excited aboutAliens: Colonial Marinesbecause it was hyped asa great sci-fi first-person shooterset after the events of James Cameron’sAliens. Unfortunately, due to multiple promised aspects not present in the final product and broken coding for AI enemy aliens that turned the titular monsters into easy targets,Colonial Marinesended up with a poor reception.
The online multiplayer forAliens: Colonial Marinesallowed players to take control of the Xenomorph hordes and was arguably the superior mode for the game, but sadly, the servers are barren. The only way to get a match in to play as a Xenomorph would be to get a group of friends to create a custom match.
As with many other franchises,Fortnitecollaborated with Alien to give fans not only Ellen Ripley in herAlienandAliensvariants but also the Xenomorph itself, which was available in the skin pack. There is a nice emote to hear the Xeno let out its famous screech, but other than that, it plays no differentfrom any otherFortniteskin.
It may seem disappointing thatFortnitegives the Xenomorph no unique abilities, but there is a fear factor. Even in the family-friendly art style ofFortnite, the alien creature is still scary enough to instill fear into the player when they see it charging at them with an assault rifle or a shotgun.
7Alien Vs Predator
It Walked So Other Games Could Run
Often overshadowed by its successors, the 1994Alien Vs Predatorwas far ahead of its time as a first-person shooterexclusive to the often-forgotten Atari Jaguar. With digitized actors and props for sprites, the usage of short render distance to create dark levels, and the chance to play all three races, the original title paved the way for future games.
One way thatAlien Vs. Predatorstands out from the rest is that each playable race has its pros and cons. The Xenomorph is unable to heal, so it must cocoon Colonial Marines and upon dying, it will respawn from said cocoon. With the Marine and Predator having their unique mechanics, it kept the three campaigns from feeling identical and proved Rebellion was perfect for this franchise.
When it comes toAliens Vs. Predatorgames, most fans think back to the series that started in 1999. Rebellion took the initial concept that was started with the Jaguar game and pushed it to a new level on PC; it was darker, bloodier, and far scarier than any Alien game that came prior.
Rebellion’sAliens Vs. Predatorwas also much more taxing on the player, with limited save states in each of the three campaigns. As the Xenomorph, the player focuses more on stealth and traversal across walls and ceilings, somethingthat even the best 90s first-person shootershadn’t done before, and even though future games would evolve to do it better, it was still revolutionary.
Games such asAlien: Isolationprove how terrifying Xenomorphs can be, so that fear somehow gets worse with a player controlling one inDead By Daylight. With theAlienDLC expansion, gamers can stalk other human players, eliminating them by hanging them on hooks for the Entitylike all otherDead By Daylightkillersor by using the famous inner mouth attack.
Implementing a mechanic never seen inAliengames,Dead By Daylightharks back to famous scenes in which Xenomorphs can emerge from the walls of their hive. Via a series of underground tunnels, the Xenomorph can traverse and surprise survivors by emerging at many points on the map.
4Aliens Vs Predator 2
A Big Step Up From Its Predecessor
With more saves, improved controls, and even better levels,Aliens Vs Predator 2is an example ofhow a sequel can be superiorin almost every way. The Xenomorph campaign is even expanded upon, allowing players to experience the entire life cycle of the famous alien monster.
From a facehugger to a chestburster and into a Xenomorph warrior,Aliens Vs Predator 2went all out in terms of upgrading the Alien campaign. The Colonial Marine and Predator were given upgrades as well, including even more horror for the Marine campaign. On top of it all,Aliens Vs Predator 2features a dedicated multiplayer fan with all three species being playable.
3Aliens Vs Predator: Extinction
An RTS That Anyone Can Enjoy
Akin to the likes ofStarCraft,Aliens Vs. Predator: Extinctiondeviates from the first-person shooter formula of previous games in favor of a real-time strategy game. With Xenomorph, Colonial Marine, and Predator playable once again, the idea is fairly straightforward with building bases, raising armies, and accomplishing missions.
Fans of theAlienfranchise can still enjoy the game sinceAliens Vs. Predator: Extinctionis not too difficult to learn, but longtime RTS players won’t feel alienated, since it is far from a cakewalk as well. It may not have the horror that some fans would expect fromAlien, but it still delivers the thrills that a good RTS game should provide.
Alongside the Predator, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface inMortal Kombat Xwas the Xenomorph. However, rather than just a basic Xenomorph, Netherrealm Studios introduced their own breed mixed with Tarkatan DNA, giving the already dangerous creature arm blades like Baraka.
With three variations focusing on acid, face-hugging, and slashing, the Xenomorph inMortal Kombat Xis one of the more lethal characters to control. Its speed is one of the fastest in the game’s roster, and it can attack from almost any range.Guest fighters inMortal Kombattend to be fun, but the Alien proved to be a favorite on the whole roster with standout fatalities from the movies.
The final time fans would experience Xenomorphs fighting Predators,Aliens Vs. Predatorwas a reboot of the first-person shooter series still developed by Rebellion. Whilethe three campaigns are surprisingly shortfor such a big budget release, it does not take away from how fun they are.
EachAliens Vs. Predatorgame does something different with the Xenomorph campaign and the 2010 reboot is no different. It was the first game to give the playable Xenomorph an actual story. The campaign follows Specimen 6 from its birth in a Weyland-Yutani lab to becoming the leading warrior in the Matriarch’s hive on BG-386, and while it is short, the story is still worth playing.
