With the release ofAlien: Romulus, fans of the long-running sci-fi horror movie franchise might be happy to learn that the Xenomorphs have had a history of terrifying gamers as well. From first-person shooters to survival horror, the perfect organism has been a threat to be reckoned with for over thirty years.
With so many genres and styles, each developer ofAliengames has put their unique stamp on the Xenomorph, with some being scarier than others. Whether it is a new take on the classic Xenomorph warrior drone or a new breed entirely, the creatures remain a horror icon for many different reasons.
Unlike anything else in the franchise, The Guardians featured inAliens: Dark Descentare a sect of the Darwin Era cult of humans. They use experimental technology and body modification to keep themselves hosts of their Chestburster, by slowing down gestation, thus saving them from being attacked by Xenomorphs.
While they are not all that scary to fight inAliens: Dark Descent, their entire concept is eerie. They are deranged humans willing to do anything to protect and serve the Xenomorph hive, akin to the Unitologists seen in theDead Spacegames, resulting in a fusion ofdisturbing body horrorand psychological horror.
There is no explanation as to where it comes from, butAliens: Colonial Marinesfeatures a strange new Xenomorph that operates outside the hive known simply as the Raven. Not only is it much bigger, closer to the size of Praetorians, but it features a spiked carapace and a human skull-like face, which is a reference to the original Alien, which featured a human skull under the dome.
DespiteAliens: Colonial Marinesbeing one of the worst games in the series, the sequence with the Raven was a highlight. It finally brought horror to the game thanks to it being immune to the Pulse Rifle and other weapons, becoming a genuine threat to the player.
Inspired by an unused alternate scene fromPrometheusin which Fifield mutates into a monster,Aliens: Fireteam Elitemakes that particular mutation canon with the Husks. The same Pathogen used by Engineers and David inPrometheusandAlien: Covenantmutates the Weyland-Yutani staff on LV-895 into a horde of them.
Though other creatures are the result of the Pathogen, the Husks remain the creepiest because of their remaining human features combined with attributes of the Xenomorph. The pale human faces with elongated heads, long arms, and digitigrade legs give them an unpleasant sight to see when waves of them are charging at the player inAliens: Fireteam Elite.
A game based on one of the worstmovies in theAlientimelineshould not be good, butAlien: Resurrectionpulled it off. This is thanks to the developers having three extra years after the movie’s release to create a quality game featuring Xenomorphs that charge out of the shadows and can kill the player very fast.
Alien: Resurrectioncleverly uses the short render distance of the PS1 to fill the dark corridors of the U.S.S. Auriga with shadows. This makes turning every corner and going down the halls into a nightmare because the dark brown Xenomorphs can pop out at any moment. SinceAlien: Resurrectionis stingy with ammo and health, it remains one of the harder games on the PS1.
4LV-1201 Xenomorphs - Aliens Vs. Predator 2
Fast And Furious Swarms Of Terror
Taking everything good about the firstAliens Vs. Predatorand improving on it,Aliens Vs. Predator 2features some of the scariest Xenomorph swarms to fight as the Colonial Marine. Feeling accurate to the movie, the Aliens charge at incredible speeds, leap, climb walls, and are always screeching. Even in the multiplayer matches,players controlling the Xenomorphswere frightening.
Fans consider that the tension inAliens Vs. Predator 2is so strong that hearing the motion tracker go off is enough to send a player into a panic. It’s enough to make players happy when they have a smart gun or a flamethrower at their disposal.
Sometimes less is more, but in the case of the Praetorian guardian of the hive, simply being a bigger version of a Xenomorph is enough to be scary. The Praetorian is the final Xenomorph boss of the Marine campaign inAliens Vs. Predatorand it is not only fast but lethal with its attacks.
Despite theshort length of the three campaigns, the 2010 reboot ofAliens Vs. Predatorfeatures many memorable fights. The player is forced to keep running while fending off smaller Xenomorphs whilst always being pursued by the massive Praetorian. Knowing it’s always chasing is scary enough, but it also leaps great distances, forcing the player to not always move in a straight line.
From tunnels on the map that it can travel through to surprise players to being capable of killing without a hook, the Xenomorph inDead By Daylightis a menace to survivor players. Where other games are easier to adjust to because of them being simple bot enemies, the Xeno inDead By Daylightis controlled by a player.
When it comes to licensed DLC, rarely dothe killers inDead By Daylightdisappoint, and that streak continues with the Xenomorph. The design, abilities, and controls turn the Xenomorph into one of the more overpowered killers in the game, so playing against it as a survivor can feel like a marathon.
As Amanda Ripley, the player must traverse through Sevastopol Station and escape the Xenomorph threat because the creature cannot be killed. What makes gamers still terrified of Alien: Isolation so many years later is the breakthrough AI programming for the Xenomorph that is designed to learn as the player progresses.
The Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation gradually learns to get better at finding the player and picking up on tactics, thus forcing gamers to think outside the box to avoid detection. Hiding, using distractions, and hoping the Xenomorph doesn’t decide to pop up out of nowhere. As a result, the creature never ceases to be terrifying, especially when more appear at once in later stages.
