Is Aliens a top class sci-fi action series, or the height of ’80s movie schlock? It is possible that it is, and always has been, both. Aliens: Fireteam Elite is the latest game to attempt to walk that line, offering a stand-up fight crossed with Left 4 Dead. It’s out now.
Fireteam Elite is a third-person co-op shooter for three players (or one plus two AI teammates) in which you battle waves of xenomorphs and synths. It places a heavy emphasis on customising your marine via “classes, weapons, gear and perks”, according to its Steam page.
As per the name, this is Aliens rather than Alien. Don’t expect Isolation’s terrifying stealth, but if Gearbox’s Colonial Marines didn’t satisfy your Hicks/Ramirez fantasies – and surely it didn’t – then this is the next best opportunity.
The classes you can play as include Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Doc and Recon, although they’re inspired by roles from the films rather than directly featuring familiar characters. Fireteam Elite’s backstory instead places it as a sequel to the original trilogy, taking place 23 years after Alien 3.
It’s nice to see Aliens: Fireteam Elite released at all, honestly, after the journey its developers have been on. Cold Iron Studios were founded back in 2015 by former developers on City Of Heroes and Star Trek Online, but the studio was acquired by FoxNext in 2019, who were bought by Disney also in 2019, who then sold the studio to a company called Scopely, who then sold the company to Daybreak Games Company, the developers of PlanetSide 2.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is available from Steam now for £35/$40/€40. If Aliens isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other Left 4 Deadlikes on the way.