The Alien film franchise has been scaring new generations of movie-goers for years, and, although a new film doesn't seem likely to drop in the foreseeable future, that doesn't mean it hasn't continued to influence both cinema and video games.
For those who simply can't get enough of the Alien movies, they're bound to love a collection of video games that follow in their footsteps. These are some of the scariest, most tension-soaked horror games ever made, and they deserve a playthrough at least once before one's heart gives out.
10 Soma
Another sci-fi survival horror game that ratchets up tension due to its creepy source material is Soma, a story involving machinery that appears to be developing the equivalent of human consciousness.
The underwater setting helps set the mood which is reminiscent of the Alien franchise, most notably the Hadley's Hope installation on LV-426. However, Soma prefers to focus more on psychological terror than physical threats, which is a nice change of pace.
9 Alien Breed
For pure, unadulterated horror action, Alien Breed is the series that delivers the best experience. This top-down shoot-em-up is reminiscent of Halo: Spartan Assault, putting players in the shoes of an engineer on a deep space mission who battles hordes of lethal alien creatures.
The franchise was directly inspired by the Alien franchise, notably the second film in the series, and is instantly recognizable to fans for its inventive use of spray-and-pray gameplay, big explosions, and a number of inventive monster types.
8 System Shock
In many ways, the original System Shock served as a precursor to the Dead Space franchise that would follow many years later, and it involved the same claustrophobic sci-fi horror elements.
The game puts players up against SHODAN, a ruthless AI with a maniacal God complex that would make Adolf Hitler blush. In addition to battling her schemes, gamers must contend with a host of biological horrors designed to kill on sight.
7 Resident Evil
The original Resident Evil mimics the overall tension of the original Alien, with hidden dangers lurking around every corner and jump scares galore. As the player navigates the mysterious mansion setting of the game, they confront increasingly hostile bio-terrors that add to that tension by depleting scarce ammo and leaving them vulnerable.
It is recommended to play the updated HD remake of the game, which first appeared on the Nintendo Gamecube and was later ported just about every modern platform imaginable. It eschews the laughably-bad voice acting and outdated game mechanics that have detracted from the initial horror over the years.
6 DOOM II
The Colonial Marines of Aliens battled hordes of unstoppable xenomorphs in dimly lit corridors and alcoves, and DOOM II took the same premise. It built upon the run and gun horror/action premise of the original and cranked everything up a notch with deadlier demons, bigger guns, and more varied locales.
Though DOOM II is more occult in nature, the futuristic sci-fi setting and waves of unrelenting monsters make it far closer to the Alien franchise than not.
5 Dead Space
Dead Space is perhaps the closest cousin to the Alien film franchise that one can think of. Both involve spooky deep-space environments littered with terrifying alien beings, though Dead Space focuses largely on genetic mutation rather than an extraterrestrial species.
Nevertheless, it's hard to deny the similarities between the two IPs, with Dead Space clearly drawing upon the framework laid down by Fox's iconic horror franchise.
4 F.E.A.R.
While F.E.A.R. could be classified as a paranormal game in comparison to the traditional sci-fi of the Alien franchise, both feature military units battling a very scary foe, making them spiritual blood brothers.
F.E.A.R. blends high tension and jump scares with relentless bullet-spraying action that keeps players on the edge of their seats at all times. Making the jump from the Alien franchise to F.E.A.R. is as easy as saying "lock and load."
3 The Last Of Us
The concept of survival against a terrifying alien force is mimicked in The Last Of Us when humanity is overcome by a deadly mutated Cordyceps fungus. The plausibility of the scenario makes the entire premise feel that much closer to home in comparison to a traditional zombie story.
In reality, the scenario will never play out due to the complexity of human physiology, but it's unsettling to think that such a basic form of life has the capacity to alter a victim right down to its behavior.
2 Metro Exodus
The latest in the Metro franchise has the main character Artyom battling the hideous mutated creatures in the nuclear-ravaged Russian Federation, which is a direct parallel of Aliens.
The game's spooky atmosphere and gritty realism are further defined by the addition of ray-tracing technology to bathe the game in realistic light and shadowing. It's a tremendous step up from previous Metro titles, as well as first-person shooters, in general.
1 Alien Isolation
Naturally, Alien Isolation needed to be on this list for no other reason than it is the direct offspring of the film franchise source material. In fact, the game is a bonafide sequel to the original Alien film, fitting neat and clean between it and the 1986 follow-up Aliens.
Alien Isolation accurately reproduced the heart-pounding tension and horror of the original film while simultaneously blending elements from James Cameron's sequel. The result is a white-knuckle scare-fest that nobody with a heart condition should dare try.