Aliens: Fireteam Elite feels like the sort of licensed game we don’t really see anymore. It occupies the same low-budget territory as recent titles like Terminator Resistance, lacking the means to stand out and expand upon the source material. These experiences are seldom great ones, but they always offer something for fans of classic franchises who want to relive iconic moments or discover parts of a universe they never knew existed.

This online shooter does just that, presenting a solid yet conservative selection of ideas and building upon them in ways that are immediately engaging. As you've guessed from the title, this game is based on the James Cameron action flick as opposed to the Ridley Scott horror masterpiece, so morbid tension is thrown aside in favour of epic firefights and never ending swarms of xenomorphs that crawl towards you with rampant aggression. You can mow dozens down in seconds, tearing them to pieces with the iconic pulse rifles and other equipment inspired by the sci-fi classic. It's nothing we haven't played before, and many of its components are little more than serviceable, but Aliens: Fireteam Elite is scratching an itch I never knew I had.

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To my surprise, this isn't just a game that loosely follows the narrative foundations of Aliens, it decides to explore several films, books, comics and other supplemental material that only the most hardened of fans would be familiar with. Given this required knowledge, it’s doubly surprising that entire campaigns seem to be based on Prometheus, expanding on the ideas of creationism and humanity that so many despised when the film first released. But here they are, explored in optional dialogue and level design while being given equal importance to derelict spaceships and archaic ruins that we know from all of the classic films. I think it's a welcome surprise, even if I'm not overly fond of where the property has gone in recent years. The fact this studio was brave enough to encroach upon such territory in the first place is brave enough, and speaks to its expertise in making the Alien universe feel like a living, breathing vision of our dystopian future.

Aliens Fireteam Elite

As for the gameplay itself, this is a bog standard third-person shooter with different class archetypes that can be upgraded and expanded upon with experience points, new equipment, and abilities that are unique to each class. I've cleared two campaigns thus far and have become a dedicated gunner, possessing immense firepower and the ability to deploy turrets and mines to protect my squad from the horde-esque objectives we needed to defend several times across each level. I felt like a valuable member of my squad, while medics and engineers ensured we remained supported with buffs and healing items whenever things would explode into chaos. This game can be tough, especially when you step into missions without the appropriate squad or a lacking skill level. To me, it feels like a more nuanced Left 4 Dead, with levels being a similar length and the behaviour of enemies changing with each and every playthrough. This is a relief because once your whole squad falls in battle there isn't a checkpoint to restart from, instead you're booted back into the hub area and made to start it all over again. You might think this is a frustration, and it is, but it also reinforces the fact that Aliens: Fireteam Elite isn't messing around.

That being said, the level design is fairly predictable, the majority of battles follow the same expectant steps and objectives, and the aesthetic doesn't use the source material to its full advantage - so why on earth am I so smitten with this thing? I don't really know, and to be perfectly honest with you I don't really care. I work in an industry where games that don't ascend to the higher echelons of quality are quickly forgotten. You either become a lasting blockbuster or an indie darling or you're left behind, expected to fade into obscurity as others succeed. Aliens: Fireteam Elite feels like one of those games, and rightly so. It’s rough around the edges, but it remains engaging and knows what fans of the film will be looking for in a game like this. It isn't trying to be a survival horror classic, nor is it trying to rewrite the rulebook of third-person shooters, but it is taking a clichéd formula and iterating upon it in unexpected ways. I'm having fun, and surely that's all that matters?

Aliens Fireteam Elite

I will admit, I'm not sure this game has caught on. Playing on PS5, I've often struggled to fill a lobby with two other squad members, forcing me to work alongside two AI companions who don't take on a class. All they do is shoot, heal, and inevitably be murdered by aliens because they don't know how to defend themselves. Without this team dynamic something is lost, like I'm fighting through extraterrestrial terrors without someone by my side to justify the continued adversity. I could ask some friends to join me, but I probably can't convince them to drop £40 on a so-so licensed game. They've seen Prometheus and they know its absolute shite. So I'll keep soldiering forward on my lonesome, piecing together the needless fanfiction in my head from all this juicy new lore.

In a world filled with homogenous blockbusters and service titles, this game feels like a retro throwback, a window into a simpler time that selects only a few modern sensibilities to help it stand out on new hardware, and I admire it for that despite all the evident shortcomings.

If you're looking to engage with a rock solid 6/10, pick up Aliens: Fireteam Elite and add me on PSN, I would certainly appreciate the company.

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