There have been numerous attempts over the years to capture the terror and thrill of fighting wave after wave of Xenomorphs. Some were more successful than others and Aliens: Fireteam Elite is perhaps the closest and most action-packed interpretation of these terrifying chitinous-covered Aliens to date.
Despite its barebones appearance, Aliens: Fireteam Elite has plenty of room to grow to become a real powerhouse within the long-running Xenomorph-based franchise. With regular updates by its developers Cold Iron Studios in the works, it's as good a time as any to check it out. But before you grab your Pulse Rifle and strap into a Dropship, here are a few crucial things you should know first.
10 Bring Some Friends
Aliens: Fireteam Elite can be played solo as its bots are surprisingly effective, they're responsive, have minimal pathing problems and unlike other games, they actually can deal damage and get kills. Although as helpful as they are nothing beats bringing along some buddies.
Having your friends makes the whole experience much easier and more enjoyable. Because as good as the bots are, they can't target down too well and are useless in the higher difficulties. Plus playing solo scales down the horde sizes, so you're missing out on the true Xenomorph versus Colonial Marines throwdown fight experience.
9 A Technician Is Always Needed
To keep gameplay fresh there are a number of classes to pick in Aliens: Fireteam Elite. There are five in total, each has its own unique strengths and abilities, but you can only bring in three marines at a time, but it's highly recommended, if not a must-have, to bring along a technician.
This super effective support class can drop turrets and in 90% of the game's missions, they're an absolute lifesaver. The sheer volume of firepower turrets can put down in some of the tighter maps is a massive tactical advantage you definitely don't want to be without so either play one yourself or have a friend become your dedicated tech.
8 The Networks A little Buggy
By no means is Aliens: Fireteam Elite a perfect game. It's a little rough around the edges at times and you're absolutely getting what you pay for. But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing as it's got plenty of room left for improvement, something that the developers are already showing.
Unfortunately for now the net code is still patchy at best, so get used to disconnections and latency spikes. Whilst that may not seem too bad, there is no way to rejoin a session on disconnect other than a full restart. Although this no doubt will be quickly fixed in future patches, for now, it's something you should be aware of.
7 Don’t Wander Off
As you progress through the story of Aliens: Fireteam Elite your gear will get stronger, your abilities better and the enemies will be bigger, more varied, but a little easier to mow through. Becoming overconfident and wandering off, especially in the late game when Prowlers that deal high damage or can put you down in one hit on higher difficulties can appear more often, is the worst thing you can do.
Attacks can come from literally anywhere since the Xenomorphs can scale the walls and ceilings with ease, plus the AI director has a lovely habit of zoning in the most Xenomorphs on anyone that might be straggling behind the group. Sticking together makes it harder to get overwhelmed by waves of aliens or ambushed by Prowlers lurking in the shadows.
6 Watch Your Step
Just like they are in the movies, the deadliest threat the Xenomorphs pose to wandering marines is not just their vast overwhelming numbers, their razor-sharp claws, or the tiny extra bitey mouth, it's the acid blood. Whenever they're blown apart into gooey chunks these brutal predators leave behind a pool of acid blood that, just like the movies, can dissolve anything it contacts, and that includes you.
Although these pools evaporate after a while they can cause quite the death by a thousand cuts to your health bar with accidental steps onto it. Even more so if already focused on an ongoing firefight. There's also an exploding type, that's big green and glowing which can completely saturate an area in acid, so keep an eye on your footing after every encounter.
5 Break Every Egg You See
At first glance, the various slime-coated alien eggs you see dotted around the levels may seem like set dressing, but they are definitely not. These slimy sacs are spawn points for Facehuggers that can suddenly swarm out and overwhelm the unsuspecting.
Even if it looks like it's already open it doesn't mean it's safe. Some Facehuggers have been known to still spawn from them and if they latch on they can deal a good chunk of damage. So break every clutch of eggs you come across just to be sure.
4 Don't Sleep On Elemental Damage
In the low-difficulty settings, it doesn't take much to blast apart the chittering alien hordes. But on the higher settings, it becomes a brutally hard horror game where every little bit of extra damage you can do matters. One method of boosting your DPS is with elemental ammunition and there are two types you can equip, fire and electrical.
Fire melts through the Xenomorphs and Mutant Marines, whilst electrocharged rounds can stun and disrupt Synthetics. Also, it's crucial to know that when the ability activates it applies to the weapon you're holding at the time. So take a minute to make sure it's the right gun for the job.
3 Check The Requisition Officer Often
As you progress through the Aliens: Fireteam Elite campaign your marine and their gear will gradually get stronger. Still, after each mission, it's recommended you and your team speak to the Requisitions Officer.
This is because this helpful chap is your source of a range of upgrades, items, and temporary combat buffs that you can purchase with credits earned from missions. His inventory regularly changes and as your team's levels scale so does his merchandise. So you could easily miss out on some pretty strong upgrades if you're not checking in with him.
2 Focus Down Elites At All Costs
To keep you and your fireteam on your toes the game will throw Elites and Special type Xenomorphs your way. These large tanky lads take a ridiculous amount of punishment, deal large amounts of damage, and on higher difficulties, just one can wipe an entire team in seconds.
They're always announced by the narrator, so the second you see one, take it down fast. Pop your special abilities and use whatever extra items you can. Whether that's a damage buff from the Gunner, a timely Medic group heal or a Technicians turret, use every resource to take them down fast before they wipe your group.
1 Every Level Has A Secret Cache
Whilst in each mission you'll normally be focused on the current story objective and the constant swarms of enemies, there are rewards you can miss. Scattered around each level is a hidden cache of rewards that can make each successful run that much sweeter and easier.
Their placement is completely random, which is a positive as it encourages you to explore areas of the map that you might normally miss out on. And inside these boxes can be consumables, weapon cosmetics, and more powerful attachments for your gear. So scrape the edges of every area with your team before you move on to the next arena as it costs nothing to open and the rewards are always worth it.