When looking back at the most truly terrifying moments in film in the last thirty years, some can be found in both Alien and its sequel Aliens. Though the series started to focus more on action than horror in its later iterations, no one can say the first time they saw Sigorney Weaver face to face with a xenomorph that it wasn’t a horrifying experience.
The Alien franchise has always had a home in video games with everything from side scrolling adventures on the NES to the much acclaimed first person shooter Aliens vs. Predator titles on PC in 1999. SEGA is now bringing out two new Aliens titles over the coming months. The most prominent of the two comes in the form of Aliens: Colonial Marines for PC, XBox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Aliens: Colonial Marines has been a subject of much discussion in the video game world. At one point, there was a game set to release in 2002 entitled Aliens: Colonial Marines which ended up being canceled. Later, SEGA revived the name with a new development team and concept, slating it for a 2009 release. It would end up being delayed for about three years in favor of development of the updated Aliens vs. Predators title which came out to mixed reviews.
Now, Aliens: Colonial Marines looks like it is finally set to come out in 2012 from Gearbox Software. Gearbox is the team that put together the Opposing Force and Blue Shift expansions for the original Half-Life and most recently released the now infamous Duke Nukem Forever.
Aliens: Colonial Marines begins with an ostensibly abandoned ship, the U.S.S. Sulaco, recovered in orbit around LV-426. Players lead a group of highly trained United States Colonial Marines as they board the deserted craft to uncover the fate of the crew. They will have to fight to survive unspeakable horrors and their own anxieties as they chase down the truth behind a galaxy-spanning deception that places humanity at the mercy of the most murderous and deadly species in the universe. Aliens: Colonial Marines features authentic environments, such as the surface of LV-426 and Hadley’s Hope, weapons inspired by the film series and is designed to provide an exhilarating and engaging new chapter in the Aliens universe.
Also releasing soon from SEGA and developer WayForward Technologies is Aliens: Infestation. WayForward has earned a place in the video game market in the portable and downloadable regions working on Thor: God of Thunder for the DS as well as the upcoming BloodRayne: Betrayal for XBLA and the PlayStation Network. Aliens: Infestation will take a step back through time to the side scrolling shoot ‘em ups that worked so well with this franchise.
Developed by WayForward in collaboration with Gearbox Software, Aliens: Infestation pits players against the overwhelming Xenomorph hive, with access to a vast selection of iconic weapons and tools from the series. Featuring character designs by popular comic artist Chris Bachalo and equipped with an upgrade and collectibles system, Aliens: Infestation will allow players to explore large-scale versions of some of the most fan-beloved environments of the iconic films. Players will be able to recruit and play as 19 different marines, each with their own unique dialogue, and explore iconic environments including the Sulaco, the Derelict ship, and LV-426. Aliens: Infestation is an action-heavy side-scrolling exploration game and will be part of the ALIENS expanded universe.
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be out in 2012 for the PC, XBox 360 and PlayStation 3. Aliens: Infestation is set to come out to the Nintendo DS on October 11th. Stick to the Flickcast for information on both titles as their releases draw closer.
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