Imagine this: you’re suited up as a Colonial Marine alongside three of your buddies over Xbox Live or Playstation Network and your motion detector starts going off. You know there are Aliens nearby, but don’t know if they’re around the corner, under the floor or up in the ceiling. You’re screwed.
I’ve been wanting to play a first-person shooter of Aliens for as long as I can remember (re: decades) and let hope fade with each passing year. The subsequent less than stellar sequels haven’t helped shine a spotlight on the franchise, either.
Apparently I’m not the only one who felt the world of Aliens was ripe to exploit in a first-person shooter, tired and overused genre or not. SEGA stepped up to the plate late last year and picked up rights to the franchise, immediately announcing a first-person shooter was in development based on the Alien franchise, but offered no additional details.
Now the cat is out the bag and giddy in anticipation. First, the game can now be officially called Aliens: Colonial Marines. Perfect. Second, it will be available on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Perfect again. Lastly, it will feature four-player online cooperative play along with additional multiplayer modes yet to be revealed. Bingo.
In Aliens: Colonial Marines, writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle have penned an all-new Aliens adventure, while developer Gearbox will capture the look and atmosphere of the film Aliens. All the expected goodies will be there: pulse rifles, flamethrowers, squad-based combat, claustrophobic environments, and even the interior of the Sulaco ship from the film.
Saving the best for last, SEGA has announced Aliens: Colonial Marines is expected in stores before the year is out. The original announcement had the game targeted for mid-2009.
I couldn’t be happier with this news, and can’t wait to pass along the first screenshots as soon as they are available. Stay tuned.
