During our coverage of the 2012 E3 expo in Los Angeles, I was invited by Sega to visit their booth for a hands on look at their highly anticipated game Aliens: Colonial Marines. The game is being developed by Gearbox Software for a 2013 release and while fans have complained about the delays during the development cycle, I can assure you that the game is looking amazing.
From our coverage last year when I first saw the game in action, I learned that the game was a solo to four person co-op experience that was a direct sequel to the film “Aliens”. The developers had access to everything from the set design plans to the props and sound FX from FOX in order to ensure the highest degree of accuracy and continuity.
After posing for a couple of photos with the Alien queen herself, I was taken to a gaming station to play the game. In no time I was up and running and I was following a squad of Marines through a compound under attack by the Aliens.
I was able to select my weapons loadout and decided to go with the standard Pulse Rifle and sidearm for my combat patrol. In no time, I was under attack, and managed to dish out a good bit of damage to the attackers. I was thrilled to see that assisting my fellow Marines rewarded me with points which I learned could be used later to access better weapons such as Smart Guns.
Death comes fast and furious as the acid-spraying Aliens left a pile of Marines in a bloody mess with a few quick swipes.
I learned that we were playing a team of developers who in the guise of the Aliens, were masters at pack hunting and setting traps. The steady pulsing tones of my tracker were eerie and effective and set me on high alert whenever its signaled an impending bad guy.
The second map was set on the colony from the film, and despite my best efforts, I was no match for the enhanced bull like Alien who took me out again and again.
Undaunted, my fellow Marines and I formed a fire line, and used short controlled bursts to repel the advancing hordes. That was until they dropped from above to rend us apart in a classic divide and conquer strategy.
The action was fast and furious and I can tell you from just this small sample of the multiplayer alone, the game is the best adapation of the film series ever created for any gaming platform. The action is intense and the deep attention to detail have made this a must-own title. Look for the full game in 2013.
As an added bonus, we spoke to a member of the development team to get the details on what the campaign mode has in store for fans.
