Aliens Colonial Marines: PS3 Review

Aliens Colonial Marines: PS3 Review

Platform: PS3
Released by SEGA

There's just something inherently creepy about the whole being stuck on a spaceship and having something attack you from the shadows.

And when those things are xenomorphs, then you know you're likely to be seriously freaked out.

So, this latest first person shooter is set in between Aliens and Alien3 and gives you the chance to take control of US Colonial Marine Corporal Christopher Winter.  He's part of a search and rescue team sent to investigate the USS Sulaco in search of Ripley, Hicks and the other missing marines.

However, when he boards the ship, he finds there's no sign of those guys, but something somewhat hideous, scaly and spitting acid has been left behind....the Xenomorphs. Facing off against these guys, there's no choice but to shoot your way through the ship and survive.

There are some touches within Aliens: Colonial Marines which are nice - and those include the vocal work of Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen. Having their dulcit tones added into the mix gives the game a sense of canon and a feel of authenticity. And the spaceship setting is also a good one, with the creepy vibe ramped up somewhat as you walk around corridors and rooms, trying to avoid being set upon.

But herein lies some of the problem of the game - there's little else to do except stalk around dimly lit rooms and corridors and take out the Xenomorphs which come your way. While some critics have laid into the crude animations of the Aliens, I have to say they're not too bad - granted they lack some of the visceral thrill of the original Giger design but they do lumber around and come at you in a way which is terribly reminiscent of Doom and other such shooters which have been around for a long time.

A multiplayer facility is there but doesn't really add much to the dynamics of the campaign and while the single player campaign is fun for a while, the novelty of searching and shooting wears off quite quickly after a few hours gaming. You get the chance to carry flamethrowers, stacks of weapons and welding gear as the levels progress.

I think the thing with Aliens: Colonial Marines is more of it being a missed opportunity more than anything. Here was a game, with the backing of those from the film series, which could have done something new and exciting for the genre, but which appears to have chosen a route previously trodden by many a FPS. Don't get me wrong, it's playable enough but it doesn't really offer much new to the genre and could have been a more polished experience than it's ended up.

In space, no-one can hear you scream - but with Aliens: Colonial Marines, along with a few yelps of surprise here and there, it may be a scream of frustration rather than a full blown Marine style Hoo-ha.

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