It’s been a long time since we’ve heard anything about Aliens: Colonial Marines, the new Aliens property that Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford is calling the sequel to Aliens in video game form. This is the first time we’ve seen real gameplay footage, and based on what I’ve seen through the course of this game-play demonstration, well… I would say he’s right. Randy Pitchford narrates the trailer and explains what’s happening while the player shoots his way through legions of aliens. This section of the game takes place on LV426 after Bishop destroyed the atmospheric processor in the Aliens movie. We get to see many of the locations in and around Hadley’s Hope, such as the medical areas and the control center that Bishop used to contact the satellite system.
Aliens: Colonial Marines – Gameplay Demo
I’m really digging the graphics engine that Gearbox came up with, and in particular I’m impressed with the lighting. I think that Gearbox really captured the atmosphere of the Aliens film, right down to the use of stark red lighting and the occasional explosion of white light as someone opens a door or entryway. The levels themselves also look lovingly crafted and accurate to the movies as well, which goes a long way towards making the world believable. My only complaint so far is with some of the weapon sounds. Perhaps it was just the presentation, but some of the weapons – such as the shotgun – sounded a lot more flat than I remember from the films.
There’s currently no known release date for the game, but Randy promises us more information soon.
