Graphics: Playing on the original Xbox One Aliens Fireteam Elite felt like a modified Xbox 360 game. While the environments and Xenos all looked great the presentation felt lacking. For some reason there are almost no cutscenes and the NPCs don’t move their lips while talking. These are minor to most but its something we picked up on almost immediately.
Sound: The sound is strong with rich amounts of Alien franchise music and effects pulled directly from the movies. All of the weapons sound exactly as you would expect and the blip on the motion tracker is always a welcome sound. The music that isn’t pulled from the movies tends to be strictly atmospheric and therefore isn’t that memorable. Still its a good package for what the game offers.
Control: The control is done almost perfectly in this game. With the standard 3rd person shooter layout you can run (push in L stick), dodge (B), aim (LT), shoot (RT), use primary ability (RB), use tactical gear (LB), reload (x), change weapons (Y) and even bash (push in R stick). Everything feels right and the flow between weapons and using your abilities is seamless. The only issue we had is that using your special gear can be a bit clunky, as you have to use the d-pad to open a menu wheel. Otherwise we have no complaints about the control.
Gameplay: At its core Aliens Fireteam Elite is a perfect blend of Gears of War and Left 4 Dead set in the Aliens universe. There are 12 levels which span over sets from the Aliens film and even Prometheus. Each level generally plays out the same, move from point A to point B, hold the area from a wave based attack and move on. All the levels end with a huge wave attack that usually include a minor task such as obtaining power cells or opening a specific door. Because the general idea is the same the game can feel a bit stagnant. The way this is addressed is with the enemy types. For the majority of the first levels you are strictly facing off against various xenos, which include special types such as the spitter, prowler and exploder and every once in a while you will face off against a warrior (real pain in the ass). By level 5 you will encounter synths who come in all different varieties but now you have to utilize cover which makes it feel like an army base shooter. These areas seemed to bother the public, but Jim and I welcomed the change in pace. One area that cannot be overlooked is the amount of grinding that is needed to unlock every thing. You have 6 classes, which can all be upgraded based on time/points. In addition there is a special perk tree for each class as well as general perks that are only unlocked with points earned in a specific class. There is a huge arsenal of weapons ranging from pistols to rifles all the way up to flamethrowers and smart guns. Each weapon can be upgraded and fitted with 3 attachments. There is also special gear that can be found such as sentry guns, mines and drones. While most of these items can be earned you will also find some goodies in hidden caches around the levels, so keep an eye out.
Originality: On one hand this game doesn’t feel original at all, and on the other hand it feels brand new to the Aliens franchise. The core mechanics are all reused from other games, but the setting and delivery in the Aliens universe is a first for a multi player base squad shooter.
Replayability: As I mentioned the grinding is crazy in this game. You have the ability to play alone (with bots) or with your buddies so there will be a different feel depending on the level of difficulty and the level of your squad. You will also be able to find pieces of hidden intel which will reveal the story behind the game and even includes Easter eggs from the Aliens franchise.
Overall: Overall this game has plenty of issues, but while playing with a buddy you cannot deny the fun you will have. If all of the technical problems are fixed and there is a little more content added this could be considered excellent.
Beer Pairing: When it comes to beer pairing I decided to go the Lucky SOB from Flying Dog Brewery. This is an Irish Red Ale at 5.5% which goes down smooth but offers a little bit of sweetness. So grab a 6 pack and enjoy yourself.
Watch our video review!