There are actually a bunch of other video game titles queueing up on my list to be reviewed, but I have to make an exception for this one, even though it's further down the line. Why? Well, the sequel, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, was released recently, so I'm not sure how much longer the developer will support the first game. I enjoyed this game a lot, so I hope it remains playable in the future, even without developer support. Will this game be playable offline? We'll have to wait and see.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a third-person shooter from Cold Iron Studios released in 2021. The story ties into the original Alien film trilogy and takes place around 23 years after the events of Alien 3. A paid expansion titled Pathogen was later released in 2022. It's an online co-op game, though a solo mode is available with AI teammates.
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Marines in Space
You play the role of a Colonial Marine on board a spaceship heading to the Katanga refinery station, which is orbiting the planet LV-895, after receiving a distress call. I don't think online multiplayer games care that much about the story, right? My assumption is that developers care more about keeping players returning to the game. Whatever the case, I still appreciate the story this game tries to tell. It complements the missions and creates an interesting narrative that flows well into the campaigns, with a few plot twists as well. The story builds off the Alien franchise and merges perfectly with the original lore, creating its own distinct branch in the universe.
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The base game has 4 story campaigns with 3 missions each, plus an additional campaign from the Pathogen DLC. Some missions can be quite challenging, so if you're playing solo with AI teammates, good luck with that. Missions within the same campaign can also feel very similar, with environments that don't change much and enemies that stay roughly the same. Once you complete all the base campaigns, Quick Play and extra game modes will be unlocked for you.
