Aliens: Fireteam Elite ~ video game review

Title: Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Played on PlayStation 4

    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.

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.

    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.

Xenomorph Overload

    One of the interesting aspects of this game is the selection of character classes that you could choose, each with its own special abilities. You can level up both your characters and your weapons as you complete missions. There are many different types of weapons to buy and experiment with, allowing you to find the best fit for your playstyle. I love switching weapons to see what works best, but levelling up each one takes a lot of time. This can be a bit demotivating, especially when trying to experiment during later, more difficult missions. At least, that was the case for me; my regular weapons were more leveled up, offering better firepower and attributes, which made me prefer using them against the harder enemies and bosses later on.

    This is a very challenging game. You can be swarmed by enemies in minutes, so you must always stay vigilant and strategize on how to defeat them. Playing in online co-op is great because it's not only fun, but it also helps you clear missions more easily. However, playing solo with AI teammates is my preferred choice. The major reason for this is my slow internet connection; I've been kicked out of missions before when playing online with others. While AI teammates might not be the best at helping you complete missions on higher difficulties, I still personally feel they are a blessing for someone with network connectivity issues like me. I just wish the game had local co-op support; it would be fun to play alongside someone next to you, though split-screen might be too chaotic for this type of fast-paced game.

Majestic Alien World

    Visual-wise, the game looks great. I did experienced some glitches, but I think that was more due to my slow network connection rather than the fault of the game itself. Otherwise, the game performs well. The settings are quite interesting; you get to explore an abandoned space refinery station and a planet with hidden alien technology - both overrun with Xenomorphs and other enemies. I used the word "explore", but honestly, the missions are very straightforward, simply taking you from point A to point B. What I'm really saying is that, at least, the environments you pass through during the missions are quite nice to look at.

    One more thing I have to talk about is the final segment of the last mission in the fourth campaign - it plays out just like a movie sequence! It is incredibly impressive and amazingly well done. The sequence cleverly combines gameplay and story together, creating a spectacular ending to the base campaigns. While some missions in the other campaigns can leave me feeling frustrated due to high difficulty spikes, this one, while still challenging, left me feeling completely satisfied. It made all the effort feel worthwhile. It was quite an experience.

Conclusion

    While I'm not usually into online multiplayer third-person shooters, I have to say that I really enjoyed this game. Personally, the difficulty was quite high for me, but I'm glad I still managed to complete all the missions. I really wish there were one more base campaign to play, or release another DLC, I'll buy it! However, since the sequel has already been released, I'm guessing the lifespan of this first game might not be very long now. If you haven't played it yet, this might be your last chance to try it, although I'm not sure how much time you have left. Maybe there's still hope for this game to live on offline. One can only hope.