Summary
- Alien games offer unique and terrifying encounters with Xenomorphs through stand-alone stories or adaptations.
- Alien Resurrection strips away messy elements for a back-to-basics horror experience that is arguably superior to the film.
- After the controversy over Alien 3, Aliens: Colonial Marines retcons events to confirm that Corporal Hicks is still alive.
While most people primarily think of the movies, the Alien franchise has also had a significant presence in video games since the 1980s. That presence continues today, with more titles on the way. Each game presents the terrifying experience of encountering the Xenomorph in unique ways.
As video games have become more cinematic over the years, Alien games have begun to explore the expansive sci-fi horror universe through their own original stories. Some are standalone stories set in the Alien universe that have been woven into canon, while others are direct adaptations of the iconic movies.
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9 Alien Resurrection
Arguably Better Than The 1997 Movie
Alien Resurrection
- Released
- October 10, 2000
- ESRB
- M // Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
- Publisher(s)
- Fox Interactive
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Sci-Fi
The plot of the Alien Resurrection game is as simple as the movie it’s based on, with a clone of Ripley and several criminals working together to get off a ship infested with a Xenomorph horde. The movie itself is a messy sequel, but the game is often considered better than its source material. It was not only a strong horror shooter, but also told the story of the movie more concisely.
In the game adaptation, most of the strange story choices and tonal shifts are stripped away to create a more back-to-basics horror shooter experience. Xenomorphs in Alien Resurrection are hard to defeat, and the dark, muddy textures fit the claustrophobic feeling that the Alien franchise is known for. Even the Newborn human/Xenomorph hybrid is a more climactic boss than what audiences got in the movie.
8 Aliens Trilogy
A Shooter That Reimagines Ripley As A Colonial Marine
Alien Trilogy
- Released
- November 30, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M // Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Rather than retelling the movies’ storylines, Alien Trilogy is more or less a reimagining of the entire universe, with Ellen Ripley being a fellow marine instead of an officer of the Nostromo. There are bits and pieces of all three original movies, but, for the most part, Alien Trilogy sticks to being a standalone adventure with Ripley being the sole survivor on LV-426.
Many games in the Alien franchise embrace the first-person shooter genre, partly due to the influence of Alien Trilogy. This game uses original titles like Doom and Duke Nukem 3D as models to create an action-packed shooter. In this adaptation, Ripley is reimagined as more of an action hero, similar to Duke Nukem, complete with cheesy one-liners that are sure to make anyone grin.
7 Aliens: Colonial Marines
Michael Biehn Returned & Retconned The Death Of Hicks
Aliens: Colonial Marines
- Released
- February 12, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- FPS
On the one hand, Aliens: Colonial Marines is an infamously broken first-person shooter that requires mods for it to be salvaged. Even that only delivers a portion of what gamers were promised. On the other hand, it does deliver an intriguing story that attempts to retcon the events of Alien 3 to try and say that Corporal Dwayne Hicks escaped his death by being awoken from cryosleep.
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While the canonicity of Aliens: Colonial Marines is debatable, Michael Biehn reprised the role of Hicks alongside Lance Henriksen as Michael Weyland and Bishop. It is clear that the developers love the James Cameron movie and strive to honor it while introducing new ideas like the Raven Xenomorph. There is also a DLC story where fans can play as Hicks, showing how he was taken by Weyland-Yutani.
6 Aliens Vs. Predator 2
The Sequel Features Three Interconnected Campaigns
Aliens vs. Predator 2 (2001)
- Released
- October 22, 2001
- Developer(s)
- Monolith
- Publisher(s)
- Sierra On-line, MacPlay
- Genre(s)
- Action, First-Person Shooter, Science Fiction, Horror
The idea of Xenomorphs battling the Yautja Hunters from the Predator movies has been a beloved concept that has spawned comics, films, and video games that fully utilize its potential. The now-defunct Monolith Productions took the framework of the first game and made Aliens Vs. Predator 2 is even better, with each campaign showing improvements in gameplay and story.
One defining feature of Aliens vs. Predator games is the inclusion of three distinct campaigns, each representing the perspectives of the Alien, Predator, and Colonial Marine. The sequel utilized this structure to create interrelated events between the three storylines. While this connection may be subtle, fans appreciated witnessing how the events of one story can have consequences for another.
5 Aliens: Fireteam Elite
Culminating Years Of Lore From All The Movies
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
- Released
- August 24, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Aliens: Fireteam Elite puts more emphasis on the squad-based action sequences than the plot, but the developers did pay close attention to creating a canon storyline that takes place years after James Cameron’s Aliens. It focuses on the colonial marines' fight against genetically mutated Xenomorphs on LV-895, which leads to remnants of an Engineer civilization.
Despite the controversial status of both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, Aliens: Fireteam Elite goes above and beyond to create a story that bridges them and the original films. There are even connections to Alien: Isolation, which allows each chapter of slaying waves of aliens, mutants, and synthetics to feel like every Alien movie in terms of visuals, sounds, and threats.
4 Aliens Vs. Predator (2010)
The Reboot Gives The Xenomorph A Character Arc
Aliens vs. Predator (2010)
- Released
- February 16, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
In the 2010 reboot of Aliens Vs. Predator, the villainous Karl Weyland is the biggest link between stories, because he tampers with the Yautja culture on the planet for his and the company’s benefit. He even tries to tame Xenomorphs, which leads to Specimen 6 as the Alien campaign’s protagonist. This creature evolves into the Hive’s greatest drone, providing more depth to a Xenomorph than fans have ever seen prior.
The other campaigns have strong stories as well and even have different tones. The Predator is more about action, while the Colonial Marine, known as Rookie, has more horror. Fighting Xenomorphs and Yautja Hunters while trying to escape leads to all kinds of twists and turns that honor both the Alien and Predator franchises.
3 Aliens: Dark Descent
New Xenomorph Breeds And Cults Break New Ground
Aliens: Dark Descent
- Released
- June 20, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Tindalos Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
Developers have begun to explore a wider range of genres within the Alien franchise, as demonstrated by Aliens: Dark Descent. This game combines elements of squad-based tactics with intense, frightening gameplay. Despite being viewed from an aerial perspective, the sudden appearance of Xenomorphs from the shadows to attack the marines can still be quite startling, thanks to the game's dark yet visually striking art direction.
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There are also more chances taken with Aliens: Dark Descent. The story features new concepts, such as a cult that worships Xenomorphs, which results in new kinds of threats. It even explores the concept of other races that have come in contact with the Xenomorph infestation, creating monsters like the Titan Xenomorph.
2 Alien: Rogue Incursion
Players Race Against Time With An Alien Embryo In Them
Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Released
- December 19, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action, Horror, Virtual Reality
Fans were so impressed with Alien: Rogue Incursion as a virtual reality game that the developers are giving the game a non-VR version, which is a testament to its story and gameplay. A common criticism of a lot of Alien games is the lack of horror, trying to replicate the style of James Cameron's movie. But Rogue Incursion balances the styles of Ridley Scott and James Cameron in terms of visuals and tone.
Alien: Rogue Incursion follows an ex-marine named Zula Hendricks who investigates a distress signal on LV-354, which leads to the discovery of another Xenomorph invasion. This is a rare instance of playing a main protagonist who has a Xenomorph embryo in their chest, thus raising the stakes. Rogue Incursion also sets up more to come, as it is a two-part episodic adventure.
1 Alien: Isolation
The Franchise Went Back To Horror Roots With Ripley’s Daughter
Alien: Isolation
- Released
- October 7, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
From the design of the space station to the terrifying Xenomorph itself, Alien: Isolation set aside action in favor of classic survival horror, where one Xenomorph is enough to plunge an entire space station of people into chaos and death. In the process of trying to recover the flight recorder of the Nostromo, Amanda Ripley has to deal with her own Xenomorph problem.
Amanda's search for closure after losing her mother is an endearing motivation that, mixed with the horror of the Xenomorph, keeps the player invested. As Amanda progresses, more mysteries unfold: the origin of the new Xenomorph, the revolt of the synthetics, and how events will tie into Alien and Aliens. The revolutionary AI for the Xenomorph also helps in guaranteeing that the game remains terrifying, even over a decade after release.
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