Aliens: Fireteam Elite

- Reviewed on PS4 -

Aliens: Fireteam Elite released on August 24th, 2021.

Engulfed with the plethora of Alien / Xenomorph lore, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is an action-packed thrill ride for the horrifying, alien species.

Whether you tackle the missions solo or with others, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is sure to keep you on your toes from the second you press start. 

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

Aliens: Fireteam Elite puts you in the shoes of a United States Colonial Marine, where you will tackle on hundreds, if not thousands, of Xenomorphs (and there alter forms). 

The customization in Aliens: Fireteam Elite is pretty extensive. The game itself starts off with you creating your own Colonial Marine and I found that very enjoyable from the start.

The big sell point of Aliens: Fireteam Elite (to me at least) is / was the multiplayer aspect. 

However, playing Aliens: Fireteam Elite solo, slaying all the xenomorphs in multiple, very linear missions, was still just as extremely fun and action oriented. 

The developers, Cold Iron Studios, did a great job making Aliens: Fireteam Elite just as enjoyable, playing by yourself with the inclusion of android NPCs. 

These NPCs, named Alpha and Beta, actually fight fairly well and aren't a nuisance to your progression. 

As mentioned earlier, the enemies in Aliens: Fireteam Elite are mainly (obviously) xenomorphs, the iconic alien species from the movie series. 

However, there are other xenomorph variations to study, encounter, and eventually fight, to keep you engaged. 

One gameplay aspect that is notable right from the first mission, is the fact that there is nearly never a time to recollect yourself (composure), as endless waves of enemies are constantly out to get you. 

As a fan of the movie series, I can safely say Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a hidden gold mine in the action department for this series. One negative aspect to Aliens: Fireteam Elite, however, is the campaign length.

Each individual mission is roughly about 30 minutes (at least for me it was) but can vary depending on how you (and others) play. 

The actual number of missions in Aliens: Fireteam Elite is not as impressive but does offer DLC with more campaign missions. 

Harping back to the customization aspect, which is (to me), the best part of Aliens: Fireteam Elite, you can choose your specific gameplay classes. 

The classes in Aliens: Fireteam Elite are...

    - Recon

    - Phalanx

    - Technician

    - Demolisher

    - Lancer

    - Doc

    - Gunner

Each class offers two specific abilities and gun type slots, which was a nice mechanic to introduce to keep players varied and coming back for more (longevity). 

Your abilities are specific, offensive and defensive combat techniques, to keep your fight alive. 

On the other hand, gun type slots can be for either rifles, handguns, heavy guns, etc. 

These gun types vary depending on class (same as abilities), so you have to decide which might be best per mission, and you can only have two guns per mission. 

One game aspect I applaud Cold Iron Studios for, is the graphics and environmental builds they accomplished.

Not only are the environments similar to the Alein franchise, but the sound design is absolutely amazing, and with headphones, you are truly immersed as a Colonial Marine. 

The vibration of the PS4 controller and specific sounds for the guns (that sound just like the ones in the actual movies), makes the combat absolutely exhilarating, despite the sudden frame rate drops and freezes which, depending on your platform, may have already been updated and resolved.  

Now, with the gameplay "sounding" great and "looking" amazing, the actual enjoyment I get from Aliens: Fireteam Elite is unfortunately limited. 

One major thing about the gameplay that bumps this title down, is the repetitiveness.

Some may argue that this is pretty much the point of Aliens: Fireteam Elite, however, longevity was in mind (I believe), but having each mission of constant hordes and long competition times, is / was inconvenient. 

One other fact is, when / if you fail a mission (of long play time also), there are no checkpoints. 

Playing solo with the NPC androids can only get you so far and when you have to return to base, that is a heart wrenching feeling. 

The UAS Endeavor is the base you will return to as well, and this is essentially Aliens: Fireteam Elite's hub world, where you can spend your in-game currency and unlock weapons, skills, attachments, etc.

The in-game currency in Aliens: Fireteam Elite are Bog-Standard Credits and Scrips. 

Both of these currencies are for different items and can be acquired by completing missions and / or Tactical Opportunities. 

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is surely to be updated in the future (as of writing this blog post) with more features, skins, guns, etc. and if you are a fan of the Alien franchise, then this xenomorph slaying title is perfect for you and your colleagues!

Pros: 

    - Good Longevity

    - Deep Customization

    - Outstanding Combat (and feel)

    - Impressive Graphics / Environments

    - Good Sound Design

    - Relative to Alien Franchise

Cons:

    - Cheesy Voice Acting

    - Very Repetitive

    - Frame Rate Drops / Freezes Mid-Game

My Rating for Aliens: Fireteam Elite (on PS4):

3 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.