Aliens: Colonial Marines

 PC
User Score
3.6

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1246 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 218 out of 1246
  2. Mixed: 224 out of 1246
  3. Negative: 804 out of 1246
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  1. Beatlejuice6687
    Jul 28, 2013
    3
    Yes, this game is worthy of all the horrible reviews others have given it. It has a bad single player experience. I won't go on faulting it over the story, this is all how bad the gaming experience is. It is like an arcade game where an alien or copany guy pops up so you can shoot them. Don't worry about them harming you. People have made videos of sidestepping aliens thru a later levelYes, this game is worthy of all the horrible reviews others have given it. It has a bad single player experience. I won't go on faulting it over the story, this is all how bad the gaming experience is. It is like an arcade game where an alien or copany guy pops up so you can shoot them. Don't worry about them harming you. People have made videos of sidestepping aliens thru a later level without firing a shot. The multiplayer is somewhat redeeming. The biggest problem is they put out a horrible game and without feeling an ounce of shame, they felt they could sell new content. They even have the nerve to sell a single player add-on, really??? This should be the lowest rated game of the year. Maybe Simcity would beat it other then the initial launch, but overall gameplay, this is hands down the worst of the year. There is no way they should charge 50 for the game then charge for the season pass. Give it away to make up for this abomination they tricked people into buying.… Expand
  2. ReviewZone212
    Jul 23, 2013
    6
    The sound is great, the graphics are average and the gameplay feels like a bad call of duty, but I still enjoyed this game, it has things to be enjoyed and things that just suck, If you don't care about the bad campaign just go onto multiplayer and have fun, after 6 years this is what we get? it's disappointing at some point, still likeable though.
  3. SupaScoops
    Jul 22, 2013
    2
    This game seems really unpolished when it comes to mechanics. The aliens are derpy and often turn around and jump over crates when completely unnecessary, but when they get to you they pack an annoyingly powerful punch. if something is fast it should not be strong, two or three hits later and you're nearly dead. the aliens clip through the ground, glitch out so they're behind you, and areThis game seems really unpolished when it comes to mechanics. The aliens are derpy and often turn around and jump over crates when completely unnecessary, but when they get to you they pack an annoyingly powerful punch. if something is fast it should not be strong, two or three hits later and you're nearly dead. the aliens clip through the ground, glitch out so they're behind you, and are far too challenging to be fun. but the aliens aren't the worst part, oh no, its the other marines that are the problem. their AI sucks, they do way to much damage, they can blind-fire, and if you try to take cover, they run up behind you and shoot you from behind. but you wouldn't know they where coming because you cant see over cover. seriously, the only way to shoot enemies is to stand up and expose half your body. but they also find ways to shoot you through cover, if you're behind a covered handrail, they'll shoot at your feet. seriously though, this is one of the only games i couldn't play because of how bad it is. i'm really reluctant to go back to playing this.… Expand
  4. Duke0102
    Jul 21, 2013
    3
    The game as-is is not too bad, worth playing for the fans but I can only recommend if on a cheap deal. AI is terrible and graphics should be better, feels like a game from years before hand.
    Most users give hate due to the gameplay demo shown at E3 but the final product is a huge let down and verging on a con.
    The DLC saves the game if you like multiplayer but you have to buy them but    The game as-is is not too bad, worth playing for the fans but I can only recommend if on a cheap deal. AI is terrible and graphics should be better, feels like a game from years before hand.
    Most users give hate due to the gameplay demo shown at E3 but the final product is a huge let down and verging on a con.
    The DLC saves the game if you like multiplayer but you have to buy them but you shouldn't have to throw money at a bad game to make it playable.
    The later patches have improved it a lot but not saved it completely.    … Expand
  5. RoOka18
    Jul 15, 2013
    1
    OMFG... was this necessary? I've been waiting for this game like hell, and this...

    I don't want to talk much: STAY AWAY. This game is a disaster, both technical and artistic... maybe it's in fact the worst FPS game for about 10 years. I just can't imagine what Gearbox was thinking... this game is unnacceptable.
  6. GenericGamer286
    Jul 7, 2013
    2
    No comment. Oh, wait. So review has to contain at least 150 characters. Well, then: No comment, No comment, No comment, No comment, No comment, No comment,...
  7. igor-qwe
    Jun 27, 2013
    5
    Well, since there are lots of negative reviews already I have to add some positive things that I noticed.
    During presentations I wasn't stunned by the level of graphics, so I didn't expect much. The visual part will not make a gamer happy who has spent time playing Battlefield 3 or Crysis 2. But yet it gave enough detalisation so you could imagine yourself being away on a deserted planet.    Well, since there are lots of negative reviews already I have to add some positive things that I noticed.
    During presentations I wasn't stunned by the level of graphics, so I didn't expect much. The visual part will not make a gamer happy who has spent time playing Battlefield 3 or Crysis 2. But yet it gave enough detalisation so you could imagine yourself being away on a deserted planet. Face animations have no 'life', still I don't think it's a big problem.
    Sound effects is important part for a game in a universe of Aliens. It seems that music and sound is not what is usually discussed in reviews, but when these elements are done badly you can't miss such flaws. Using rifles made me want to skip all shooting sections. It is sound that ruined 'feeling' of a weapon. Too bad, because the design of weapons was not that bad.
    The design of levels is poor, 4 gamers on a level would feel lack of space. Despite the fact that it usually took me around 20-30 minutes to complete a level, everything that you keep in mind after completing one was running, shooting, running, loading.
    There was only one time when I was in a team of 4 players. Thing is that I started playing two weeks after the game's release date. By that time everyone stopped playing the game. Absence of server browser made me watch searching for other players for tenth of minutes before I had to go into singleplayer journey.
    The worst thing that made me angry was the storyline. Idea of connecting characters from original 'Aliens' movie with the ones in the game was horrible and had no logic.
    But I have to say that the competitive multiplayer was good. Maps and different classes is the strongest part of the game. It is far away from the gameplay that we have in 'Left 4 Dead', but it is worth playing.
    I'm sorry for those who bought season's pass in advance for the game that disapoints starting from the menu. Finally I have to say, that expectations for the game were too high and I'm 100% sure that the year's biggest fail has already arrived.    … Expand
  8. xxdiyxx2
    Jun 25, 2013
    0
    Another failure after a DNF. Bad graphics, boring gameplay. The game is appalling for its quality, it is strange that the second project after Duke Nukem Forever has such poor quality.
  9. faceless-1
    Jun 23, 2013
    1
    WTF!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? This game is pure trash. Broken AI, horrible graphics, terrible story and most of the time you shoot humans??? I give this 1 and not 0 cause i like aliens, but this game is really bad joke
  10. SoManyGoblins
    Jun 20, 2013
    4
    This is a painfully average game, the Aliens franchise deserved a whole lot better than this half-assed thing. The graphics are functional, nothing otherworldly, but bear in mind that this is more accurate after the 4GB patch, but an important gotcha, they look nothing, and I mean NOTHING like what they show on the demo footage, it's a ripoff and a trick to get you to buy something thatThis is a painfully average game, the Aliens franchise deserved a whole lot better than this half-assed thing. The graphics are functional, nothing otherworldly, but bear in mind that this is more accurate after the 4GB patch, but an important gotcha, they look nothing, and I mean NOTHING like what they show on the demo footage, it's a ripoff and a trick to get you to buy something that it's not what you're seeing. The storyline is frankly the stupidest and most damaging thing I've seen inflicted on this series, there is a plot hole so freaking huge that the mystery character that appears just says "too long to explain", that's it, that's the explaination for shamelessly raping the movie Aliens.
    There is a pointless cameo of Hadley's Hope, just fan service, which granted, could have been nice, but is so underwhelming that I wish I hadn't played that part, I love the move Aliens so much that playing through that and getting so disappointed was damaging to the soul of a hardcore fan such as me; it's surprising how little damage a thermonuclear explosion caused on the main colony complex.
    The characters are forgettable, honestly I remember more, and had way more fun with the main characters from Aliens vs Predator 2 (great game, btw).
    The action is fast paced, but the enemy AI is the stupidest thing I've seen in a while, these are the most charming, most tame Aliens I've ever seen, they really do their best not to hurt you, adorable! You see hints of good ideas, like sometimes you see them hiding in the shadows, and they fail at leaping at you, or attempting to attack after you shoot them, painfully easy.
    The multiplayer is horrible and boring, I haven't seen an Aliens game with xenomorphs so stiff to move! The marines are far more suited for combat than the aliens.
    Avoid this game if you're an Aliens fan (though if you're one, you'll probably make the same mistake I did and not heed to advice     … Expand
  11. Johnluna1
    Jun 3, 2013
    6
    Overall Aliens Colonial Marines is very bland and even boring at times. The graphics are very bad and the gameplay is pretty average. The story is uninteresting but the campaign has some pretty good moments. But multiplayer is where it's at. There are a few game modes to choose from and you can play as either the marine or the alien. Playing as the alien is very smooth and rewarding andOverall Aliens Colonial Marines is very bland and even boring at times. The graphics are very bad and the gameplay is pretty average. The story is uninteresting but the campaign has some pretty good moments. But multiplayer is where it's at. There are a few game modes to choose from and you can play as either the marine or the alien. Playing as the alien is very smooth and rewarding and the balance is very good too. And the maps are very well designed too.… Expand
  12. drekhead
    May 26, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Aliens Colonial Marines picks up where Alien 3 left off. Although this is a game, if you've been waiting for a true sequel to the first 3 Alien films, then this is it. Not only does Bishop make a return appearance, but Hicks as well. The
    cinematic movies after the completion of each stage unravels the continuing story of the Alien Colonial Marines and their run-ins with the weyland yutani Corporation, that does all it can to preserve the Alien species, while the marines
    try to stop them. This time though, not only will they both have to survive the onslaught of the Alien hordes, but they will both be pitted against each other. The story takes place back on planet LV-426, where the aliens have completely
    over-run the now abandoned terraforming colony. Some locations will be familiar to you from the movie Aliens, while others will be completely new. The dev's have done an excellent job of incorporating the atmosphere of the movies into the
    game as if you are really there. Being a big fan of the alien films, I really couldn't find anything in this game to complain about. The auto save feature does make progression difficult if you contiue to die before the next check point,
    but for some reason it didn't bother me that much. There were times in the game where I would recall moments from the movie Aliens where I would have to survive in the same manner as the marines from the movie... setting up sentry bots,
    cutting and welding doors back together etc. All while fighting off swarms of aliens trying to survive and protect my squad. I got that same urgency I got from the films while playing the game. It really hit home.
    If you're a fan of the Alien movies and want to live the next chapter of the Alien franchise then don't miss out on this gem.    … Expand
  13. redspark
    May 23, 2013
    3
    I was so disappointed with the games graphics, I was looking forward to this coming out after seeing a preview clip on line, but theirs nothing ,lacks atmosphere and badly designed story line, played for 2 hours that was enough try turning the brightness down- gives it a little atmosphere, better still turn it off completely
  14. BudSpencer
    May 13, 2013
    3
    Worst game ever created by Gearbox (TimeGate). Gearbox, you lost 50% of my trust in you. At least Borderlands shows that you have talent. Use your good men and women on only one project and concentrate, don´t hire other idiots to do the job like Timegate. You fools! Terrible AI, ugly graphics, low atmosphere, bad animations, boring and uninteresting story and the boss fight is a slap inWorst game ever created by Gearbox (TimeGate). Gearbox, you lost 50% of my trust in you. At least Borderlands shows that you have talent. Use your good men and women on only one project and concentrate, don´t hire other idiots to do the job like Timegate. You fools! Terrible AI, ugly graphics, low atmosphere, bad animations, boring and uninteresting story and the boss fight is a slap in the face for all fans. At least Mutliplayer is good, balanced and makes fun. Even the Co-Op is a joke if you compare it to Killing Floor or Left 4 Dead, Payday The Heist. We expected more tension in Co-Op, but what to expect by such ugly graphics which can´t produce enough atmosphere to let the aliens look terrifying. They feel like no danger and they die to easily. The developers threw them against you like they had nothing else to offer as danger in this game, than hordes of aliens and HUMANS! Who wants to shoot humans in such a boring game? It´s getting even more boring. A total fail. There´s one dense scene though, were you have to sneak, but thats no reason to buy it. Take it from the shelf and spit on it.… Expand
  15. Rednuts85
    May 9, 2013
    1
    I am sure any positive reviews of this game must be fake, it is terrible. I have played it for 90 minutes and every time I try starting it up I am so disappointed that I almost immediately shut it down...
  16. 911nsidejob
    May 9, 2013
    10
    Aliens colonial marines on PC gets yet another big update and it looks like a legit directx11 game now with hi res graphics better AI shadows, fog,mist and dynamic lighting among other things.
    I am totally amazed how they turned it around, it looks so beautiful now,check it out.
  17. Tulipunahapero
    May 6, 2013
    4
    I watched trailers and gameplay videos and they looked amazing. What happened to this game? Did demo and final version switch places and final version is in a landfill?
  18. jake38
    May 4, 2013
    7
    The pc version is MILES better than the xbox version and the game can be pretty fun at times. so far the only problems I see can be fixed with patches or in the next 3 dlc packs
  19. MasteRR
    May 4, 2013
    4
    Aliens: Colonial Marines is not a great game under any criteria.

    The game is set in the same universe and location like the original movies, LV-426, a planet which actually isn't a planet, it's a moon, bigger than average ones. The story is set after the events from the original 1986 movie Aliens. In the game you revisit the iconic locations from the original 2 movies, but in a    Aliens: Colonial Marines is not a great game under any criteria.

    The game is set in the same universe and location like the original movies, LV-426, a planet which actually isn't a planet, it's a moon, bigger than average ones.

    The story is set after the events from the original 1986 movie Aliens. In the game you revisit the iconic locations from the original 2 movies, but in a different way.

    The plot is a very simple one, which relatively lacks of originality. You assume the role of a a Colonial Marine called Christopher Winter, and your mission is to check an SOS left by Dwayne Hicks, one of the main characters in the Aliens movie.

    From here it's obvious what's next, you find that the place is infested and you must later fight to survive. Very simplistic.

    However, even so, the game's chaotic development leaves his mark. The best citation can be ,,The game sounds like Aliens, looks like Aliens, but unfortunately, it doesn't play like Aliens., IGN. This citation captures exactly how the game is, the level design isn't really horrible, but is not ground-breaking like other games from today's standards.

    The graphics are as simple as possible, with simple shadows, banal lightning effects and banal textures.

    Beyond the graphic design, the story also draws criticism, it lacks of consistency and it takes only @5-6 or 9(on harder/hardest difficulty) to be completed, so is quite short.

    Also the story is very chaotic at some parts, like progressing with no sense during the levels, basically just ,,Shoot the bad guys in this room, then continue playing,, .

    And also many people(including I at some points) is like a sort of Call of Duty: Weyland Yutani, and I partially agree here, for me is a sort of a Sci-Fi Counter-Strike. Is centered more on shooting humans than aliens, and more on combat than the story itself.

    Again, the story doesn't make much sense at many parts, especially when you find that Bishop and Hicks have survived, but rather than make light, it makes you even more confusing. It's reveal that Hicks was captured and interrogated but nothing more abut how he's been captured. Same with Bishop, where is nothing revealed about how it survived.

    In game play and value terms the game is mediocre, is based on one of the best sci-fi horror-thriller movies ever made, but the game is a shame. It captures the alien in banal encounters many times, and the tension suffers.

    Is also insufficient in value term, we we're promised a far better game in both story and design in the trailers and E3 demos, but the final product is lower in quality and a lot different, and doesn't stand up at the price as well, seriously, it isn't worth 50$, I'd say 15-20$, but not more.

    I also greatly dislike the patches, because they fix things that we're not supposed to be there. Improved the AI to be more aggressive and responsive, added many effects and some graphically redesigned places? Fixed some circumstances in where the aliens could've used erratic animations? This all are bugs and glitches which must have never been in a game, doesn't matter this or other and improvements that must have never be cut. It wasn't able to run on consoles? Then where we've seen the game running in some game plays? This is just a lie, haven't we all seen Crysis? It has ridiculous requirements, but somehow it looks and runs well on consoles, and also has a good replay value and design.

    Also the iconic weapons are only used a ridiculous amount of time, only max. 10min. to use the Smart Gun and no more ammo to be found for it? Really?

    The characters aren't really well developed as well, you can't describe many marine's personality.

    The development was very chaotic, and why put others work on your dream? TimeGate Studios for single player and Nerve Software for multilayer? Why? You said it was your dream and you love the franchise.

    The coop as well isn't really awesome included, you can play in the campaign with up to 3 more friends, which I find really cool, despite it doesn't feature additional objectives and locations.

    In visuals and performance, the console versions were terribly optimized, by having many visual glitches
    , and unbelievable low resolution textures, cut shaders and several bad effects.

    This were the bad parts, but there somehow are some good ones. The weapons sound, look and behave exactly like in the movies, the game has a very well made sewer level where you have no guns and you must escape from the explosive aliens. That's aliens! Very exciting and tensioned.

    The first DLC and the multiplayer are well made, despite the multiplayer doesn't feature a lot of maps, but they offer lot of fun and are having a great value.

    Excluding the coop flaws, is Drop-In Drop-Out so you don't have to restart a level of some annoying things.

    So in the end, A:CM has some good stuff inside, but too many problems, however there are 3 more DLCs so who knows, maybe Gearbox is preparing a surprise for us.    … Expand
  20. Sickocrow
    May 3, 2013
    2
    I bought the game before the massive 'upgrade' patch if you want to call it that. The graphics were okay, but the AI was very dumb. Aliens would hit you once then run away around a corner and stare at a wall it was that bad. However.......changing the AI so that every single alien on the screen runs straight at you AND only you regardless of how many other marines are standingI bought the game before the massive 'upgrade' patch if you want to call it that. The graphics were okay, but the AI was very dumb. Aliens would hit you once then run away around a corner and stare at a wall it was that bad. However.......changing the AI so that every single alien on the screen runs straight at you AND only you regardless of how many other marines are standing around is even dumber. Plus those said marines still have dumb AI that don't actually help you at all. Then you get up to the first human rivals and they have an uncanny ability to throw grenades directly at you and frequently, all the while ignoring the rest of your marine teams which still stand around scratching their balls. The game is a poor failure.… Expand
  21. Hseeker25
    May 1, 2013
    0
    I bought this for aliens, why im a sadled against humans most of the time.
    Why is the AI as dumb as a donkey, why isnt this what they advertised it to be.
    I gave no hoot to my fellow marines in this game cause there so uninterestingly boring.
    And the End boss omg, zero but absolutly ZERO inovation whatsoever.
    What a let down.
  22. 07151129
    Apr 30, 2013
    3
    This game is absolutely terrible. It's a generic stereotype space marines action shooter. The single player is mindless and boring, the AI is terrible, the sound effects are also terrible. The game is not scary and the voice actors just sound depressed. The online mode is not fun, you'll get bored in minutes because there is no depth to the gameplay.
    One of the redeeming factors of the    This game is absolutely terrible. It's a generic stereotype space marines action shooter. The single player is mindless and boring, the AI is terrible, the sound effects are also terrible. The game is not scary and the voice actors just sound depressed. The online mode is not fun, you'll get bored in minutes because there is no depth to the gameplay.
    One of the redeeming factors of the game however is that it has decent music, but that's it. If you're having trouble sleeping, I definitely recommend this game because there is no way you'll still be awake after 30 minutes. Gearbox over-hyped this game and just ended up deceiving Aliens fans. I highly recommend you look at game footage before you commit to buy this game.    … Expand
  23. keeling2008
    Apr 30, 2013
    2
    Was this one big joke to Gearbox? It certainly comes across that way to me and to think that I have followed this game for more than 6 years; this release feels like a massive kick in the teeth...

    Well, I guess we all saw those Randy Pitchford videos where he was creaming in his pants talking rubbish about how he is a massive fan of the Aliens movie that James Cameron directed. Well    Was this one big joke to Gearbox? It certainly comes across that way to me and to think that I have followed this game for more than 6 years; this release feels like a massive kick in the teeth...

    Well, I guess we all saw those Randy Pitchford videos where he was creaming in his pants talking rubbish about how he is a massive fan of the Aliens movie that James Cameron directed. Well Pitchford, you should be ashamed of yourself as this game is awful! If you loved the franchise that much, why is this game so S**T? Why did you not endeavour to make this the best Alien game available? All these questions will never get answered and really, we all should have known better because he talked up Duke Nukem Forever as if that was going to be some kind of genre defining game which also turned out to be S**T!

    Anyways, what we have here is a first person shooter set after the events of Aliens. The game follows a team sent to find out what has happened to the Sulaco and of course, what happened on the planet LV-426 (although that is not the same location the game goes too, it's LV-244). The game looks like Aliens if you ignore the poor graphics, awful animations and clippings, and the vast amount of bugs. It's funny but the E3 demo that Pitchford again was showing off with such Glee looks nothing like the product I have purchased??? False advertising most definitely as the released version looks 6 years out of date whereas the E3 demo was full of lovely shadows and lighting and had a much crisper visual and colour palette set (looked like advanced current gen).

    Gameplay wise, the story is a complete mess. It's hopelessly derived and should have been handled with much more care... where's the love Pitchford??? The guns sound great but feel underpowered. Locations feel samey with textures that are low resolution and adding to this is the minimal physics used on objects within these rubbish environments, the actual feeling of interaction is ZERO. It's just not that great to look at and my god it’s even worse to play.

    Enemy A.I consists of over erratic cover seeking morons that pop up and downs three times whilst shooting, then move to a different location, repeat the same process; and then move back to the previous location until you put their idiotic path finding body fodder down. Aliens sometimes move authentically but this immersion is broken once they glitch into a wall or turn 90 or 180 degrees in one motion... Its school boy error stuff and the question of this game getting through quality control is a bitter pill to swallow.

    It is hard to pick out redeeming moments from this game to be honest. It is not worth the time or money and unless you are a person that isn’t overly critical when it comes to games, you will have a tough time playing through to the end. With A.I that has the simplest of path finding code, aliens that act like drunks rather than predators seeking out their prey and a story line that is so redundant, you don’t really care; it’s hard to actually want to keep playing this game. The hardest part of the whole process of playing then reviewing a game based on my favourite movie of all time was the fact that I didn’t really have high expectations for it. I didn’t want a 10/10 game… I just wanted to feel like a bad ass playing in the boots of a Marine. Feel the feedback of the Pulse rifle when I offloaded a clip into a dangerous xenomorph. I wanted to seal doors with my hand held welder (you do this but it’s irrelevant and has no impact on the games mechanics) and lock down an area as if it’s a ‘last stand moment’… Using the motion tracker is pointless and is not even needed in game, yet they have included it… WHY? SO IT LOOKS LIKE AN ALIENS GAME!!! Pitchford you’re a fool and so is your team! This franchise has so much quality material you couldn’t go wrong yet you have churned out this disaster! If the game was not very good, why lead everyone down the garden path with the hype videos and e3 demo showing the quality that would never feature in the final product shipped? They should have just cancelled it or gone back to the drawing board…

    This game is not recommended 2/10    … Expand
  24. Forgewolf
    Apr 28, 2013
    3
    Very late, I know.. But let me tell you.

    I pre-ordered this game on Steam. All the videos and reviews I heard of this game were pointing to one direction. That this game was going to be great! And with a fairly decent company developing it, Gearbox, I had little to worry about. Boy, was I wrong. The Aliens in this game are dumb, static and predictable. They always charged for you,    Very late, I know.. But let me tell you.

    I pre-ordered this game on Steam. All the videos and reviews I heard of this game were pointing to one direction. That this game was going to be great! And with a fairly decent company developing it, Gearbox, I had little to worry about. Boy, was I wrong.

    The Aliens in this game are dumb, static and predictable. They always charged for you, nobody else and it was always in the same direction. I know there is only so much you can do with A.Is.. But the A.Is from Aliens vs Predator in 2010 where WAY better!

    I was very frustrated with this first encounter with enemy soldiers.. It felt like I was playing a poorly constructed, wannabe CoD game. It just didn't feel right running into them so soon.

    I'm extremely disappointed with the graphics and the removal of the first scene where you should have ran into the Alien Queen like they showed in their Reveal demo!

    The first Boss battle was really dumb too.. Getting into a power loader and smacking at this weird, Brute like Alien.. I died many times on Normal. It wasn't Challenging.. it was buggy and frustrating.

    NEVER! EVER! Outsource any part of your game to another company. That is down right stupid and only comes to bite you back in the ass! The blame is on Gearbox and Sega for rushing the game and trying to place the blame on smaller, more innocent developer companies that are less experienced. Trying to kill competition huh?    … Expand
  25. Brosman
    Apr 27, 2013
    1
    Gearbox has really gotten on my bad side lately. They went from great games like Brothers in Arms and Borderlands, to A:CM and Duke Nukem Forever. With the Brothers in Arms Furious Four coming out i think i wanna punch Gearbox in the face. This game was a lying, false advertised piece of sh*t that pisses of die hard Aliens fans like myself. Avoid at all costs, nuke it from orbit! Its theGearbox has really gotten on my bad side lately. They went from great games like Brothers in Arms and Borderlands, to A:CM and Duke Nukem Forever. With the Brothers in Arms Furious Four coming out i think i wanna punch Gearbox in the face. This game was a lying, false advertised piece of sh*t that pisses of die hard Aliens fans like myself. Avoid at all costs, nuke it from orbit! Its the only way to be sure!… Expand
  26. Duskspark
    Apr 26, 2013
    4
    When I first heard of the bad reviews in Aliens: Colonial Marines, that's when I actually started watching Aliens the movies. I wasn't even born at the time the movies got released and I never had much interest in that, but since I've been a gamer since I was a kid, I wanted to like Colonial Marines. I watched the movies, to get up to date with the story, and I loved it. The atmosphere,When I first heard of the bad reviews in Aliens: Colonial Marines, that's when I actually started watching Aliens the movies. I wasn't even born at the time the movies got released and I never had much interest in that, but since I've been a gamer since I was a kid, I wanted to like Colonial Marines. I watched the movies, to get up to date with the story, and I loved it. The atmosphere, the sound, the special effect (by the times standards) were amazing. And that is exactly everything what Colonial Marines missed. There is no atmosphere as the Xenomorphs just come running towards you in stead of lurking in the shadows, the sounddesign is sooo poorly done it barely makes me care about anything that is happening, and the graphics are mediocre at its very best. I decided to give it a 4/10 because this game actually made me watch the movies and made me love them. It could have been an okay 6/10 title if they would have released it as an indie game.… Expand
  27. FragPenguin
    Apr 16, 2013
    5
    First off, I'd like to say that I miss the absence of ironsights in games. Just leveling your crosshair over a monster and pressing the fire button was satisfying, and made you feel like a badass. Nowadays, firing from the hip is a sure way to never hit your target if you use anything other than a shotgun.

    That being said, I'd like to add another preface. I LOVE the Alien and Predator    First off, I'd like to say that I miss the absence of ironsights in games. Just leveling your crosshair over a monster and pressing the fire button was satisfying, and made you feel like a badass. Nowadays, firing from the hip is a sure way to never hit your target if you use anything other than a shotgun.

    That being said, I'd like to add another preface. I LOVE the Alien and Predator franchises, and my first true 3D shooter (I don't count Doom as true 3D. It used 2D sprites) was Aliens versus Predator 2. I treasured that game. I played it over and over. When AvP 2010 came out, I almost messed my pants. I loved that one too, but not as much as AvP 2. The one thing those two had in common was the LACK OF IRON SIGHTS. Sci-Fi games that take place in the future shouldn't have iron sights. That mechanic is there to add a sense of realism to the game.

    ANYTHING INVOLVING THE ALIENS FRANCHISE IS ANYTHING BUT REALISTIC. So why have ironsights in Colonial Marines? I didn't see anybody using a scope or sights in the movie. They all fired from the hip. So why inject a military shooter mechanic into a sci-fi/horror game? I'll tell you: To cater to the CoD jocks and Battlefield frat boys. I just need to say that this needs to stop. Some of us don't want realism or a cover system in our RPGs (Mass Effect 2 and 3) or iron sights in our sci-fi and horror games (Aliens: CM, Fallout: New Vegas)!

    Anyways, that is my main complaint with this game. If there weren't any iron sights, this game would have earned an 8.5 in my books. A lot of people complained about the A.I, and when it comes to squad members, I totally agree. They are dumb as rocks. The Alien A.I wasn't as spotty as some professional game reviewers made them out to be. The lore states that the individual xeno is about as intelligent as an insect. Their tactics and cunning is derived from the Queen, and the further they are from her, the dumber they get. People were expecting that the xeno A.I would try to outsmart them, but the fact of the matter is, Gearbox got their behavior patterns spot on. I went into this game fully expecting the xenos to run blindly into my bullets one after another, in a primitive attempt to make me exhaust all of my ammo so I would be defenseless when the next wave attacked. Guess what? They did. I couldn't be happier.

    The human enemies behaved typically enough. Run to cover, lean out, squeeze off a few shots, take cover, throw grenade if I'm in cover, move up closer, flanking, melee when I try to brain them with my rifle. Run of the mill stuff. Like I said: Typical. No different from any other FPS I've played.

    Pre-Rendered cutscenes in Alies:CM suffered the same way the ones in Deus Ex: Human Revolution did. They were uglier than the in-game cutscenes and the developers could have made them better by using the game engine instead of the crap rendering they chose to use.

    Now for the story and voice acting: The story had more holes than swiss cheese, and the only decent voice actor was Lance Henriksen, the original actor who portrayed Bishop and Bishop Weyland in the Alien and AvP movies. The rest of them sounded like they just got their certificate of completion from the acting class at the learning annex.

    Finally, the gameplay. Action packed, sometimes suspenseful, moody as all hell, atmosphere was spot-on. Animations could have used a little more polish, but graphics were very pretty, even on low settings. Glitches weren't very frequent. A few clipping issues here, some A.I pathing problems there, spazzy ragdolls were present (always funny), but nothing game breaking. I didn't experience any crashes, even on launch day (yes, I pre-ordered) before the first patch release.

    Weapons felt real, visceral, and powerful. Although there were a plethora of options to choose from, I found myself only using the Pulse Rifle and the Shotgun, only switching out when I ran out of ammo. That brings up a nice feature. Aliens:CM doesn't force you to choose only 2 or 3 weapons. You can switch out to ANY weapon you have unlocked at any time through the use of a quick-access wheel overlay without disrupting the action. I loved this feature the most, because it reminded me of AvP 2, where you could carry all of your weapons at once. Upgrading your weapons is a nice feature, but sadly, you can never upgrade your Pulse Rifle to carry 99 bullets per clip like in the movies and previous games in the Aliens franchise.

    I never played multiplayer, but I heard its the only saving grace for this game.

    My conclusion: Aliens: Colonial Marines could have been a great game. If there were no iron sights, it would have been a game worthy of Gearbox Software's legendary reputation. Instead, the game soiled it. Gearbox dropped the ball on this one simply because they felt the need to cater to the CoD and Battlefield fanboys. This title is worthy of a $25 dollar pricetag. NOT $60. I would only recommend paying full price if you are a die-hard Aliens fan.    … Expand
  28. wulfenstein
    Apr 16, 2013
    1
    I was so looking forward to this title telling my friends finally there's gonna be an Aliens game sequel showing the footage from E3..Seeing there's co-op on the mission we couldn't wait to be in the boots on the ground finding what happened to the Sulaco marines..I bought the game and the DLC thinking expensive but this so gonna be worth it...Then finally its a piece of crap so let downI was so looking forward to this title telling my friends finally there's gonna be an Aliens game sequel showing the footage from E3..Seeing there's co-op on the mission we couldn't wait to be in the boots on the ground finding what happened to the Sulaco marines..I bought the game and the DLC thinking expensive but this so gonna be worth it...Then finally its a piece of crap so let down man the graphics on AVP 2010 were more better than this pile of stinking crap..Lets see Randy Pitchford carter burke and gearbox weyland yutani now i know how ripley and the crew of sulaco felt when the got back stabbed by burke and weyland and left to die...… Expand
  29. FireDagger12
    Apr 11, 2013
    4
    Broken AI. It doesnt have the good atmosphere or the suspense.... Really what a let down!! and like the other reviewers said the Graphics are outdated, animation and blood/acid effects are very poor, sounds effects are very nice but what we have here strikes me as overall unfinished, unpolished, rushed, underdone.
  30. Curreri
    Apr 7, 2013
    4
    This is a waste of money and (Alien) license: the game fails to recreate the athmosphere of the series.
    Even if the overall gameplay is not too bad, AI of the game seems not good and the graphics disappointing.
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Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
37
#37 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
45

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 40
  3. Negative: 23 out of 40
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 10, 2013
    60
    Judging by the result, Gearbox could not handle the tremendous success of Borderlands 2. On the other hand, there’s this erroneous notion that franchises can exploit their name and are justified to produce mediocre titles for ever. Those two facts were enough to condemn Aliens: Colonial Marines. While it’s true that the console version is even worse, the competition in the PC shooter genre, is relentless. [April 2013]
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 15, 2013
    68
    I dared to hope, but was given a game so dull and average, that is an actual achievement itself. [March 2013]
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Mar 12, 2013
    60
    Not as bad as the wost Aliens games, yet it's also not in the same league as the very best, leaving ACM to meandering in the space system of mediocrity. [Apr 2013, p.69]
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