Aliens: Colonial Marines

Aliens: Colonial Marines is a 2013 first-person shooter developed by Gearbox Software and published by SEGA for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, set in the Alien film universe. Positioned as a canonical sequel to James Cameron's Aliens, it follows a squad of Colonial Marines investigating the derelict USS Sulaco and the colony of LV-426 some time after the events of the film. The campaign mixes scripted set pieces against human mercenaries with tense encounters against Xenomorphs, supported by motion trackers, pulse rifles and other series-iconic gear, and offers drop-in co-operative play for up to four players plus competitive multiplayer modes pitting Marines against player-controlled aliens. The game became infamous on release for failing to match the polish of its pre-release demos: critics and players cited downgraded visuals, weak and erratic alien AI, bugs and a disjointed story, and the gap between the demo footage and the shipped product later prompted legal scrutiny. It is frequently cited as a cautionary example of troubled, outsourced development and over-hyped marketing. Despite the backlash, community modders subsequently improved the AI and other elements, and the title remains a notable entry in the long, uneven history of licensed Alien games. A separate, better-received game, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, would later attempt to win back the franchise's audience.