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IGN & Gamespot Review Aliens Colonial Marines

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Early reviews have started coming in for Aliens Colonial Marines and the news is not good. Both IGN and Gamespot have posted negative reviews and scored the game 4.5/10. They both criticize the campaign, the poor graphics, poor AI, lack of tension, poor multiplayer…

IGN: Aliens: Colonial Marines looks like Aliens, and sounds like Aliens, but unfortunately it just doesn’t feel like Aliens. Instead, it feels indistinguishable from almost every shooter you’ve played in the past twenty years. There are some feelings of nostalgia to be enjoyed, but it soon wears off and all that is left is some bog standard run ‘n’ gun action that brings little of note to the FPS table – and it suffers from a severe lack of optimisation on PS3 and 360. Aliens: Colonial Marines has definitely been crafted with a lot of love for the franchise, it just needed a little more imagination – and a hell of a lot more polish.

Gamespot: The first two Alien films are steeped in mystery and anxiety, qualities all but absent in developer Gearbox’s lackluster interpretation. Instead, Aliens: Colonial Marines is a shallow bit of science-fiction fluff with cheap production values and an indifferent attitude. It’s forgettable enough to deem unnecessary, which is a grievous sin for a game in a universe brimming with so much potential.

For comparison purposes, IGN scored AvP 7/10 and Gamespot scored it 5.5/10.


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Comments: 37
  2. Elicas
    Posted
    Quote from: QUAGMIRE83 on Feb 12, 2013, 01:21:41 PM
    Single player is always an after thought for me on any game

    That's why you can look at it in a favourable light. Obviously, for millions of players (and tens, if not hundreds of reviewers) single player is the most important feature of a game.

    That's why Activison and EA still spend millions upon millions of dollars developing a six hour single player campaign for COD, Battlefield and MOH, because it's the be all and end all of many a gamers experience. If it wasn't important any more, these MP behemoths would do away with it completely.
    Reply
  8. OpenMaw
    Posted
    Quote from: Dusk on Feb 12, 2013, 05:52:37 PM
    Gearbox did not destroy Duke Nukem. They were just the studio tasked with the job to patch together a game, that went 14 years through development hell. Their job was to make it functional, so it would finally see the light of day.

    Once again, no. That's just not true. They bought the entire license, they had full creative control. The remnants of 3D Realms were absorbed by them into a smaller team called triptych, but the heads of Gearbox had COMPLETE creative control. They had the game in their control for two years. In that time they made major changes to the script, and to the character of Duke Nukem. The multiplayer side was handled under them entirely (outsourced to another studio under their direction.). They were responsible for all the DLC and patch work that was coming out. They made the choice to purposely give the finger to the DNF community by locking out the developer console, and locking out any attempts to edit the graphics or anything else. They made the failure that is Duke Nukem Forever. Yes, they destroyed Duke Nukem.
    Reply
  9. Dusk
    Posted
    Gearbox did not destroy Duke Nukem. They were just the studio tasked with the job to patch together a game, that went 14 years through development hell. Their job was to make it functional, so it would finally see the light of day.
    Reply
  14. spinksy
    Posted
    I got it about 1am last night from Asda - first thoughts were that the aliens are SHOCKING to control, which they are!

    I enjoy playing as the marine but the game is ridiculously buggy! I saw a guy online in the elevator next to me fall staright threough the floor and dissappear (then came up that he had been killed). The aliens get stuck all over the place, some walls an Alien can climb on - others you can't - for no apparent reason!

    I will always keep this game and will no doubt enjoy it but I can see realisticly it's pretty poor - especially when compared to tittles such as Halo 4 (which makes A:CM look pretty embaressing)


    another dissapointment for this franchise  :( :-[
    Reply
  15. pixelbaron
    Posted
    Quote from: Dovahkiin on Feb 12, 2013, 02:43:01 PM
    Quote from: Snowdog on Feb 12, 2013, 02:38:57 PM
    Gonna install it immediately when i get home. I'll experience the game myself. Maybe I'll love it, maybe I won't but I won't let critics decide it for me. And even if I don't love it. At least I've got a cool new powerloader figure ;D

    THANK YOU. It really suprises me to see how many people here are swayed so easily by what critics say.

    Most of the people that have been negative about the game (and agree with the critics now that the review embargo has lifted) watched people play the game days ago since the console versions broke street date. No one is "easily swayed by critics" I watched people walk around and fight against horrible AI and watched the horrible story unfold and listened to the bad voice acting.
    Reply
  16. Snowdog
    Posted
    Quote from: Dovahkiin on Feb 12, 2013, 02:43:01 PM
    Quote from: Snowdog on Feb 12, 2013, 02:38:57 PM
    Gonna install it immediately when i get home. I'll experience the game myself. Maybe I'll love it, maybe I won't but I won't let critics decide it for me. And even if I don't love it. At least I've got a cool new powerloader figure ;D

    THANK YOU. It really suprises me to see how many people here are swayed so easily by what critics say.

    Yeah -_- Also it has just been released. They will release patches and stuff. So I see absolutely no need to panic right now. Can't wait to revisit LV-426.
    Reply
  18. Snowdog
    Posted
    Gonna install it immediately when i get home. I'll experience the game myself. Maybe I'll love it, maybe I won't but I won't let critics decide it for me. And even if I don't love it. At least I've got a cool new powerloader figure ;D
    Reply
  19. Darkness
    Posted
    Yeah, I find it surprising Sega would even put out a game in this unfinished state. It does depress me reading these reviews. Gearbox had the chance to fix all the things that we didn't like about AvP and instead have made it a lot worse.
    Reply
  20. QUAGMIRE83
    Posted
    I can't believe the low reviews this game is getting mine came 2 days early and I love it especially the multiplayer and the customisation. Single player is always an after thought for me on any game and this is where most of the negative comments are coming from but I have done the first level and it seemed ok and the fact it's got 4 player co-op is even better. I will be playing and loving this game for a long time to come and also buying the season pass
    Reply
  21. MR EL1M1NATOR
    Posted
    Still can't quite believe how bad it's turned out to be. What were Gearbox thinking? Did they really think no one would notice? And that trying to stop any reviews from appearing would mean everyone would still buy the game?
    Reply
  23. Silversavage
    Posted
    Quote from: PRI. HUDSON on Feb 12, 2013, 12:46:53 PM
    PC World, 1 out of 5, GTFO.

    I won't post my full SP review until I finish the campaign. But I will say I played almost 6 hours on hardened mode and I am still not even done. So anyone who claims they beat it in 5-6 hours is either lying or played on pussy mode. I've spent time looking for the dog tags, audio logs, and the lost marine weapons. By the time I beat all of SP I should be around 8ish hours logged. Not too shabby.

    LOLpcworld.
    Still not nearly enough. Dead space 3 is around 15-20 hours. SP is a shitfest, MP can be enjoyed though
    Reply
  24. PRI. HUDSON
    Posted
    PC World, 1 out of 5, GTFO.

    I won't post my full SP review until I finish the campaign. But I will say I played almost 6 hours on hardened mode and I am still not even done. So anyone who claims they beat it in 5-6 hours is either lying or played on pussy mode. I've spent time looking for the dog tags, audio logs, and the lost marine weapons. By the time I beat all of SP I should be around 8ish hours logged. Not too shabby.

    LOLpcworld.
    Reply
  25. Samus007
    Posted
    I never would have thought that this game could be worse than AVP2010, but it is so much so. I hope Gearbox goes out of business because of this.

    Quote from: ShadowPred on Feb 12, 2013, 10:10:19 AM
    Quote from: MichaelMyers on Feb 12, 2013, 10:05:59 AM
    Quote from: JayHy17 on Feb 12, 2013, 10:00:41 AM
    ALL  NEGATIVE.
    With the exception of EGM that gave it a freaking 9.


    They must have gotten paid under the table, don't know why they would even give it a 9 judging by all we've seen.

    Yeah, I agree. They are the ONLY place to give it a score that high, and at the time of this writing, they have Aliens ads all over their site.
    Reply
  26. SPECIAL FORCES
    Posted
    Lets all be honest...none really believed it will take a score that low.
    I read Gamespot mostly and i trust it.Well i never thought it will get 4.5  :'(  when AvP2010 took 5.5.
    I will buy it just out of nostalgia and i believe i will enjoy it but surely i hoped for a better game.

    LOL even John Romero's Daikatana got more..and i thought This was bad.

    Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi
    Thats a good example on how they could make the game scary
    Really low budget game,mediocre graphics,only a few monsters but the atmosphere is amazing and very intense/scary.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9ZFLm8MJhg#

    (02:14  :D )
    Reply
  31. Kimo
    Posted
    More or less finished the game, i would say its a solid 6/10, i think most of these game review critics are pissed because it had soo much potential to be something special. But what we got was a half arsed game with a few nice moments but over all its just another forgetful FPS. If you are a die hard Alien/Aliens fan then still give it a chance its not all bad... but if you are someone who cant really afford to be disappointed then go pick up Dead Space 3 and wait till this drops in price or rent it. It is at least a fun rental.

    One thing that piss me off is GearBox going on about Canon and how this game is gunna be the ultamate Aliens game.... Well Randy Pitchford i hope this game dents your already inflated ego, because i dont know what planet you are on? cos this game is NOT the ultamate Aliens game its medicore at best. If you said, well we are making a Aliens game for Fox and we are gunna do our best to please the fans with what budget and time we have, then i may give you the benefit of the doubt for trying. But sorrry Randy you can't polish a turd.

    Reply
  32. Elicas
    Posted
    My favourite so far?

    "WHY: There is nothing redeeming about Aliens: Colonial Marines, unless you count the inevitable relief you might feel once it's over."

    Awesome job Gearbox.
    Reply
  37. ikarop
    Posted
    http://www.el33tonline.com/past_article/2013/2/12/aliens_colonial_marines_review/

    http://www.edge-online.com/echo2-carousel/aliens-colonial-marines-review/

    http://zombiegamer.co.za/aliens-colonial-marines-zombiegamer-review

    http://www.heavy.com/games/2013/02/aliens-colonial-marines-review-shooter-game-fps

    http://www.gamerzines.com/playstation/aliens-colonial-marines-review.html

    http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-aliens-colonial-marines/

    http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-review-ps3-xbox-360-pc/

    http://www.oxm.co.uk/49644/reviews/alien-colonial-marines-review/

    http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-ps3-gameplay-video-review-the-first-chapter/

    http://www.gamesradar.com/aliens-colonial-marines-review/

    http://spong.com/feature/10110925/Review-Aliens-Colonial-Marines

    http://metro.co.uk/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-review-this-time-its-war-3417232/

    http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-pc-review (PC)

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2013/feb/12/alien-colonial-marines-game-review

    http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/aliens-colonial-marines-is-an-unfinished-ugly-mess
    Reply
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