New artwork from the upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines videogame by Sega and Gearbox has surfaced today in a Spanish magazine called Hobby Consolas. The images show a never seen before Xenomorph design as well as some character concept art. Unfortunately, the 8-page feature doesn’t include much new information. You can check out highlights from the article as well as the scans by clicking the image below.
Not if you choose to ignore it as canon.
Oh sweet, sweet irony.
Oh probably. I started playing video games in the early 1980s when the 'story' was really just an 'excuse'. Even if you knew the backstory - you didn't give a shit, just show me where to shoot. And I still don't give a shit. Most of the games I own are licensed from movies - where the REAL story is. And that's where I'll go if I want a story - a movie or a book. Games are predominantly for switching off of brain.
For better or worse, we're living in an age of increasing sophistication. And, when it comes to gaming, that includes storytelling as well as graphics and gameplay. More and more gamers demand solid, crafted storylines to accompany the visuals and derring-do.
There is room for simplicity, but it's the current trend for multiplayer to feature the simple stuff, ie run 'n' kill. I'd argue that problems (with ACM?) aren't the developers trying to overcomplicate things, but rather showing their lack of talent and overreaching themselves.
And simple isn't necessarily a bad thing. Look at Doom - monsters from Hell have overtaken you base; kill them. Super Mario - rescue the Princess by jumping a lot.
Sometimes game designers try to get too clever.
However, storylines mean more and more these days, as games become more advanced. If a game's got a crappy storyline, then it'll get played, maybe ridiculed, but it'll do "ok" if the gameplays good...to a point. This, by the way, assumes its not part of a mega successful series a la Battlefield 3.
However, if a game has a solid story to go with even average gameplay, then things take off. You get a dedicated fan base. You get DLC people will buy. You get sequels.
Clearly, this is why GBX are putting so much effort into ACMs story mode- but for the life of me, I can't figure out why they've been so daft as to take this direction.
But then I still haven't gotten round to buying the last AvP game and I can get that for around $20.
As I've said elsewhere, if the gameplays good the story line/ excuse for the violence to begin, can be the lamest in history and I'll play it (and it could indeed be vying for that very title).
But not one of those publishers has boasted about their game being "the true sequel" to Aliens and criticised Alien Resurrection itself. GBX are being massively incongruent here. It shows how arbitrary their decision-making process really is; not a good sign.
To be fair, between Hadleys survival and the silly variations in the aliens- hi, Crusher!- I've lost most of my enthusiasm for this one. It's a "used at quarter of the price in a year" buy...if at all.
It's inevitable. If I thought a video game was part of the continuity I might care.
Ha! True. My main point is, they on one hand seem to dismiss Alien 3, YET they adhere to it slavishly. Whilst openly ignoring Alien Resurrection- and, as you say, to say nothing of blatantly ignoring the massive explosion at the end of Aliens itself!
As bizarre as the premise for Alien3 is, what they're doing is infinitely more so.
For all their talk of 'This is what fans wanted to see', no one ever wanted to return to Hadley because even the worst fan fic writer knew it wasn't there anymore.
I find GBX's attitude incongruent and bizarre to say the least.
One of the biggest reasons A3 was/ is hated was because of its opening. Yet, they are tying themselves in knots trying to fill in A3's plot holes (as if a videogame could even fit in with the movies' level of canonocity anyway). They are sticking rigidly to A3's continuity, when they could easily have ignored it, possibly by having "Aliens Redux" set on a sister colony.
Finally, they cheerfully dismiss Alien: Resurrection by retconning and critisicing it, despite it being better plotted, more in the style of "Aliens", and well-received.
Strange.
Then read between the lines. Them constantly saying 'This is the third Ailen movie everybody wanted' is dismissive the third film and pandering to gun crazy gamers.
Which is perfectly fine if that's the way they want to go. By the same token if they're oblivious to fact that Alien3 is a lot more well liked than it was 20 years ago, they're going to cop flak.
Can't tell if trollin' or not.
Alongside the the first 10 minutes of Alien 3, it's why the film is utter rubbish compared to Alien: Resurrection- though ironically A3 is much better made.
GBX could tie Alien Resurrection to A:CM by making a mission on Fury 161 where the marines are tasked with collecting the last known blood sample of Ripley for study. Of course, they'd have to fail and the sample would have to end up in the wrong hands...thus paving the way for the storyline of Alien Resurrection 200 years in the future.
Everybody knows GB aren't precisely fans of the movie. That's ok np, but just be careful because aliens was neither the end of the franchise nor It was the only film of It. They're claiming in all directions this is going to be canon right?, we are awating the day of Its release and see what inconsistences the game has to offer too. God, all these years of bashing all friggin' day alien3 SUPPOSED inconsistences by the same part of the fanbase (always the same ones, the ones who think only "Aliens" exist" in the franchise), and now that we see things like HH being still and things like that and they just won't say a thing.
You have to respect people's intelligence a bit. We'll see what ACM ends up delivering on that. But for now?, alien3 SUPPOSED inconsistences just falter compared ACM HH survival (just a little example..., for now till the game arrives).
the egg aboard the Sulaco a mystery?, wasn't there a queen or what . She laid a couple of eggs, one for ripley and the other one that f**ked up the dog, probably a third one or more If ACM goes goes down that road.
What mystery are you talking about rofl. A queen lays eggs right?, then what's the mystery.
God forbid the guy have an opinion.
I like Alien 3, but its far from a great movie when compared to Alien and Aliens. If Gearbox can work in some information that fixes some of the movie's more egregious blemishes then so be it.
Also the unexplained mystery of the egg on the sulaco, and killing off newt/hicks.
Anyway, I had fun watching it. I believe they will attempt to explain how the egg got on the Sulaco in A:CM.
It could be worse, this game could be tied directly to Resurrection
i think his statement regarding alien³ goes to the alien³ haters.
but i think he's one, too.
Is it so hard to hang on a few months before rubbishing a story you don't even know yet? It just seems so needlessly negative - even with a flawed story it could still be a great experience. I dunno. It just feels like the Alien franchise is getting so much love this year, compared to the little respect I've seen at varying times since 1992 - it's all encouraging, surely?
"You will like alien3 a lot more after you've played ACM".
Man that one is pathetically disrespectful towards the last and greatest alien movie we had, and tbh is souring me pretty much. Who is this guy to say such thing? lol, alien3 was already a great and beautiful movie without the need of a game featuring moronic explanations for a ROFLMAO HH survival, rhino aliens, probable spider aliens, radiation affecting which is supposed to be the perfect organism, etc.
And there are a couple of other funny things he says in the article, kinda insulting alien3 too. This Pitchford dude seems to behave like a teenager from time to time. I actually appreciate he gets excited like a kid when promoting GB games (that's a good sign coming from a person), but he really needs to control his legit excitement before this leads him to criticize things without an actual argumentary.
Agreed.
Yeah, upon thinking about your comment more, I'd have to agree with that too. Still, I can't wait to see a debate on this forum where people are discussing an event in Aliens or Alien3 and someone interjects with a comment about A:CM as if it is part of the film mythology. Some people will need to be convinced that there is a huge difference between the films in the series and the video games that are created out of it.
Big enough.
I haven't played that game in over 10 years... lol
I'd generally agree - but replace 'uninspiring' with 'moronic'.
I'm digging the hell out of the SNES Alien3 right now and that only resembles Alien3 in the fact that Ripley's bald and the setting. She never had an arsenal in Alien3. Nor was she running up and down platforms and ladders a la Super Mario rescuing prisoners who had the Aliens had chained(?) up.
If the game is fun to play the 'story' is irrelevant.
Oh and I doubt people will debate the inconsistencies in the same way as Alien3. A video game doesn't have anything near the weight of a film.
"Every since I was a little Drone, people have enjoyed the sound of me hisses."
how can i interpret this? do we play as marines, aliens & weyland-yutani-mercs?
Spoiler
You can't make a game that identically follows the plot of a movie that you already saw because it would be based on an outcome that you already know. That would be potentially boring. GBX wanted to make an Aliens game without redoing Aliens outright and this is the best they could come up with.
I have a feeling that all of the plot holes in this game will be as widely debated on this website in a similar way that Alien3 is discussed. I am prepared for the game's inconsistencies in relation to the film to be annoying but I don't think it will distract me from enjoying the game overall so long as the controls are tight and there are more than a few good fire fights to go along with A:CM's uninspiring premise.
I always assumed it would be the 17 days time period that hicks says they have to wait for a rescue mission. That makes sense. Why the hell is set after alien 3 as well? And why is the Sullaco back in orbit around LV-426?
Gearbox have clearly got some reason for this, but weather or not it is a good one I have my doubts.
Also regarding Hadley's Hope still standing, one theory I had was that because the buildings would be designed to withstand extreme weather conditions it would be pretty tough and then it wouldn't be too surprising that it could stay partly intact after an explosion. However, the fact that there are still facehuggers in jars in the med lab and then in the next room the wall is blown off (but the map is still there and undamaged) is pretty ridiculous.
I think they are trying too hard to put in all these easter eggs that don't fit in with continuity (Bishop's legs), instead of putting more effort into trying to make a new and exciting Aliens story.
I am still looking forward to the game though.
Also, why the hell are there even Xenomorphs still there? The Hive was right in the centre of the explosion!
And the three way story perspective sounds cool. This and the third person perspective alien stuff has got me feeling better about all this colonial marine stuff.
they seem to be following Kennner's retardation If chris$$ theory about the new alien being a spider alien ends up being true. We would have then the rhino and spider alien. You see, committing suicide the only way before this situation, or maybe nuke Gearbox HQ from orbit, and Sega HQ too of course.
Mutation by radiation, or so I heard. Maybe the radiation also stunted their growth. Lol