Just watched a whole playthrough and all the new Intel on YouTube. I'm not sure I'm gonna get this new DLC. I'm happy there's a real bossfight now finally, some of the implied lore in the Intel about the engineers could be cool, but most of it is a mess.
the Mutated xenos look ugly and not in a good way. They're too fleshy and rubbery. They don't look as bony as the Neos, don't look as creepy as the creatures in Prometheus and Carlos Huante's artwork. The designs are meh... Giving these creatures badly designed clubs for arms seems like blasphemy to me IMO.
We finally have our first cutscene which is nice but short lived and not super effective. They wanted to see what was making all of these mutations. When you see the Intel, you'll know it wasn't the mutant Queen. Was it really just that little pool at the end?
So pathogen xenos and other creatures work together cause of the pathogen? That's what they say in the game. But aren't xenos part of the pathogen already? Be it by David's perfecting or that the pathogen is derived from the true ancient xenos, a connection is there. So why don't they like the pathogen creatures then if they all should get along?
Don't get me started on the intel about the Crusher...
Spoiler
Why do they say that this crusher variant is native to this planet? Do they imply it comes from the specific wildlife? They say that other types from elsewhere have been seen to come from animals of thicker hides. Is that a joke or a nod to the Kenner rhino alien? Still, implying that means they didn't think that the Crusher is a next stage praetorian runner. Very confusing writing.
I'm really not liking the writing here, less and less with every new expansion of theirs. They try to make it out like the new creatures are so much cooler and stronger that regular xenos. Let's ignore the fact that aliens maybe shouldn't even be able to get infected since they already are part pathogen, but the implication that by just adding more pathogen you get better and stronger xenos makes me sick. Especially when they don't look more biomechanical or more Giger inspired (that's the only "upgrade" of the original I'd consider accepting), they look like discount Neomorphs and generic fleshy white mutants.
I mean, the game mechanics are fun, and I'm sure this DLC would be too, even though most of those mechanics make zero sense in the Alien EU. I do have a blast playing the game, but it really makes me sad to se how the lore is being treated, like it's being made up along the way.
P. S. those Neo looking spore pods are there, but not black like they should be, and our marines can breath all that stuff in without masks, no problem...
And the intel about the new brute:
Spoiler
loosing the tail because it can't climb anymore? The Crusher can't climb walls but still has a tail. And the argument of the tail being a counterbalance for climbing walls makes no sense, that's not how counterbalances work... That's for running or swimming, a tail makes climbing even more difficult normally, not easier...
