I finished the game, thanks to a friend who got an early copy. Here is my short non-spoiler review.
Gameplay
The gameplay is standard just like any other fps game The difference of course is the setting, which takes place in the Alien universe that many have come to love and adore. The shoot mechanics is decent and I compare it to the Call of Duty games, which means that the recoil is almost non-existent. It it awesome to hear the sound effects of the pulse rifle, which is the same as Aliens. The shotguns are useless and enemies soak up at least 3 to 4 shells. Don't get me wrong, they come in handy in a tight spot, but I always find myself going back to the pulse rifle. You do fight humans in this game, who are the Weyland-Yutani's private military company, or PMC. The human AI is not the greatest and they act like bots sometimes. There was an instance where I ran past the enemy while he was shouting "intruders! Hit the alarm" and proceed to just walk down the aisle. The Xenomorph AI is good and they do pose a threat because of how fast they travel. Gearbox did a good job programming the Xenomorphs to use the darkness and shadows.
Story
The story is canon and a true sequel to Aliens. They worked closely with 20th Century Fox and even talked to Ridley Scott (dunno why it wasn't James Cameron, but maybe he was busy...). To keep it short, the story revolves around another Colonial Marines detachment that was sent to investigate the distress signal (sent out in Aliens) 14 weeks after the events of Aliens. The game offers a cool level of fan service such as exploring the whole ship (Sulaco) since we only saw bits and pieces of it in the movie. You do get to wander around in Hadley's Hope and other set pieces in the movie. What I found to be really cool is that they got back actors to reprise their roles in the game such as Michael Biehn (Corporal Hicks), Lance Henriksen (android Bishop), etc. I know that a lot of fans are pissed that the game makes the Xenomorphs weak. You have to understand that it's a GAME. Gearbox tried their best to make the game as authentic as the movie as possible. For example, you do lose life overtime due to the Xenomorph's acid when you kill it and get too close. YES, the guns do take down the Xenomorphs faster than the movies. If they made the game authentic, then the game would be difficult for the avenge gamer.
Visuals
The game was almost in development hell that caused delays and pushbacks. The game was originally suppose to come out on the PS2, but it was scrapped and pushed to be released on next generation consoles. The visuals are quite... poor. I played on the Xbox 360 and there were instances of screen tearing and fps drops. There was a moment in the game where there is a light in a dark room and it was pixelated. The Xenomorph animation and look is really good and even the Marines movements. If the game didn't bump into many problems it did and was released like they wanted, it could have passed for its time. I am not a big graphics whore, but there are parts of the game that just bugged me.
Conclusion
Overall, if you are a big fan of the series you will enjoy the game for what it is. If you are looking for a fps game to play, then skip it until the price lowers. The game is not worth the full retail price of $60 in my opinion. To be fair, it worth around the $30 range. I have not tried the multiplayer, but if that is your thing, then go for it. I like Gearbox, but they are hit or miss with their games. I really wish they made another Brothers in Arms game =/
