The game with the TemplarGFX mod graphics is actually a completely different game to the stock version. Most reviews on youtube are pretty unanimous that it looks and plays as a great game and feels a true sequel to the '86 movie. It had some memorable quotes too: e.g. Hicks' (Michael Biehn) "
Watch the blood!" during firefights.
Edit: I've been thinking about this for weeks now, and I think I solved how the entire Aliens, Alien 3, CMTM logs, and the game tie together.
Bear with me, and remember (the greedy) Burke acted alone in Aliens, to not split his shares of success with anyone at Science Division (Bioweapons projects). That's been accepted for a while now.
I realised that (
Patna) Bishop at the end of Alien 3 was the human Michael Bishop after all and not an android. Not only that, but the Michael Bishop executive in WY (see end of CMTM) who sends the
Shinyo Maru is an android himself, an impostor/spy controlled by the real (
Patna) Michael Bishop (working at D15 science division).
It's how science division is "always one step ahead" of WY as described in the CMTM. They have a man on the inside.
From CMTM (discussing the Bishop 341-B synthetic onboard
Sulacos' remains):
"PLAYBACK DD/ cont// ref 17:10:28
"This is very strange, Leigh."
"Hmm? What have you come up with?"
"Look at the android data we captured here. All we received, more or less, were the android logs - all it saw or heard or downloaded; but this comes with a lot of contextual and semantic baggage - code from the operating system. It looks really odd - I've tried running it through ERAP, but my computers just can't make head nor tail of it."
" A custom mod?"
"More than that.This was one very special android. Just look at these responses — this thing was a lot smarter than your usual synthetic; it was making up some of its own emotional responses to events."
"Well, it's a company-built machine. I would have been surprised if it didn't have something buried deep in the system."
"Yeah, but this is more than that — there are these weird reactions to Ripley-"I think I finally figured out why they added that section to the Technical Manual. It never made sense to me before.
If I'm right, it does now.
Also from the CMTM:
"Rumiko, have you read this?"
"Yes, I had the testimony downloaded to my terminal." "Where in hell did they get this from?"
"I do not know. Science Division are saying they have a new data source. They are holding back until the bonus situation is cleared."The datasource is
Sulaco's 341-B Bishop.
Bishop 341-B aboard
Sulaco was feeding data all throughout the Sulaco mission to the real Michael Bishop working for Science Division (D15) onboard the
Patna. The "strange reactions" mentioned in the CMTM (above) were because 341-B's "
behavioral inhibitors" were
conflicting with the "
custom chip". The strange, own emotional responses towards Ripley were because it knew the truth. It knew the ultimate aim of Science Division and was actively taking part in the deception. Hence the above paragraphs in the CMTM.
As soon as the potential of LV426 becomes evident through Burke's transmission and 341-B's (
nefarious) reporting, Science Division dispatches two ships to LV426 (
Stasis Interrupted spoiler):
1. The bioweapons research vessel
Legato.
http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/USS_LegatoWhich arrives at the (post nuclear blast but undamaged) derelict site, collects eggs, but finds no queen and is sent to intercept the Sulaco because it knows (through 341-B) the only queen in existence now is onboard the Sulaco (inside Ripley.) It intercepts and docks with the Sulaco, towing it back to Origin Facility. All while having experimented with the eggs it collected on LV426 on colonist hostages, throughout its intercept journey.
(
Stasis interrupted spoiler) But mayhem breaks loose with both tethered ships becoming infected, the Legato being destroyed by a colonist (Elisabeth), Hicks being freed and escaping with Stone, Ripley (infected by a queen) jettisoning in the EEV to F161. The
Sulaco continuing on its new programmed route back to LV426 (to be boarded by the surprised
Sephora weeks later, who has no idea what happened onboard her).
With the loss of the Legato, the U.S.S. Sulaco (now considered "lost") became the makeshift (but primary) research vessel for Science Division at Origin Facility. A fitting end to the "unluckiest ship in the fleet" as the CMTM and novels call her.
2. The Science Division command ship
Resolute.
http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/ResoluteTo oversee operations at LV426, loading of eggs for experimentation on the Legato and starting
Project Ilithyia at the derelict (named after the
Ilium range on LV426.) Coincidentally the choice of that word is interesting, it is a variant of the Latin
Ilia (one side of the pelvic bone, groin). The Ilium mountain range on LV426 prophetically symbolises not only the pelvic shape of the derelict spacecraft (and phallic shape of the Xenomorph cranium), but Ilium also means
birthing in Latin in addition to meaning from
Ilion (from
Troy /
Trojan, where the Greek soldiers "
birthed" from the belly of the Trojan horse inside the city of Troy). Also
Ilithyia is the Greek goddess of childbirth.
The Resolute is headed by a synthetic Bishop (who, as everyone knows by now, through carelessness on Gearbox' part is incorrectly referred to as "Weyland" throughout the game. Then again, his full name in the canon may be named after Michael Weyland Bishop, either a relative of THE Weyland or a coincidental middle-name likeness). That would explain why in this franchise; androids who admit to being androids call themselves Bishop, while those feigning to be the human Weyland, refer to themselves as such. Gearbox may have been a step ahead of all of us.
By the time (the real) Michael Bishop (Science Division) onboard
Patna arrives, he travels straight to Fiorina 161 and not to LV426. Bishop knows (through 341-B) that there is no more queen on Acheron, the only remaining queen is inside Ripley, who has been jettisoned to Fiorina 161. The Patna travels straight there.
He himself doesn't care about eggs, he is after the grand prize, the queen herself (inside Ripley).
As we know, Ripley dies, along with the queen. (The real) Bishop is hit over the head and bleeds like a normal person, and screams "I'm not an android you moron!!". (
Stasis Interrupted spoiler) Hicks is taken prisoner and tortured (by the synthetic Bishop captain of the
Resolute) to reveal the code to his After-Action Report and distress signal (both incriminating), to prevent further investigations by a rescue party at LV426 and jeopardize
Project Ilithya.
The real Bishop (aboard the
Patna) is long gone by this point, unknown where to. Project Ilythia (Resolute) eventually manages to create a new queen on LV426 (see:
second Acheron queen)
http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Second_Acheron_QueenBy this time the Science Division spy inside WY (synthetic Michael Bishop) has (as a formality and long overdue) dispatched the
Shinyo Maru to LV426 which arrives weeks later on Sept 14th 2179 and finds the
Resolute (Science division) there already: (from CMTM)
COMFILE /28//sic.shinyom/1119476/savA
SAFARI FLASH.
TO: MANDEC RDIV
SUBJ: REDDOG ONE. EXTRACTION TEAM ON STATION EFFECTIVE SEP 132130. OBJECTIVE 2,000 METERS NE. WILL EXPEDITE. CAMLAC 2 OUTFIRE REPORTS FRIENDS PRESENT IN FORCE. REPEAT, IN FORCE. REQUEST WEAPONS FREE. STANDBY.
PLAYBACK FF//3945698/w-yut.Gwy/Res/C39 Sep 14 23:59:00 2179
"The Shinyo Maru confirms, sir. Science Division are on-site at the derelict. Tanaka wants orders. Should he arrange an accident?"
"Not yet. Tell him to keep his powder dry. First I need to negotiate with Trudeau on a secure line. If he's smart, he won't try and muscle us out of the bonus share."
COMFILE /28//sic.shinyom/234288/savH
FLASH.
TO: MANDEC RDIV
SUBJ: REDDOG ONE. ALL ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY HERE. HAVE RECOVERED TWO LOST BABIES. SHARE PROSPECTS EXCELLENT. MSG ENDS.So a blue-on-blue friendly fire over shares is avoided but it is all a theatre. (Science Division D15 /
Patna) Michael Bishop (the android creator) is playing everyone for a fool, including his own Science Division boss (Trudeau) in "agreeing" to the financial negotiations with his own puppet (synthetic) Michael Bishop the WY employee, who everyone thinks is human.
I guess when you are the original human, after whose likeness countless androids have been modelled, you really do have immense power if you are cunning.
In fact, the Sulaco Bishop synthetic, 341-B,
ITSELF smuggled the alien facehugger onboard the Sulaco into the hypersleep chambers.
- It's
WHY it was "late" to pick up Ripley and Newt from the processor,
NOT because it had to
"circle around because the platform was getting unstable".- It's
WHY the CMTM mentioned it had a unique custom chip installed by an unknown party and strange, conflicted reactions towards Ripley.
- It's
WHY it had no problem nuking the atmospheric processor.
- It's
WHY it lied to Ripley on Fiorina and made no mention of the Legato docking, Hicks, Stone, etc.
- It's
WHY the Patna (real Bishop) travels straight to F161 in the canon.
- It's
WHY Andrews' message gets such a quick reply from the
Patna regarding Ripley, they knew and were enroute.
It knew all along that Science Division's plan was safe.
The CMTM and plot of the game is genius how it ties everything together.
PS: and if the
ENTIRE franchise (Prometheus prequels, Alien, Alien: Isolation, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, CMTM, Aliens: Colonial Marines, WYR) is
CANON as Fox have repeatedly said (much to everyones confusion), there you have it:
Hicks alive (Video game)
Ripley alive (Resurrection)
That explains Blomkamps vision, and explains those weird Alien type appendages, masks, etc. on Ripley's face in his concepts. All it needs is a way to transport Hicks into the future from 2179.
A possible line from Blomkamps movie:
Hicks to Ripley, Ripley to Hicks
"I watched you die."