Aliens: Bug Hunt - Aliens Anthology Announced!

[Xenomrph]

I remember the pulse rifle jamming in AvP99; it wasn't often but it would definitely happen.

And I'm talking about the CD copy, not the Steam version.

This might give me an excuse to replay the Steam version and see if I can recreate it.

[Engineer]

I played the same version and have no recollection of that lol

[Corporal Hicks]

And it must be your computer. The Pulse Rifle in AvP 1999 doesn't jam as a feature of the game. I think I would've caught that at some point during my 200 rereads of the Prima strategy guide in grade school. Maybe it's the Steam copy.

Yep, it definitely jammed. I've been replaying it a bit lately and it occurs quite frequently. I couldn't give you a source but I do vaguely remember someone from Rebellion talking about it in article (old magazine) or to me directly.

[426Buddy]

And it must be your computer. The Pulse Rifle in AvP 1999 doesn't jam as a feature of the game. I think I would've caught that at some point during my 200 rereads of the Prima strategy guide in grade school. Maybe it's the Steam copy.

Yep, it definitely jammed. I've been replaying it a bit lately and it occurs quite frequently. I couldn't give you a source but I do vaguely remember someone from Rebellion talking about it in article (old magazine) or to me directly.

Yeah it definitely jams in the original copy of the game. If i remember right, there is a trailer for the game that shows it jamming as well.

Yeah i think the trailer shows an ai character jamming but not sure. Anyway i remember it jamming as a kid.

This trailer was on my VHS copy of Aliens:SE, I watched it a million times until i got the game. man i loved this game so much.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DygMWMIv0qPs&ved=0ahUKEwi9zPLQpu_TAhUszoMKHYATBOAQo7QBCBwwAA&usg=AFQjCNHJJq_QwMNxcPo_qRydI-EAT1vRIw&sig2=w-i1aHlmUc_Dg_2SizPXfw

[HuDaFuK]

I remember the pulse rifle jamming in AvP99; it wasn't often but it would definitely happen.

And I'm talking about the CD copy, not the Steam version.

It also happens in the Steam version, that being the only copy of the game that I own.

I don't really get the eye-rolling. That's a real-world, historical example of an iconic and revolutionary weapon being designed by a complete novice. So it didn't strike me as especially dumb for a retired Marine to come up with a decent weapon, regardless of what he might be doing for his day job.

You don't like the story, fine. But nothing in it read as especially unbelievable.

Two more down. Found both Deep Background and Empty Nest to be really enjoyable, especially the former. The Marine banter in it came across as refreshingly legit and devoid of cheese, especially during the sniping scene, and I really liked how you never actually see any Aliens or Alien combat in the story, it's all "off-screen". And the final twist with Hasegawa was great. Empty Nest wasn't quite so good but I still ended up liking it.

I loved that both stories were so loaded with references to other Alien media. Stuff like the M42A Scope Rifle showing up. And I got a particularly big kick out of seeing Lasalle Bionational get a mention in Empty Nest - a nod to the obscure Aliens magazine, Lasalle being the fictitious company that produced the great Xenomorph biology articles that appeared in it.

Given how hard Aliens mag is to come by these days, I can't help but wonder if maybe the name-drop of Lasalle originated from our article on the wiki...

[SM]

I got no time for Correia, but I thought Episode 22 was one of the better stories.

[HuDaFuK]

Like I said, Episode 22 came across exactly like the kind of weapon-history show I've seen on TV many times before, and I really appreciated how it nailed that aspect.

Darkness Falls - "Heather Graham" must be an alias of Eric Red Christ.

Hugs to Die for was better (not saying much), but still annoyed me with how fan-ficcy a lot of it sounded, especially in the general set-up and the goofy W-Y rep character. That said, the idea of an Alien story where the only Aliens we meet are Facehuggers (and tons of them) was actually really cool. Just wish it hadn't got off to such a poor start and left so many questions hanging. (Like where the hell are all the eggs coming from? Do they have a Queen there or what?)

[SM]

Deep Background - Decent

Spoiler

sadly predictable moustache twirling at the end.

[close]

Empty Nest - Decent

Spoiler

but telegraphed that something was up with the woman too early.  Also similar to Inhuman Condition.  The deaths were nicely grim though.

[close]

The pattern with most of these stories seems to 'Ho-hum - this is actually pretty good - unsatisfactory conclusion.'

[HuDaFuK]

Got through another three last night, and enjoyed them all. This book's definitely picked up noticeably in the second half, despite the fact the back end contains unquestionably the worst story of the lot so far (Darkness Falls).

Maberry's Deep Black was excellent (despite a few goofs, like constantly referring to Weyland-Yutani as "W-T", or calling Double-Y syndrome "Double-X", which would simply make anyone suffering from it a woman ). Another story with lots of references that make it feel like the author actually cared enough to do some research on the series before writing it.

Spoiler

Loved the return to Fury. Wasn't so hot on the theory as to how the Chinese actually got hold of Aliens there, but at least it was presented as just that - a theory. The fact it wasn't definitively stated exactly what happened means you're free to come up with your own, perhaps less continuity-muddling explanation.

[close]

Above all, I just thought the writing style in this was fantastic. Even the mistakes I mentioned couldn't really dampen it for me. Would love to see Maberry write more for this franchise.

Distressed was

Spoiler

another good not-actually Aliens story. A bit like Reaper, it sets you up into thinking you'll be facing the good ol' Xeno, but then pulls a 180 and throws a completely different (and pretty cool) alien at you. If anything the switch was a tad unclear - for instance, he calls his new alien a Xenomorph, which - while linguistically fine (and a neat touch) - did confuse me for a bit, and I had to re-read a few lines before I twigged that what I'd just read wasn't supposed to be another vague description of the traditional Alien... But once I was over that I loved the story through to the end.

[close]

Dangerous Prey, a bit like Episode 22, was another story that pleasantly surprised with how different it was in tone and style.

Spoiler

Seeing things entirely from the Alien perspective didn't always work but at least made for an interesting and memorable read. It reminded me of some of the good Alien-perspective sections in Crispin's Resurrection novelisation.

[close]

Probably the one of the three I enjoyed least but still a worthwhile addition.

Only have Lebbon's Spite to go now.

[Hudson]

Deep Black was definitely my favorite of the whole book, but I was disappointed that it basically ended as the story was about to begin. Seemed like a really interesting portion of a longer work.

Dangerous Prey was another of my favorites as well. I haven't read the Resurrection novelization yet, actually just got it in the mail. I thought the voice was consistent and fit well with what I would expect that kind of narration to sound like. I was hoping for more of it in Sea of Sorrow, but it was pretty sparse.

[HuDaFuK]

Deep Black was definitely my favorite of the whole book, but I was disappointed that it basically ended as the story was about to begin. Seemed like a really interesting portion of a longer work.

To be honest, given how many stories we've had over the years that have soldiers fighting Aliens, I was fine with it ending like it did. I don't need to read about yet more Marines getting into yet more firefights with Xenomorphs. I liked that the story focused on different things instead. Same goes for Deep Background, which likewise deliberately dodged the actual Alien confrontations and was all the more interesting for it.

Would've been nice to know what ultimately happened to the characters, but I didn't think the cliffhanger ending was necessarily a bad thing.

[Hudson]

Didn't feel like a cliffhanger to me. Felt unfinished.

[SM]

despite a few goofs, like constantly referring to Weyland-Yutani as "W-T",

That could be because T is the dominant consonant in Yutani.

Or could be because T is right next Y and Maberry was busy trying to edit the Burke story.

[Engineer]

Or could be because T is right next Y and Maberry was busy trying to edit the Burke story.

Considering the author did this every time instead of once or twice, I don't think it was a typo...

[Hudson]

I would maybe vote for Double X to be a typo...but even that is pretty bad.

This book is mostly just a big mess. Very lazy job all around.