New Mini-Documentary on the Doomed Development of Obsidian's Aliens Crucible

[RidgeTop]

Video game documentary channel GVMERS has just released a investigative look at the ill-fated development of Aliens Crucible, the Aliens Role Playing Game developed by Obsidian Entertainment which was ultimately canceled by publisher Sega in favor of Aliens Colonial Marines.

The video gives a chronicle of the events surrounding the game's development process and ultimate demise, as well an idea of what the final result could have looked like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KmwNIdkeZc&t

GVMERS seems convinced that Obsidian may have been onto something with the project.

"While this game – Aliens Crucible – would ultimately end up being cancelled at Sega's behest, what information that has emerged about the game in the years following its demise suggests that Obsidian Entertainment may have had something truly special on their hands. More than just an RPG in an Alien mold, Aliens Crucible would have featured a macabre return to the franchise's horror roots bolstered by Obsidian's expertise in crafting meaningful player choice, making for what could have been an enticing proposition for both fans of Obsidian Entertainment and the Alien franchise alike."

They specify that Sega did not necessarily lose faith in the game, but rather were looking to streamline costs, and the two shooters being Rebellion's Aliens vs Predator (2010) and Gearbox's Aliens Colonial Marines seemed like safer bets.

Check out our gallery for a look at some concept art, screenshots, and renders from the game.

Our Take (RidgeTop)

I was really disappointed that this was never able to see a release. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II by Obsidian remains one of my favorite gaming memories and I think this RPG survival type game could have been an interesting take on the property. Sega didn't seem to benefit too much from betting on Gearbox over Obsidian. While probably impossible, I'd love it if this game could still see a resurrection somehow, perhaps at a lower price with some final tweaks and a fresh coat of paint applied.

If you'd like to support the documentary work of GVMERS, be sure to check out their Patreon.

[Xeno from Chino]

I don't know, the game play in this video didn't really look all that impressive and looked dated. I realize Aliens: Colonial Marines isn't a well liked game, but I think it looks a lot better than this Obsidian game.

[N7_Spectre]

It's a shame that it was canceled and that we got A:CM instead, especially given that we've never had an RPG set in the Alien universe (that I know of). 

[Whiskeybrewer]

This could have been so exciting. But then again so could A;CM if they hadn't done all the changes

[Corporal Hicks]

I'd always wondered how they would have pulled an Aliens RPG off. I do like the sounds of some of the features and it certainly sounded like they put some real, genuine work into it. I'm still not sure about that combat mechanic, though. Doesn't look massively interesting.

Lots of new footage and information in that doco, though! Really enjoyed that!

[Kailem]

Really great find! I love hearing/reading/watching behind-the-scenes stuff about the making of games, movies etc., sometimes even more so when they're projects like this that never ended up seeing the light of day.

I love the idea of an upgradeable base or stronghold that you had to venture out from into the rest of the world to find survivors and scavenge resources. It reminds me a bit of State of Decay, which I loved. Obviously all of the footage we have to go on is rough and unfinished (not to mention last-gen), but it certainly sounds like they had a lot of the right ideas, similar to how Creative Assembly knew the Alien franchise was fit for more than just shooters (and don't get me wrong, I love shooters, but a well-done Aliens RPG could have been something really unique).

Clearly watching this Sega just wanted to hedge their bets with the more proven and popular genre rather than because they thought Crucible actually looked bad, which is even more of a shame given all the stories that later came out about the way the funds and budget to A:CM were "managed". Maybe if they hadn't had to throw so much money at that we could have have actually seen a release for this. But alas, it was not to be.

Oh well, at the very least we got this cool little mini-un-making-of documentary out of it!

[worriors]

great documentary, somany good games canceled, and so many SXXt ones released.

[Darkness]

I do agree that ACM was the safer bet so I think Sega made the right decision to go with that. Otherwise like  ACM, the RPG would have become a never ending black hole for cash. We never heard anything about Crucible because it was cancelled really early but I heard Obsidian were just as incompetent as Gearbox when it came to development. Both are great developers and yet both keep whining they never got enough money from Sega. The only person I feel sorry for is Sega, having to put up with them. Maybe Sega just weren't as hands on as they should have been. Which is why Alien Isolation was as great as it was, it was developed by a Sega studio. 

I'm fairly certain that footage is from the leaked stuff but some new information about what they're doing down there on the planet is new.

[XenoHunter5669]

I'm not concerned about how the footage looked, last gen, unfinished... ect. For me, the idea of character development, and relations and trust amongst team members would have been great. Reminds me of the game "the thing". Not a great game, but having to rely on team members when decisions you make can alter their behavior. I hope something along these lines does happen, it would be a nice twist of the franchise l, love shooters, but, something deeper would be refreshing.

[SM]

Good video that.

[XenoHunter99]

Unfortunate. Looks like it would have been a good game.

[FatBrando]

It is more and more apparent that the struggles the Alien franchise has are due entirely to mis-management and bad ideas from the Studios. TO counter Ridley Scott, there's nothing wrong with the beast, it's the people pulling the strings that are killing/cheapening the franchise. (And yes, I fault Ridley Scott for lifting the veil and robbing the creatures of their mystery and majesty. Fear stems from the unknown. Now that we know, they aren't as scary.)